Arnaud Quevedo & Friends - 2025 - Live Quintet 2025

(80:00; Arnaud Quevedo)

I have not previously come across Arnaud Quevedo, but he is a French musician who has been teaching music at the  Conservatoire since 2007 and has been performing under his own name since 2020. This live release from Arnaud Quevedo & Friends finds them performing in summer 2025 and features Quevedo (guitar, vocals, keyboards, alto sax) being joined by Noe Russeil (bass, vocals), Hortense Mailhos (drums), Julien Gomila (soprano & baritone saxophones) and Eloïse Baleynaud (lead vocals, keyboards).

This is fusion which also contains some Crimson elements, and the band are very tight indeed, and can also be quite heavy at times, which makes for an interesting mix of styles and dynamics. The sax is an integral music as opposed to an afterthought, while the rhythm section certainly set the stage (the bass on this is stunning throughout) and Quevedo is a super guitarist. But, and it was fairly obvious there was a “but” coming, I am not a huge fan of Eloïse Baleynaud. We get quite a lot of scat, and much of her vocals are very much in the jazz vein, yet there are just too many times when she is not quite on point, which is fine when at a concert as people tend to overlook that but when listening to the performance it very much stands out, and in many ways lets down the rest. Her vocals have also been placed slightly to the rear in the mix, so she does not stand out as much as one would expect, and when she is providing backing vocals she seems more confident and at ease.

The album is very loose, but also plenty tight, and I know if I was able to see them in concert I would, but whether I will return often to this CD is another matter altogether. 

Kev Rowland, August 2026

Links:
https://www.arnaudquevedo.com/