RTBF - MUSIQ3 (BE)

 ENGLISH TRANSLATED

Igor Gehenot is Belgian, and Amaury Faye is French, though he lived for several years in Brussels. Two pianists in their mid-thirties, they first met during a jam session in Brussels in 2016. By 2018, they had formed a two-piano duo. Their first album was released in 2021, and the second is now out on Hypnote Records. It was recorded live and is simply titled: “Amaury Faye and Igor Gehenot: Live at Bozar.”

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW (FRENCH)

FRANCE MUSIQUE (FR)

 ENGLISH TRANSLATED

With Amaury Faye & Igor Gehenot, there’s no trace of overplaying. Facing each other, their two grand pianos mirror one another, as the pianists elevate every melody with a sense of balance, grace, and effortless dialogue. Released on Hypnote, the album highlights the art of musical conversation at its finest.

The repertoire is as diverse as it is compelling — from reimagined versions of Police and Chico Buarque to original compositions that move fluidly between New York–inspired jazz and neo-bop. What emerges is a sound rich with evocative power and tinged with a gentle melancholy, often calling to mind the saudade of Brazilian music.

Poetry runs through every track. The pianists’ voices intertwine with lyrical beauty, turning the recording into a space for exploration — modern, creative, and deeply lyrical. Infused with European romanticism, their treatments of pop and bossa nova pieces gain new color, both sensitive and refined. The nine tracks are crafted with modern precision, offering a setting where improvisation feels natural and inspired, revealing the delicate interplay of two distinctive yet perfectly complementary pianistic styles.

What shines through above all is the complicity and generosity of Gehenot and Faye. Their dialogue feels luminous — an album that is both intimate and expansive, and one that lingers long after the final notes fade.

LE SOIR (BE)

 ENGLISH TRANSLATED

The Liégeois from Brussels, Igor Gehenot, and the Toulousain, Amaury Faye. Two pianists, two friends. They asked themselves why, in the end, they didn’t play together. And so, they did, at Gaume Jazz 2020, completely disrupted by the pandemic. Two pianos facing each other, engaging in a mirrored interplay. Their fingers danced across the keys, drawing the audience into a sarabande or a romantic reverie. They took us on a journey to another place. And since the audience was so enthusiastic, the two collaborators decided to do it again, particularly in the grand Henry Le Bœuf hall at Bozar, Brussels, on October 19, 2022.

Two grand pianos in a mirrored arrangement. Igor and Amaury facing each other for a four-hand piano concert. But rather than opposing them, the two pianists intertwine their melodies. It’s not a battle, but a collaboration where the only goal is to offer the best of their music. Two romantic temperaments, yet never forgetting the touch of irony needed to avoid taking themselves too seriously.

The performance begins with Just in Time, a musical by Jule Styne. There’s a touch of Charlie Parker (Segment) and Jimmy Van Heusen (It Could Happen to You). The other four pieces are written by the pianists themselves: Random Life and Bulle by Igor, Mental Traveller and Toulouse-Bruxelles by Amaury. Everything demands a total understanding of the other, perfect listening, and perfect harmony—so much so that one can’t even tell who’s playing, Gehenot or Faye. It’s so intertwined that the duo feels like one single musician. And they delight us, literally, immersing us in their music.

RAMDAM (FR)

 ENGLISH TRANSLATED

Outstanding pianists of the new generation, Liège-born Igor and Toulouse native Amaury present their very personal vision of the piano duo. With the quick wit of two strong musical personalities, the youthful energy that fuels dazzling keyboard interplay, and the ability to reinvent inspiring covers, the two partners intertwine their universes with brilliance.

One has shaped an approach open to classical, pop, blues, and rock influences, which he delivers with refinement, maturity, and virtuosity. The other, drawing on German romanticism, Anglo-American music, and the modern jazz of the New York scene, shines through his widely recognized talents as both an instrumentalist and improviser.

Both as soloists and in their duo work, they have earned equal praise — virtuosos, whatever the context.

JAZZQUES (BE)

 ENGLISH TRANSLATED

The two friends take the stage and sit face to face, separated only by 176 black and white keys. New compositions were promised, yet the concert opens with the swinging, upbeat “Magic Balls”, followed by the more introspective “Éternité”, both featured on the album. Each, in their own way, adds percussive effects — Gehenot by striking the wooden frame of the piano, Faye by muting the strings.

The pianists, clearly delighted to be there (and who could blame them?), share their complicity with the audience, lightening the mood — which was already relaxed, truth be told. After a delightful rendition of “It Could Happen To You”, immortalized by Chet Baker, Igor leaves the stage to Amaury.

The Toulouse-born pianist launches into a no-holds-barred stride version of Jelly Roll Morton’s “Stomp” — rapid, fiery, and breathless. Absolutely dazzling.

Back in duo, the musicians exchange and converse joyfully over inventive chord progressions. They talk, they present, they comment — but above all, they play!

Then it’s Igor’s turn to take the spotlight with his melancholic “Bulle”, a delicate waltz shaped by silky, romantic touch.

Jazz returns with conviction on a Charlie Parker theme, before diving into the enigmatic, sublime, and ethereal “Bibo no Aozora” by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The musical spectrum of these two artists is vast and without boundaries. They let themselves be guided by emotion and affinity. No affectation, just sincerity. Finally, with two encores, they once again dazzle the ears — and raise smiles — as they swap pianos on the closing notes of the dance-like “Egberto.” Pure joy.

A wonderful evening, perfectly executed — and one we can’t wait to relive on record soon.

JAZZ'HALO (NL)

 ENGLISH TRANSLATED

On October 19, 2022, Igor Gehenot and Amaury Faye reunited on stage at BOZAR.

The two pianists have known and admired each other for a long time, and had already honed the art of the duo before this event: during a session at the Maene piano studio in Brussels, but most notably while recording their first album in Toulouse — a recording colored by the South American spirit of Chico Buarque and João Bosco, touched by the pop of Sting, and brightened by their own original compositions.

The prestigious Salle Henry Le Bœuf brought them together for this exceptional concert. The program was perfectly balanced: two compositions by each pianist and three standards. The opener, “Just in Time,” highlighted the chanson-like qualities of the piece, beautifully conveyed through the sensitivity and skill of both pianists.

From the very start, it was clear that this was not going to be a piano “battle,” but rather a display of lyricism and mutual listening. Amaury Faye’s “Mental Traveller” unfolded in a wonderfully romantic atmosphere before giving way to the dynamic, swirling “Toulouse-Bruxelles.”

The duo also showed they could swing in the bebop tradition with Charlie Parker’s “Segment,” treating the audience to a stunningly fluid dialogue. Igor Gehenot’s “Bulle” offered a welcome interlude between two standards, a gentle melody dissolving into near-silence.

As with “Just in Time” at the beginning of the concert, the closing “It Could Happen to You” carried us along the path of a timeless standard, joyfully illuminated by two musicians whose mutual attentiveness remained total from start to finish of this brilliant performance.

JAZZMANIA (BE)

 ENGLISH TRANSLATED

The Toulousain Amaury Faye and the Liégeois Igor Gehenot recorded an album in October 2021, titled Amaury Faye x Igor Gehenot. Exactly one year later, they reunited in the prestigious Henry Le Bœuf Hall at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels to present their album, while also seizing the opportunity to perform a few standards and new compositions. This Live at Bozar, which does not feature any duplicates from their previous studio production, serves as a testament to this event, allowing listeners to partially relive a special moment while discovering new music.

Expertly recorded and mixed, the album highlights the art of the duo—a subtle balance between two musicians facing each other, conversing, supporting, and stimulating one another with a great appetite for collaboration. The exchanges are colorful, nuanced, and never overburdened, often incandescent, full of verve and joy, even though, as in Bulle, lyricism and fragility emerge in abundance. What we hear are two virtuosos, two pianists shining like two neighboring suns in the same sky.

WTJU (USA)