Leyla McCalla returned to Paris just nine months after her memorable set at the Sons d'Hiver Festival in Créteil, where she opened for her friend Rhiannon Giddens. This time, she took the stage at La Maroquinerie on November 12, presenting her latest album, Sun Without the Heat. With this new record, McCalla dives even deeper into her unique fusion of jazz, Caribbean, funk, country, blues, bluegrass, soul, ragtime, and traditional folk from Haiti and the United States, creating a sound that feels both timeless and unmistakably current.
Accompanied by a fresh lineup that includes drummer Caito Sanchez, bassist Pete Olinciw, and guitarist Nahum Zdybel, McCalla captivated the audience with her powerful voice and impressive command of instruments like the banjo, guitar, and cello. The evening moved seamlessly from torch songs to protest anthems and lullabies, with Olinciw coaxing horn-like sounds from his bass, Zdybel weaving in jazzy, oblique motifs and fiery solos, and Sanchez providing both thunderous chain-gang rhythms and delicate, nuanced flourishes. It was a remarkable night of musical and cultural bridge-building, affirming McCalla’s place as a master of blending diverse traditions into a cohesive, modern expression.
