Trumpeter Alexis French celebrates his debut with the stellar album The Cut. Recorded at McGill University's MMR and Studio A in Montreal, Canada, the album features rising stars of the Montreal jazz scene, David Bellemare (tenor sax), Nicolas Ferron (guitar), Nicolas Bedard (bass) and NZ ex-pat Mark Nelson (drums). Alexis French has recently returned from Montreal, where he completed his Master's degree in Jazz at McGill University. While in Canada, he played with his own quintet, as well as with the Effendi Jazzlab Orchestra, The National Jazz Orchestra of Montreal, The Joe Sullivan Big-band, Kalmunity Jazz Project, The Atomic Big Band, and the Nicolas Bedard Quintet.

In NZ he plays regularly with John Rae, Lucien Johnson, Jonathan Crayford, Adam Page, The Rodger Fox Big-band, and Leads his own Quintet and Quartet, The Richter City Rebels, The Boogaloos, and The Bayou Brothers. He also teaches Jazz trumpet and ensembles at the NZ School of Music. This is his first release on Rattle Jazz.