Laurent Coq is the type of musician that I am most drawn to, in that he has such a personal and rich vision that he has created his own musical world. The music on his current release, Versatile, is so powerful, original, and simply beautiful that I find myself in admiration of what he has achieved. His playing is rich, subtle, and swinging, and each composition stakes out its own unique territory.

I would like to reflect on two aspects of Laurent Coq's musicianship that infuse this wonderful recording: his fertile imagination - a faculty so often undervalued these days - and his exceptional skill at handling the subtleties of his craft. When a musician has these elements working together, and has access to his emotional depths, great music can come to life, and it has on this recording.

Bruce Barth