ORIGINS

A Long Musical Conversation

The story of HÆLICS began long before the project itself.

Its roots reach back to the artistic encounters that first brought together saxophonist and composer Jacques Helmus and pianist-composer Brian Bennett through the ensemble Touch. Recording with John Taylor and Steve Swallow and performing in France and the United States, the group developed a musical dialogue founded on listening, openness and creative exploration.

Their collaboration continued through AIMRA, one of France’s pioneering jazz schools, founded by Jacques Helmus and François Lubrano. As musicians, educators and artistic partners, they shared a vision where composition, improvisation and transmission were inseparable parts of the same creative journey.

Over the years, each followed his own path, developing new projects, recordings and collaborations while continuing to explore new musical territories.

Today, HÆLICS brings these experiences together once again.

More than a reunion, it is the continuation of a conversation shaped by friendship, time, artistic growth and a shared desire to create music that remains open, lyrical and alive.

Rooted in a rich history yet firmly oriented toward the future, HÆLICS is not about revisiting the past, but about discovering what still remains to be explored.