François Houle/Kate Gentile/Alexander Hawkins

Three masters of the improv craft from three different countries confirm not only creative music’s universality but also how so-called abstract music can be as definitive as any other. Each of the five instant compositions blend American Kate Gentile’s restrained drum pops and rumbles, the UK’s Alexander Hawkins’ refractive pianism ranging from meditative to mauling, and Canadian François Houle’s output from two clarinets and electronics that encompasses textures ranging from hissing trills to bagpipe-like drones.

Used sparingly to amplify tones, electronics underline  Houle’s versatility since by playing both clarinets at once or dismantling them for extra timbres he produces distinctive sounds from the near opaque to free-flowing. Not to be outdone, Hawkins creates immediate responses to either player’s musical thrusts. For instance on “La petite bête” he doubles his speed to intersect with the clarinetist’s rappelling up the scale. On “Tart ara mon cueur”, as blowsy basset clarinet tones widen and intensify, the pianist moves from gentle clinks to splayed percussive pedal action. Gentile responds quickly as well and hard thumps plus cymbal colors join the piano patterns to properly frame Houle’s dual clarinet output so that it become moderate and linear.

There are numerous instances of the interaction flowing the other way such as electronic whizzes meeting piledriver piano runs or hollow-sounding reed flutters extending an a capella piano introduction. The (so-far) shared democratic heritage of these counties could serve as a metaphor for how well these three interact.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Tart ara mon cueur (Molinet) 2. Bel homme sans tête (Arras) 3. Revenons à nos moutons (Maître Pierre Pathelin) 4.  La petite bête (Louis Renard) 5. Guillemette (Maître Pierre Pathelin)

Personnel: François Houle (clarinet, basset clarinet and electronics); Alexander Hawkins (piano) and Kate Gentile (drums and percussion)

–for The Whole Note September 2024