'Weird Life' by Etienne Manchon Trio

'Weird Life' marks the latest release from French ensemble Etienne Manchon Trio who celebrate the distinction of their third full-length album.

With their first album unveiled back in 2019, 'Elastic Borders' established the trio's penchant for a high energy and voracious perspective on contemporary jazz that sought inspiration from Pink Floyd just as much as Wayne Shorter or Ben Wendel.  Very open about wearing their hearts on their sleeves, the Etienne Manchon Trio have become incredibly adept at creating music that showcases their affections for a broad scope of music with each of their releases to date sounding vastly different and unique from each other.

Headed up by pianist Etienne Manchon, the trio is further comprised of double bassist Clément Daldosso and drummer/percussionist Théo Moutou who enthusiastically embrace jazz, rock and classical music aesthetics as part of their inspired soundscapes.

For Manchon, expression through collectives and ensembles that offer him the chance to present various facets of his own fandom and overarching voice are opportunities to be embraced.  Whether that fall under the boundless versatility of The Irrefutable Octopus, the frenetic energy of Yves Rousseau Septet or the more atmospheric and experimental sounds of Congé Spatial, Manchon seems to embrace the continued challenges of releasing new music, which he seems to do at a staggering pace.

With an epic amount of live performances chalked up for last year, 2025 already seems off to an impressive start for Manchon with performances booked for all around France as part of a variety of ensembles including Calico Ensemble, Guillaume Lopez Trio and of course the Etienne Manchon Trio in support of 'Weird Life'.

What a treat it would surely be to see 'Weird Life' brought to scintillating life on a live stage.  As an eleven-track album, Manchon, Daldosso and Moutou navigate a fantastic course interweaving some sublime pieces of music with personality-driven and charismatic compositions generating some brilliant standout moments.  And it's potentially those slightly more unexpected moments that prove the most captivating like the dreamy 'Early Flight' or the understated 70s sonics of 'Road Trip'.

Etienne Manchon is unlikely to sit still for too long before the touring schedule resumes or it's time to hit the studio again but his body of work really does warrant your attention.  As for the Etienne Manchon Trio, 'Weird Life' delivers as a phenomenal album for both long-time listeners of the trio as it does as an introduction for new ears.