Alexis Valet & the Cypher

Either in his own albums or as a sideman with Tony Tixier, Francesco Ciniglio, or Romain Pilon, Alexis Valet explores, listens, and meets people. For the past ten years, the vibraphonist has been imagining a jazz that belongs only to him.

Free without ignoring the codes, curious about the underground cultures that are developing in basements, steeped in the sounds of New York, and above all, a jazz that is conceived collectively.

As you may already know, since last summer, Alexis Valet has been touring Parisian clubs with a brand new band. A brand new quintet featuring Mel Marquez on saxophone, Carl-Henri Morisset on keyboards, Kate Curly on electric bass, and Tilo Bertholo on drums. 

The five of them form The Cypher. The term may not mean much to you, but in reality, you all know what it means. In the world of rap, a “cypher” refers to a circle of rappers who gather to improvise and express themselves in rhyme, all to a musical beat. A cypher can be seen as a kind of rap jam session, where everyone takes turns improvising and showing off their verbal skills. That's what a cypher is. And in the world of hip-hop, this moment is taken very seriously. It's a moment of cohesion, but also of pure creativity and unfiltered expression, while respecting certain codes. In a nutshell, a cypher is like jazz. Like Alexis Valet's jazz.