The brainchild of saxophonist Baptiste Poulin and pianist Xavier Belin, Crossing is a duo influenced by legendary duos such as Kenny Barron and Stan Getz, Lee Konitz and Martial Solal, and Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman. Through a varied repertoire of standards and creations, Crossing takes us on a musical journey where interaction, listening and creativity are at the heart of their play.

Crossing can be translated as crossing, the crossing of two roads or two ideas. The result of a crossing is always something new. Crossing is the meeting between Xavier’s highly syncopated, motivating and stable playing and Baptiste’s virtuoso, lyrical and moving playing. The crossing between the warm timbre of the saxophone and the round and percussive sound of the piano. A blend of memories of the lush green Burgundy countryside and the bright, flowery landscapes of Martinique.

Winner of both the Prix du Public and the Prix du Jury at the 2019 Golden Jazz Trophy springboard (co-organised by Golden Eyes and Jazz En Nord), Xavier Belin is undoubtedly one of France’s most promising young pianists. He graduated top of his class in 2014 from the International Music Educator Of Paris (and also from the capital’s Pôle Supérieur de Musique), and in 2018 formed Pitakpi, a quartet strongly reminiscent of so-called ‘Afro-descendant’ music.

Baptiste, meanwhile, is a young composer and performer who first made a name for himself in his native Mâcon, before joining the Pôle Supérieur de Musique de Paris (directed by Jean-Charles Richard), where he made friends with Xavier. Now working with leading figures in French jazz (Franck Tortiller, Pierre de Bethmann, Éric Prost), he has played with Fred Morin’s ONJ, and created the hip-hop/New Orleans fanfare Take Off Brass Band.