Flore Benguigui And The Sensible Notes’ Debut Album ‘i-330’ Is Almost Here
The group has already released two singles, ‘Didn’t I Tell You So?’ and ‘Goody Goody.’
Flore Benguigui, former singer of L’Impératrice, and her band The Sensible Notes are releasing their debut album i-330 on March 13th via Decca Records France. The record honors iconic eras of classic jazz and French pop, bridging past and present influences. Two singles, “Didn’t I Tell You So?” and “Goody Goody” are out now.
The album’s title draws its inspiration from Yevgeny Zamyatin’s futuristic dystopian novel We, published in Russia during the American jazz age. Flore honors the novel’s love interest, a rebellious woman called i-330, with the album’s era-blending opening track, “i-330 Machine à remuer le temps,” or a “machine to stir up time.”
Flore believes jazz belongs in our modern era: “Just because you play jazz doesn’t mean you have to be cerebral or elitist,” she emphasizes. “This album is the exact opposite – it was made with joy and kindness.”
Following the end of her chapter with L’Impératrice, Flore rediscovered her passion in intimate jazz venues. She is now joined by three long-time companions: Pierre-François Maurin (double bass), Charles Tois (piano) and Maxime Mary (drums). Rozann Béziers handles trombone and brass arrangements. Julie Varlet plays trumpet, Jeanne Michard shines on tenor saxophone, and Aurélie Tropez features on clarinet.
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The name The Sensible Notes is a reference to the major seventh, a tension note frequently used in jazz to color chords and call for resolution. In French, this interval is called a note sensible—a term that does not exist in English, where “sensible” means “reasonable.”
The album features classics once recorded by jazz and soul divas such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Dionne Warwick. Flore also puts a feminine spin on numbers from Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, and Benny Goodman.
