Admirabelamour… "Wonderful, beautiful love" – who or what is the object of your affection in the album title?
My wife, of course, but music as well. You should try it some time with your wife, you know. Turn round and say "You're my wonderful, beautiful love." I guarantee it'll have an effect!

You'd already put in a stint as director of the National Jazz Orchestra between 1989 and 1991. This appears to be the first time that a former director has returned to his post…
Well, I feel I was still very much in touch with what was happening with the ONJ and apparently when it came to interviews for the position I submitted the most convincing project. Besides, my first stint with the orchestra had been a full twelve years earlier and I'd done countless other things during that time. I have to say that my time with the ONJ proved to be a fantastic 'calling card' when it came to looking for other work.
In the twelve years I spent away from the orchestra I think my composing work had come on in leaps and bounds too. I admit I was totally entranced by the idea of conducting the ONJ again; it was something I was absolutely dying to do. It's not always easy being responsible for an orchestra. You're always being called upon to deal with all sorts of things that have nothing whatsoever to do with music. But at the same time it's absolutely thrilling to hold the reins of such a formidable machine.

How did you go about selecting the musicians you'll be working with?
The musicians I've got together are all around 30. And I'd say they all share the same background, in the sense that they're the direct result of the recent policy of introducing jazz classes into music schools and 'conservatoires'. They're all brilliant musicians who are now reaching an age where they're beginning to question their purpose and the path they've followed to date. They're at a very exciting stage of their development, full of passion, fresh energy and desire and it's very exciting to work with a team like that. It's a bit like working with a Formula 1 team really. Everything runs at full throttle during a concert and the rest of the time my job is to keep the engines ticking over on top form.

The new ONJ album opens with a bravura performance: Queue fer, which can only be described as ten minutes of stunningly innovative musical mixes. What's the idea behind a piece like this?
I'd say all the different styles of music used in Queue fer have one thing in common and that is that they're all accessible to jazzmen. What I mean by that is that there are very obvious links between jazz and salsa – and even more obvious links between jazz and rock! I feel what we're doing with this track is setting out from a jazz perspective and exploring other musical styles. There was no way I could have done a piece like this with musicians from a rock or funk background. Only jazz musicians have the sufficient depth of musical knowledge and the open-mindedness to tackle music like this. My reasoning is that when you're lucky enough to work with such a talented orchestra playing at such a level then it would be a shame to deprive oneself of such a pleasure!

What comes over very strongly on this album, in fact, is your avid music buff side…
Well, all I can say is I haven't become a reggae fan simply by listening to Bob Marley records since 1974! I've been into a lot of different musical styles for a very long time now and they're all part of my make-up. Take techno, for instance. I didn't just jump on the techno bandwagon three days ago, you know – techno's something I've been into for ages! Basically, the way I function is I spend a long time chewing things over before regurgitating them somehow… You might have the impression that there are a lot of different things on the album, but if you take a close listen you'll realise there's always a link somewhere. What I'm interested in doing is finding a 'common musicality' that goes beyond individual styles.

So what kind of music would we find if we raided your CD collection right now?
Well, there's a contemporary composer called Laurent Martin who gave me a copy of his latest recording work and I recently went out and bought Eminem's album 8 Miles. Right now I'm in the middle of making an 'exquisite corpse', experimenting with a cross-over of the two styles… In fact, I've decided to work on that piece with the ONJ. What I love about it is the idea of doing something that's totally incongruous and politically incorrect. But that's my job – I'm a musical arranger. Give me a turnip and a tulip and I'll always come up with some sort of hybrid!

If I cite the names of different directors who've worked with the ONJ in the past, can you give me a word or phrase they conjure up for you?
OK!

François Jeanneau: Spring
Antoine Hervé : The 80s
Denis Badault : He stole my teddy bear!
Laurent Cugny : A legendary drummer
Stéphane Huchard : Gladiator.
Didier Levallet : Jazz-Jazz
Paolo Damiani : I stole his teddy bear!
Claude Barthélémy (the early years) : The end of a world
Claude Barthélémy (the late years) : New world. Planetary.

In your opinion what changes have there been in the jazz world since the ONJ came into being?
Well, one of the things that strikes me most is that these days when I talk to young people in the 20 to 30 age group who are really into jazz – and let me just say there are a lot more out there than you'd imagine! – I'm over the moon because for them there's no difference between Pat Metheny or any other American star and French musicians! The level of jazzmen in France and, in fact, the level of musicians in general has shot up extraordinarily since the Lang years. French music has reached a truly impressive level now.

Have you already decided what you'll be doing for the "Fête de la musique"?
Yes, we'll be performing at the "Maison de la Culture" in Amiens with two choirs of twenty singers and there'll also be a solo female singer and a wind section. There'll be 150 of us in all... We'll be presenting a programme called Tout un monde riant like the painter Mondrian which will basically include a whole lot of songs ranging from Syracuse to Fidèle mixed with the ONJ repertoire. There'll really be something for everyone because we'll be doing everything from Charles Trenet and Téléphone to Noir Désir and Les Rita Mitsouko!

And do you have any plans to perform abroad in the near future?
Well, we're hoping to go off and perform in Canada and northern Europe soon. But my big dream right now is to go out and play in Asia. I'd love to do a series of concerts in Japan!