07/08/2026
Erwan Hamon & Jannick Martin/Les ineffables fantaisies nocturnes de Frédéric Lambierge dit « Gazman »/Arfolk/2026
Personnel:
- Erwan Hamon : wooden flute / bombard
- Janick Martin : diatonic accordion
- Jop : graphics and illustrations
Flutist and talabarder (bombard player) Erwan Hamon and diatonic accordionist Janick Martin are two of the most impressive musicians in the Breton milieu on their respective instruments. While they began as a duo, much of their recorded output has been subsumed into the Hamon Martin Quartet/Quintet, a larger ensemble with excellent players fronted by Hamon’s older brother Mathieu, whose vocals, while technically fine, have always proven to be a challenging listen for this reviewer. Fortunately their continued duo recordings, such as the impressive Sous le tilleul from 2009, always provide captivating showcases of astonishing musicality.
Which brings us to their brand new release, Les ineffables fantaisies nocturnes de Frédéric Lambierge dit « Gazman », and what a recording it is! In this new creation, they highlight the repertoire of musician Frédéric Lambierge, popularly known as Gazman, who passed away during the pandemic in 2020, at the age of 55.
The story is this: as young musicians they frequently accompanied the flamboyant Lambierge, who was about a dozen years older, and who mentored them in important ways as both musicians and human beings. Lambierge was one of a kind: poet, handyman, beloved lunatic, who effortlessly traversed and contained genres within his own inimitable style. By immersing themselves in the many recordings left by their friend, Hamon and Martin came up with the idea to pay tribute to him by recording their interpretations of his repertoire. Their bandcamp page describes this unusual project incredibly well, so here it is, translation ours:
One night in May 2020, Frédéric Lambierge took flight… Quite the character, he was! A colorful night owl, a self-made man, an elegantly eccentric individual capable of soaring to great heights. They called him "Gazman." With him, we too learned how to leave the night behind only at the break of dawn. For years, clinging to the bellows of his devilishly good accordions - an unlikely, refined, homemade "Formica" Hohner and a hybrid Castagnari with a truly brilliant sound - we would draw out unexpected melodies and harmonies for our own little bagpipes. Heels would click as the energy surged when the theme kicked back in during the final two bars of the solo. Heels belonging to superb two-tone shoes, sleek as the fascinating sharks and the brilliant 504 Coupé we used to pore over in books late at night at his place, after returning from our treks through the city of Rennes. The night. We didn't often leave it alone.
"Ça va v'nir," "Maigret de canard," "Bulgare de Rennes," "Juju"... so many inspired compositions with harmonies as polished as the final spoonfuls of a paella by Pedro. Melodies that feel like the soundtrack to a night-time drive through Rennes in a Peugeot, cigarette dangling from the lips. With a Panama hat perched atop a head full of bohemian daydreams, this dapper fellow, who used to say he "wasn't great at math”, explored a multitude of musical worlds. He never missed a chance to make his accordion weep or get his Gypsy jazz guitar crackling in the corner of a bistro. From *javas* to *gavottes*, tangos to *ridées*, the Beatles to Jo Privat, Père Jean to Django, Astor to Zorro: it made no difference to him! As long as it swung! A year after his passing, we delved into the abandoned tapes left behind by our friend Fredo.
Les ineffables fantaisies nocturnes reads like the title of a magical-realist novel, an invitation to follow a whimsical hero in a fantastical story, and that isn’t far off the mark. The music follows suit like an intricate and pleasantly surreal soundtrack, well outside the realm of their usual efforts - for the most part, this is not your typical Breton music. The duo engages here with a unique, complex body of work with multiple key changes and unusual structures, from which emerge subtle and touching interludes. Hamon is one of the best bombard players in the world, but lovers of his double-reed exploits will find only two tracks of that signature sound on this recording, much of which is better suited for the lighter tones of the flute. Martin is presented here as always, a powerful, subtle master of the diatonic accordion with a performance full of feeling, precision, and dynamic virtuosity.
This album is more than just a musical journey, however. It is also an amazing comic book of twenty pages beautifully illustrated by their friend, the cartoonist Jop. Not only does this wonderful piece of art tell a touching story, but combined with the musical experience it is a testament to the tremendous power of the physical recording medium as an object that the listener invests in and then experiences with all of their senses. “This CD, we won’t put it on streaming sites,” Janick Martin told Le Telegramme in a very brief article reporting the release of the recording.
If you are looking specifically for Breton traditional music, Les ineffables fantaisies nocturnes de Frédéric Lambierge dit « Gazman » is probably not the recording for you, but if you are interested in a beautifully played, deeply engaging and touching listening experience with a lot of heart, you’ve come to the right place.
Where to find this recording: Bandcamp or Arfolk.
~ Fañch
A few pages from the lovely comic book.
