"Gonam City" emerged from the encounter of two strong musical personalities: trumpeter Quentin Ghomari, founder of the band Papanosh, and pianist Marc Benham, previously known for his solo projects and influenced by both James P. Johnson and Sun Ra.
The two friends got to know each other through collaboration in various musical formations and quickly discovered their shared taste for classic jazz and free improvisations. The result: Gonam City, a volcanic, atypical duo. The band is a finalist in the French Jazz Migration competition, supported by Philippe Ochem (Jazzdor Strasbourg – Berlin). Given the enthusiasm with which they were received there, it seemed important to record an album - a medium for their musical endeavors.
Their encounter with Stephen Paulello, one of the last practicing French piano builders, is crucial. Paulello has created an extraordinary prototype: the "Opus 102," a piano with 102 keys (instead of 88), requiring an entirely new musical exploration of the instrument and giving the album "Gonam City" an atypical sound color.
The tracks unfold like a musical road trip through a boundless world, moving between original compositions and standards (Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, Sidney Bechet, Thelonious Monk, Warne Marsh, Ann Ronell...) skillfully reinterpreted.
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