Lilly Joel Plays The Organ

‘Sibyl Of The Rhine’ Out on SUB ROSA the 2nd of December 2022

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“The Belgian duo Lilly Joel proves on Holy Sunday how the thing can be done right. … The church is packed to the brim, unlike 2 days before, no-one thinks about leaving” (Das Filter)

Lynn Cassiers: voice and electronics

Jozef Dumoulin: pipe organ

Lynn Cassiers and Jozef Dumoulin have been making music together since over 20 years. But it’s a vast and fascinating list of unrelated events that brought them to make this recording, featuring the music of 12th century sage and mystic Hildegard von Bingen in a setup of voice with electronics accompanied by pipe organ. Yet it feels like an unexpected and vibrant evidence – coming home somewhere else.

The music of Hildegard von Bingen is essentially monodic, made to be performed by a voice and maybe one fixed pedal note played by an instrument. A big part of the work has been to find the right approach and tone for this setup. To see how this melodies resonate today and what they call for, inventing spaces where they can unfold simply. Improvisation played a key role in this process; listening, feeling, dreaming.
A tune of Robert Schumann and Tom Jobim have been added to enhance and stabilise the colours that presented themselves.

The result – “Sibyl Of The Rhine” – is an object of a mesmerising beauty, made to be heard over and over. But it’s also a clear blueprint and a powerful source for further live reenactments.

Lynn Cassiers and Jozef Dumoulin both established themselves in the realm of contemporary jazz and improvised music. Besides other collaborations they play as a duo called ‘Lilly Joel’, mixing free improvisation with electronics. ‘Lilly Joel Plays The Organ’ is a special edition of the duo with Jozef Dumoulin replacing his usual electronic setup by the ancient pipe organ, an instrument he played extensively as a teenager.

PRESS:

“A magnificent album” (Citizen Jazz disque élu), “A spellbinding recital” (Boomkat), “Of a strange timelessness” (Field Notes), “Unique and captivating” (Nitestylez), “A soothing bath, a special release” (Gonzo Circus), “Sheer beauty” (Salt Peanuts), “**** Music for our troubled times … made with love and dignity” (Le Soir), “Sweet, fragile, magic” (Bad Alchemy), “Time suddenly appears to stand still.” (Jazzhalo) , “Lynn Cassiers and Jozef Dumoulin also confirm their expertise in what seems, to be one of their most complicated works” (Music Map), “A luminous tribute” (Les Presses du Réel)

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PRESS LIVE PERFORMANCE:

“…thoughtful and intriguing is the set of Lilly Joel Plays the Organ (good name): angelic vocals in combination with improvisation on the organ and minuscule analogue sounds of unknown origin.”(Gonzo)

“The Belgian duo Lilly Joel proves on Holy Sunday how the thing can be done right. … The church is packed to the brim, unlike 2 days before, no-one thinks about leaving” (Das Filter)

“An odd mix, but full with somber mystery” (The Wire)