Zingaro/Cappozzo/Bourdellon/Lelievre

Live at Total Meeting
No Business Records NBCD 48

Constantly changing and challenging, this extended three-part sequence by four of Europe’s most accomplished improvisers ebbs and flows enough to create a perfectly framed soundscape, but leaves enough ellipses for individual expression.

Recorded at the Total Meeting in Tours, the almost 52 minutes of music were put together with no pre-conceptions. But as the interaction evolved, the players found themselves melding and separating their extended and expected narratives into spontaneous solos, duos and trios. This sort of ad hoc organization is second nature to the participants, all of whom have extensive experience in straight and experimental sounds. A former military bugler, trumpeter and flugelhornist Jean-Luc Cappozzo now frequently works with bassist Joëlle Léandre. Flautist and bass clarinetist Jérôme Bourdellon has recorded with reedist Joe McPhee among others, while the least known of the quartet, percussionist Nicolas Lelievre, has faced musical challenges from, among others, no-input-mixing-board specialist Toshimaru Nakamura and French hornist Arkady Shilklopper. The preceding players are all French, while veteran violinist Carlos Alves “Zingaro” is Portuguese. Practically a school unto himself and one of the first Iberian Free Music specialists, Zingaro has matched wits with everyone from Léandre to trombonist George Lewis.

From the first notes heard, the fiddler’s doubled sawing and juddering strokes dynamically define the rhythmic shape of the piece, aided by Lelievre’s vibrating cymbals and thunder-sheet-like resounds. For his part Bourdellon adds emotional impetus with his flute, defining a sympathetic melody that is then decorated by understated grace notes from Cappozzo. Often, as well, buzzing snorts from Bourdellon’s bass clarinet signal a shift in emphasis, as the hithertofore legato exposition turns both weighty and agitated. At these junctures, sul ponticello jumps from Zingaro’s strings plus galloping ruffs and upturned rumbles from Lelievre’s kit follow Bourdellon’s staccato lead.

These sorts of amoeba-like coalescing and splintering characterizing the improvisation’s extended middle section, as for instance, warbled bird call puffs from the trumpeter are matched by angled multiphonics from the fiddler; or in reverse, a lyrical sub melody is constructed out of carefully balanced bugle-like notes from Cappozzo and spiccato strokes from Zingaro. On his own the percussionist keeps the theme from being stretched too thin, by beefing it up with a series of ruffs, clanks and rhythm-defining pumps.

By the climatic final minutes of “Total 3” the quartet has introduced so many lyrical or coarse variations on the theme that a slide into swing-like rhythm appears unexpected yet inevitable. Although earlier attempts to prettify the proceedings with conventional flute tropes by Bourdellon seemed to be mocked by the trumpeter’s off-centre blowing and the violinist’s equivalent timbre-stretching, those reed sounds are now revealed as presages not negations. Before reaching the finale, each players gets solo space to celebrate his dexterous instrument command. In Bourdellon’s case it involves stuttering bass clarinet snorts; in Cappozzo’s shrill and tremolo triplets; in Zingaro’s higher-pitched and narrower multiple string pressure; and in Lelievre’s stentorian thumps on the bass drum, gong reverberations and rolls.

Finally these narrative excursions end, and the Live at Total Meeting set is wrapped up satisfactorily, as if there had been a plan from a beginning. Perhaps so, perhaps not. But with sophisticated musical experimenters such as these involved, the journey has been as exciting as its conclusion.

--Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Total 1 2. Total 2 3. Total 3

Personnel: Jean-Luc Cappozzo (trumpet and flugelhorn); Jérôme Bourdellon (flutes and bass clarinet); met); Carlos Alves “Zingaro” (violin) and Nicolas Lelievre (percussion)

February 22, 2013

Jérôme Bourdellon/Thomas Buckner

Totem
Mutable 17526-2

By Ken Waxman

Extending wordless throat and mouth timbres so they approximate those of an instrument has become commonplace in New music. However spontaneous improvisation only results if the underlying musical perception matches whatever tones spill from the oral cavity. Totem is one of those instances, precisely because American baritone Thomas Buckner’s bravura duets with French flautist Jérôme Bourdellon evolve interactively.

Buckner – who for over 30 years has been involved in similar situations with such composer/performers as Robert Ashley, Roscoe Mitchell, Alvin Lucier and Leroy Jenkins can shape his output to meet particular situations. As can Nancy-based Bourdellon, who has improvised with American multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee and composed theatre and dance pieces. This aural pas de deux evolves in double counterpoint as each player not only reflects, but appears to anticipate the other’s ideas.

For sheer virtuosity there’s “Totem 6”. As Bourdellon’s prolonged glissandi eventually splinter into individual chirps, Buckner’s mouth does aural calisthenics. He

giggles, snorts, gurgles, whoops, pants, yelps, retches and speaks in tongues; creates Donald Duck-like quacks, lip pops, cheek pops and tongue twists. The simultaneous humming and blowing from the flautist may recede into the background, but its presence prevents discord.

Here and elsewhere, if it wasn’t for the other’s tubal air flow, quivering echoes and lyrical peeps as backdrop and cushion – which alter in a nanosecond – then the soundsinger couldn’t move from plainsong-like textures to teeth straining razzing in a similar time frame. Perhaps the strongest instance of the partnership is, that while lacking obvious romanticism, two longer improvisations are clearly lyrical ballads. As the flautist’s connective portamento create harmonious polyphony, even the vocalist’s buffo stutters and theatrical whispers don’t upset this rapprochement.

By the CD’s finale, the fact that one instrument was crafted and the other grew organically is as inconsequential as the flute’s serial number.

In MusicWorks Issue #99

December 4, 2007

JOE MCPHEE/JÉRÔME BOURDELLON

Manhattan Tango
Label Usine 1008

MALIK/MCPHEE/ROBINSON
Sympathy
Boxholder BXH 045

Different instruments are featured -- including a drum set on the trio session -- but the two CDs here still offer up slices of chamber improv featuring Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee. His presence alone is a guarantee that proceedings will be out-of-the-ordinary, although none of the other participants are particularly mainstream.

SYMPATHY’s mainman is Vermont-based trumpeter Raphe Malik, an associate of pianist Cecil Taylor and the late saxophonist Glenn Spearman. Bay area drummer Donald Robinson -- who also played with Spearman, as well as bassist Lisle Ellis and saxophonist Larry Ochs -- is the third partner.

Recorded in the Apple, MANHATTAN TANGO features McPhee, limiting himself to pocket trumpet, plus Jérôme Bourdellon on a variety of flutes. Active in left-wing politics, Nancy, France-resident Bourdellon also plays with vibraharpist Alex Grillo and the large Philharmonie du Bon Vide.

Unfortunately his side of the musical equation isn’t as strong as McPhee’s. While McPhee, Malik and Robinson are united in their dissonance, Bourdellon’s flute is sometimes a bit too sweet and legit sounding. In fact, when the flautist expels purring grace notes on his own, he could be in the midst of a pastoral eclogue, evoking lovelorn shepherds and springtime.

That type of sound has its place, but here it suffers from its near unctuousness. Too often, as on the title tune, McPhee takes on both thematic and rhythmic function, while whistled air from the flute merely decorates the proceedings. Using single pecks, McPhee adds a brassy eruption to his solo that finally spurs gritty cross blows from the flautist. Ending his solo with tongue stops and an almost foot-tapping beat, the trumpeter allows the piece to dissolve by squeezing out unattached tones.

Elsewhere, Bourdellon’s dulcet bass flute accompaniment on other numbers similarly bends towards purring grace notes, even as the trumpeter snickers through his bell and exhibits rhythmic peeps. With McPhee’s trumpeting reminiscent of Bill Dixon’s style: stretches of pure air are mixed with clenched throat timbres, the contrast with Bourdellon’s often pretty playing can be off-putting.

Only on a couple of tunes does Bourdellon’s fripple frippery move away from delicacy and ascend to a growl. He adds a final double counterpoint to McPhee’s vocalized opera buffo cries and squealing howls, on “Pearls for Swine”. Then on “White Street, 17th”, both men take off on shrill, polyphonic broken note patterns. After the flautist’s twitters complement the trumpeter’s tongue-stopped slurs, the latter’s cushion of broken arpeggios prevents what threatens to develop into an offbeat version of “All Blues”. Casting aside melded harmony, McPhee retains the rhythmic bottom as the flautist hits discordant higher notes.

Credited with playing pocket trumpet as well as soprano saxophone on SYMPATHY, McPhee’s brass work is hard to detect. Perhaps it’s because Malik improvises in a similar dissonant fashion during the almost 75½-minutes of the CD. There is a point on “Hypersonic”, when a more hesitant brass sound is heard in contrast to a subsequent trumpet flourish. But considering McPhee then enters with a straightforward saxophone line and Malik’s trills gracefully morph into slurs and repeated note patterns, exact identification is certain.

Most of the time Malik’s solos revolve around brassy trills and soaring triplets. On pieces like “Resolving a Quote”, he aims for a hip Cat Anderson-like elevated attack without heading into screech mode -- and this locks perfectly in with Robinson’s steady cymbal work and press rolls. Meanwhile McPhee responds with nasal, double-tongued split tones, more Steve Lacy than John Coltrane.

Reference can linked to Evan Parker’s style as well, when McPhee produces abstract, machine-like circular breathing at certain points. Slurred, sideslipping obbligatos present no challenge him either, but when McPhee breaks up his solos with extended techniques, they’re often played moderato, eschewing speedy histrionics.

On tunes like “Motivic” furthermore, both horns appear as two sides of a single coin, with the metallic properties of each stressed. A form of double counterpoint, the piece retains its shape as the saxist plays long solid tones and the trumpeter blurred, higher-pitched fractions.

Throughout, Robinson is the soul of restraint, moving seamlessly from gentle triplets to bell-ringing play-by-plays and open-handed strokes that could as easily come from a bata or other African drum.

The cooperation comes to fruition on “Escape Route”, the final and longest track. Malik builds his solo out of ascending grace notes, Robinson subdivides the rhythm into bounces, flams and cymbal sticking, while McPhee bends his notes into prolonged curlicues. When he breaks up the reed line into irregularly vibrated partials, Malik expels a lightly muted obbligato behind him, while the drummer follows a third tempo that easily intersects with the other two. Polyphonically the three are like musical fraternal triplets, following each other around, while melding with one another’s lines to make a whole.

Confirmation that in the right circumstances, with a similar understanding of melody and time lines, geographic separation means little, the trio CD should impress those who know all three musicians. Properly challenged Malik turns out some of his most advanced playing since his days working alongside Spearman, as does Robinson.

McPhee confirms his versatility on both discs. As for Bourdellon, technically there are no complaints. Perhaps in circumstances with more instruments present than just one other horn, he would abstain from playing pretty. It will be instructive to hear his next outing.

-- Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Tango: 1. Business Hour 2. Pearls for Swine 3. White Street, 17th 4. a.k.a.l.h. 5. In the Noiseless Loft 6. Come Back Ella 7. Mystery “J” 8. Manhattan Tango

Personnel: Tango: Joe McPhee (pocket trumpet and voice); Jérôme Bourdellon (piccolo, C and bass flutes)

Track Listing: Sympathy: 1. Testament 2. Resolving A Quote 3. Velocity 4. Space March 5. Hypersonic 6. Motivic 7. Untitled Dialogue 8. Call and Response 9. Escape Route

Personnel: Sympathy: Raphe Malik (Bb and C trumpets); Joe McPhee (pocket trumpet and soprano saxophone); Donald Robinson (drums)

November 8, 2004