In his early career, Roger Beaujolais played mainly in pop and jump-jive bands. Since their music was very loud, and his instrument is the gentle vibraphone, he had to settle for an electronic version to make himself heard. We’re lucky that, since then, he has stuck firmly to the classic, acoustic instrument because it is capable of great delicacy and tonal warmth, which his subtle playing brings out to perfection. In a trio like this, with just bass (Giacomo Dominici) and drums (Alessandro Pivi), Beaujolais mostly takes the lead in both melody and harmony, managing with two mallets, or four at the most, to do what a pianist does with 10 fingers. It’s what all vibes players do, of course, but it still seems like magic to me, and Beaujolais does it with uncommon fluidity and grace. He writes attractive tunes, too; nine of these 11 pieces are his. I particularly like Lost For Words, with its melody emerging from a cloud of sustained sound, and the lively Peccable. The album’s Italian title refers to the leader’s new long beard, suggestive of a cross between Charles Darwin and Father Christmas.
