“Léon Phal brings, for sure, a freshness and even a certain delightful candour.” – Le Monde 

All the way from France comes rising star and saxophonist Léon Phal, a part of a young generation of jazz musicians whose work has been influenced by the standards. His mastery of the instrument, combined with a great sense of melody and dedication to his art, is amplified by devastating groove. Praised as a rising star by Jazz News and Jazz Magazine for the release of his first album, Canto Bello, Léon Phal leads a brilliant quintet. Phal’s latest album, Dust to Stars, is a marvelous example of what we love most about jazz: a dynamic interpretation of the genre, all the while demystifying the stigma that jazz in inaccessible. Dust to Stars explores various styles such as house and drum n’ bass, creating a real dance machine with a soul. Between confrontations of acoustic and electronic, jazz fervor and dance-floor fever, dreamy soundscapes, and meticulous beats, emerges a salutary symbiosis of contagious energy and rare elegance. They will bring all this and more to their Western Canada debut at TD JazzFest 2023. The group’s sound is electrified by Gauthier Toux keyboard, the horns of Leon Phal and Zacharie Kysk trumpet, and the rhythms of Arthur Alard drums and Rémi Bouyssière bass.