Volume 28 Issue 1 | September 20 - November 8, 2022

Icosikaihenagone (EI) runs through a single
(nearly) 45-minute arrangement that brings
to life this fictitious idea. Added to the 22
instrumentalists, who also vocalize, are the
voices of three actors. With the text oscillating
between imagery and sardonic
comments, with voices often overlapping,
it’s best to concentrate on the music.
Beginning with near-silence, it’s not until
after the first four minutes that a harmonized chord from seemingly
every ensemble member moves in a linear fashion but without losing
the exposition’s near-opaqueness. Although reed squeaks and string
strokes are sometimes detached from the sonic murk, it isn’t until
repeated kettle-drum-like throbs from percussionists Thierry
Waziniak and Amélie Grould introduces a dramatic upsurge from reed
players Jean-Luc Petit and Sylvain Kassap, soon followed by Émilie
Aridon-Kociołek’s reflective keyboard interlude, fully define the
musical program. Brassy triplets from trumpeters Jean-Luc Cappozzo
and Franz Hautzinger join with the seven string players for a
crescendo of undifferentiated timbres amplified with expressions
from two female and one male voice. These fragments emphasize the
composition’s two contrapuntal currents: dissonant footfall-like
tongue slaps from the reeds and romantic glissandi from violinists
Mathias Naon and Patricia Bosshard. Confirming his manipulations of
low pitches Duboc’s next section matches Dorian Marcel’s and
Sébastien Beliah’s percussive double bass motifs to Diemo Schwarz’s
electronic samples which interject mariachi-like brass, Latin dance,
waltz music snatches and hooting voices. The sampled voices and
electronic wave forms continue in the following sequence as they’re
toughened with Christiane Bopp’s and Alexis Persigan’s portamento
trombone slurs, anvil-hard percussion smashes, percussion slaps and
wordless bel-canto vocalizing. Reaching another polyphonic
crescendo, the voices, electronic buzzes and trumpet triplets fade to
silence. Now suspended in time, ones wonder how Volumes I and
Volumes III sound.
Interest in large-scale improvisation appears
to fascinate French musicians, since six
months before the EI disc was recorded, the
24-member Le Un troupe made its album.
Coincidentally organized by David Chiesa,
another double bass player, Le Havre
(UnRec R 21 unensemble.bandcamp.com/
album/le-havre) finds the orchestra, with a
similar blend of reeds, brass, strings, percussion and electronics
working its way through five group compositions over 65 minutes. The
performances can be low key and slow moving or aggressive and
rapid. But whether a tune’s horizontal progress is spurred by, for
instance, Claire Bergerault’s accordion shakes or pianist Sophie
Agnel’s key clips, overblowing and circular breathing from the four
reed players, or staccato stops from the eight plucked or bowed
strings, group affiliations and counterpoint always supersede singular
instrumental spots. Vocalized yells, electronic drones, reed yelps and
brass triplets have their place but are balanced and layered. Chiesa’s
preference for low pitches means that a track such as Unité Nodale 8.2
reaches a climax at mid-point as double bass pumps preface a
defining sequence where every one of the instruments’ tones, pops,
cries, thumps and squeaks in unison, with bell tree shakes as a respite.
Unité Nodale 11.2 and Unité Nodale 3.1, the introductory and
concluding salvos, express this strategy at greatest length. On the first,
affiliations from tremolo accordion brush up against thick double bass
stops, mooing reeds and trumpeter Christian Pruvost’s half-valve
expressions, reaching a crescendo of miasmatic blending. This mixture
bypasses stuttering rips from the trumpeter and trombonist Patrick
Charbonnier plus col legno string sweeps to reach a contrapuntal
climax of intermittent piano clips and thumping ruffs from percussionists
Camille Emaille and Benoit Kilian. That’s until spiccato string
shakes, brass scoops and vocalized bel canto sighs sail across the lower
pitches for a finale. These alternations from complete freedom to integration
are confirmed with Unité Nodale 3.1 although here the reverberating
metallic pressure and vibrating sibilation from Pascal Battus’
rotating surfaces and Jérôme Noetinger and Lionel Marchetti’s electronics
are more prominent. Among the concentrated timbres of
drones, pops, slaps and shakes dualism is set up between pairs such as
Nina Garcia’s guitar strums and saxophonist Michel Doneda’s wailing
split tones, or as multiple circular breathing abuts swift string glissandi.
Ascending to a mesh of electroacoustic output, the cumulative
tone ascends in pitch and loudness until it shakes away.
Unlike the massive ensembles put together
by EI and Le Un, another French band, the
Healing Orchestra (HO) presents its music
as Free Jazz for the People! (LFDS 011
lefondeurdeson.com) with only 14 musicians.
Despite the insurgent title, the two
CDs combine free-form swinging with
precise touch of emotional free jazz. Led by
vibist/pianist Paul Wacrenier, who composed all the music, the strategic
arrangements take advantage of every member’s talent. Pouvoir
du Dedans which introduces the three-part title suite, features
Kaeshammer’s trio recorded live
off the floor capturing the joy of
spontaneous music-making.
Available October 7
68 | September 20 - November 8, 2022 thewholenote.com