Close to Heaven

With Close to Heaven, Franck Tortiller reveals a passion for Led Zeppelin. The ten-piece orchestra moves into the world of the legendary group by adopting their notion of perpetual collective improvisation. This is no simple reading of the music, though, but a specific work of arrangement, a constant quest for dynamics and voices. The orchestration, which concentrates on brass and percussion, allows the listener to "surf" in a parallel universe, one rich in jazz and classical influences. Led Zeppelin's melodies belong to our collective memory, and are used as leitmotivs, bridges between the soloist and the orchestra.
Experimenting with sound colour and electronics in a kind of perpetual pulsation, the orchestra mixes free playing with – perhaps – a touch of nostalgia. Guest soloist and "free electron" Xavier Garcia passes Led Zeppelin sound material through his samplers to paint an imaginative backdrop to Franck Tortiller's orchestral writing.