On his thirteenth album for ECM, Louis Sclavis draws inspiration from the street art of Ernest Pignon-Ernest and the unique dynamics of a newly formed quartet. Sclavis had already paid musical tribute to Pignon-Ernest's work in 2002 with the acclaimed album 'Napoli's Walls'. Now he explores a broader spectrum of the artist's site-specific collages, which range from Ramallah to Rome. For this recording, Sclavis collaborated for the first time on an ECM album with the classic lineup of woodwinds, piano, bass, and drums; his partners include bassist Sarah Murcia, drummer Christophe Lavergne, and pianist Benjamin Moussay, who has played a central role on previous productions. The album 'Characters on a Wall' was recorded at Studio La Buissonne in southern France, produced by Manfred Eicher.
