Ten years of life for a group is something to celebrate. In 2012, saxophonist, singer, songwriter and actor Thomas de Pourquery brought together brilliant musicians to celebrate the work of one of the most stratospheric artists to have emerged on the jazz planet: Sun Ra (1914-1993 ). Supersonic was born (the group’s name is inspired by the title of an album by the American pianist and composer), bringing together saxophonist Laurent Bardainne, keyboardist Arnaud Roulin, drummer Edward Perraud, trumpeter Fabrice Martinez and bassist Frederick around Pourquery. Galiay.
Three albums have been released, alongside the great careers of the members of the collective: Play Sun Ra (2014), Sons of Love (2017) and Back to the Moon (2021) without forgetting The Bride, the soundtrack of the eponymous short film featuring the members of Supersonic. A distinguished epic at the Victoires du jazz (album of the year 2014, then artist of the year 2017 for Thomas de Pourquery) and at the Académie du Jazz (Django Reinhardt Prize 2021 for Pourquery).
Joyful, powerful and electrifying on stage, willingly merging their jazz with rock or pop, Supersonic celebrates its anniversary on November 4 at the Trianon in Paris. The group will revisit its repertoire and welcome guests. The opportunity for Thomas de Pourquery to fly over a decade of music and emotions, for Franceinfo Culture.
The crazy teaser of the Trianon concert, with shadowworld (Sun Ra) by Supersonic, and Sons of Love (director: Thomas Olland)
Franceinfo Culture: When you formed Supersonic, did you imagine that it would still exist ten years later?
Thomas de Pourquery : No way. I started this band to play Sun Ra’s music. I was thinking that maybe, afterwards, we would meet to play it from time to time. I hadn’t planned anything beyond recording this album and performing it on stage, which usually takes two years. Things are done little by little, like a story of love or friendship, with confidence in this love we have for each other and our great happiness to play together. It is the nerve of our common organism. That’s how it worked from the beginning, with successive desires. As long as there is this desire, it will continue.
Three adjectives to describe this adventure?
Free, ecstatic, fearless.
Little space-time journey in the history of Supersonic… Your biggest decision (since forming the band)?
The decision to make the second album was crucial in the life of the band, because it launched them as such, without Sun Ra. But we’re still Sun Ra’s children! Sun Ra is our father and our mother. At some point, all children become emancipated from their parents. But we continue to love him very much, we eat with him every Sunday, we have kept this ritual: at all our concerts, we play a piece of Sun Ra, Love in Outer Space. We never get tired of it. It might be one of the most beautiful love songs in the world ever written, by an alien anyway! This bond is extremely strong. At the same time, it’s also Sun Ra – and his spirit – who participated in guiding us towards our own sound, and who helped us to follow our own desires. On stage, he navigated between several styles in total freedom. This freedom that we grant each other, I believe is what brings us closer to Sun Ra today, more than his music as such.
The greatest quality of the group?
His energy.
Biggest moment in the studio?
I answer you rather with a very strong memory: the first time we met. It wasn’t in the recording studio but it was our first rehearsal, the very first time we played together. We were all in tears pretty quickly. I don’t know what song it happened on. It was such a joy, everything fit together so simply. This energy I was talking about was already there. There was an alchemy between these six human beings that was quite magical, as if the six of us had created this musical being… It was crazy. It’s so rare to feel something like that. Afterwards, in the studio, we have lots of good memories. For each album, it’s different adventures. This is also what we are looking for. For Back to the Moon, it was the first time that we really went to a studio. The two previous albums were recorded rather in houses with lots of microphones. These are different ways of doing things. For the next one, we may still do otherwise.
Remind us how you formed Supersonic.
There were old musical brothers, like Laurent Bardainne, Arnaud Roulin and Edward Perraud whom I had known for a long time. Regarding Fabrice Martinez, I was just a fan of this musician. As for Frederick Galiay, I did not know him. I was looking for a bass player and his name was whispered to me by Laurent: he advised me to listen to the Big duo that Edward formed with Fred Galiay. I went to listen to it and I said to myself: here, that’s what I need to do the rhythm. It was crazy because you never know what will happen when you have intuitions to bring people together… It’s like in the kitchen, when you try to put together ingredients, the dish will not necessarily be delicious !
Biggest gig?
It’s always the latest! It’s such happiness, every time… Or it’s the one to come. My biggest memory is the next concert! [il rit]
Supersonic’s greatest album?
It’s the same, it’s the next one. I mean it seriously. Otherwise, we would stop making records. If we said to ourselves: well, I made my best record… And then it’s so subjective. Within the audience, everyone has their preference… So for me, it’s really the next one, it’s what excites us, drives us: thinking about what’s in front of us.
The biggest piece?
I’m thinking… It’s as if you were asking me to choose which of my children I prefer. I believe there is no answer. It must depend on the day… I don’t really have a favorite track, I really like them all.
The most difficult moment?
When our bass player Frederick Galiay had meningitis, he was close to death [durant l’été 2015]. For a few weeks, we didn’t know what was going to happen. It changed a lot of things in us. We were going to lose our brother, our friend. It was terrible. I couldn’t see myself continuing Supersonic without him. But Fred fought to stay alive, he was a warrior, like he is on stage. The day we knew he was saved remains one of the most beautiful moments of our life, and of our group life too. This further fueled the flame and our desire to play together.
A big disappointment, a big regret?
Very clearly, no. Fabulous projects, tours could not be done – yet. There is no fatality. I have no big disappointment.
Biggest hope for Supersonic?
It’s that we continue ten more years, minimum! As long as there is this happiness to be together on stage, which is priceless. We are the same six musicians to form this group as ten years ago, it’s quite rare.
The greatest hope for Thomas de Pourquery?
May the people I love be well. There is nothing above.
Thomas de Pourquery & Supersonic live in Paris
Friday November 4, 2022 at the Trianon, 7:30 p.m. (with 1st part)