Paul Jarret’s international quartet, Tilia,
combines lyrical, abstract, and cinematic
moods on their new album, leaving ample
room for spontaneous creation and musical
interactions that illuminate the essence of
jazz. The diverse genre and stylistic references
give rise to a coherent and independent body
of work – one of Jarret’s greatest strengths
as a songwriter is precisely this sophisticated
synthesis, emerging on the new album in
a more mature and refined form than ever
before.
With Tilia, French guitarist and composer Paul Jarret
continues his personal and uncompromising artistic
journey by creating a new, essentially European
quartet. Their album is based on Jarret’s compositions,
which combine lyrical, abstract, and cinematic moods,
leaving ample room for spontaneous creation and
musical interactions that illuminate the essence of jazz.
The pieces include elegiac, acoustic pop-folk ballads and
post-punk riffs, as well as scratchy, noisy sounds,
yet the diverse genre and stylistic references, moods
and inspirations give rise to a coherent and independent
body of work. One of Jarret’s greatest strengths as a
songwriter is precisely this sophisticated synthesis,
emerging on the new album in a more mature and
refined form than ever before. The allegorical starting
point for the entire repertoire is the linden tree,
botanically known as Tilia, which often appears
in myths as a majestic, sacred and virtuous plant,
a symbol of justice and freedom, and can live
for up to a thousand years. All of the compositions
are inspired by this tree, whether it be Baucis
(from the story of Philemon and Baucis) or Laima
(the Baltic deity symbolized by the linden tree) –
the motif provides not only a conceptual, but also
an aesthetic and interpretive framework for the
quartet’s work.is that Kurtág reads the aphorisms as
an introduction, and the cycle is complemented by
six of his piano pieces and transcriptions in his own
performance.
Tilia is a great embodiment of the diverse and openminded
nature of contemporary European jazz.
Bandleader and guitarist Paul Jarret is one of the
founders of the French collective Pégazz & Hélicon.
Before joining the BMC Records catalog, he played
a bunch of concerts at BMC’s Opus Jazz Club: in
2021, he performed with his Pj5 (a former winner
of the Jazz Migration program, which supports upand-
coming French bands) and the trio Sweetdog;
in 2023, he played with Jim Black as a member of
Ghost Songs; and in 2025, Tilia made its debut in
Budapest. Saxophonist Philipp Gropper has enjoyed
great success both with the Hyperactive Kid trio –
alongside Ronny Graupe and Christoph Lillinger –,
and with his own bands, such as Philm and TAU 5.
Despite his young age, French double bassist Étienne
Renard has already worked with numerous bands,
including Benoît Delbecq’s piano trio, Triple Fever, and
appeared on Kirke Karja’s trio album Caught in My
Own Trap, released by BMC Records in 2024. Sun-Mi
Hong, who is of Korean origin and currently lives in
Amsterdam, has become an indispensable drummer
on the European jazz scene: she has played at the
Opus Jazz Club as a member of bands such as the
Teis Semey Quintet and Alto for Two, and has recently
released her fourth album leading her own quintet.