Reviews that mention Bruno Chevillon
August 26, 2016
Inspired
BMC CD 228
Müller/Muche
MM Squared Session
Creative Sources CS 306 CD
Like a florid rodeo clown who only reveals the true purpose of his job as a paramedic if necessary, a trombonist’s ability to express broad emotions with his horn often masks the instrument’s cerebral ability. But without eschewing the brass instruments connective and conceptive role, the trombonists here – a German trombone duo and a French technician leading a bass and drum trio – demonstrate the instrument’s sonic elasticity. MORE
February 11, 2015
Europa Paris
On Jazz Records 24444
Taking France’s prestigious Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ) in a new direction, plus dealing with a complete change in personnel, is the ONJ’s new artistic director, composer and guitarist Olivier Benoit. Know for experimental small group work as well as writing for and sometimes playing as part of large ensembles such as La Pieuvre and Circum Grand Orchestra, Benoit is certainly no one to pursue a course of reinterpreting so-called Jazz classics. This sprawling six-part, two-CD magnum opus demonstrates this handily. Ambitious, Europa Paris is designed to paint a sonic portrait of the city of light via the solo and interactive skills of the 11-mmber ensemble. MORE
August 1, 2014
Jazzdor-Strasbourg-Berlin 2014
By Ken Waxman
The KulturBrauerei’s music space Kesselhaus in East Berlin was a fitting site for the eighth annual Jazzdor-Strasbourg-Berlin (JSB) festival June 3-6. With jazz and improvised music’s universality now a given, a festival presenting mostly French jazz taking place in what had been one of Berlin’s oldest breweries, now repurposed from industrial to artistic use, doesn’t seem that much of a stretch.
Overall its all-inclusive musical theme was confirmed by the programming of JSB’s artistic director Philippe Ochem and his team, which already host Strasbourg’s annual Jazzdor festival. Over four nights, JSB presented musician from different parts of Germany, Belgium and the US plus proudly delineated Basque and Corsican players, all of whom worked with improvisers from France’s major musical centres. MORE
February 16, 2014
Stretching Out
Samo Records No #
One of Slovenia’s two internationally known jazzmen – (the other? percussionist Zlatko Kaučič) – guitarist Samo Šalamon has developed an elastic musical persona adaptable to many situations. Recorded four years apart, the sessions that make up this two-CD set highlight his so-called American and European quartets. While there is much good work throughout, the superiority of the eight 2012 Continental tracks over the three 2008 U.S. ones, confirms the truth of the old adage, which in this case would be “you can take a musician out of southern Central Europe …” MORE
August 1, 2012
Old and Unwise
Clean Feed CF 221 CD
Tim Berne
Snakeoil
ECM 2234
After keeping a low profile of late, working mostly as sax-for hire in co-op bands, New York alto saxophonist Tim Berne asserts himself more conspicuously with these revealing projects. Old and Unwise is a set of unvarnished improvisations between Berne and French bassist Bruno Chevillon. Recorded seven months later, and his first studio date in eight years, Snakeoil introduces a new Berne combo, which tellingly doesn’t include a bass player. Instead Berne’s alto forays are harmonized with Oscar Noriega’s clarinet and bass clarinet, Matt Mitchell’s piano and Ches Smith’s drums. MORE
February 17, 2011
Venice, Dal Vivo
D’autre Cords doc 5005
Diatribes & Barry Guy
Multitude
Cave 12 Orchestra 1 c12 o 01
With advanced rock-influenced and so-called noise musicians increasingly adding free improvisation to their programs, a new hybrid is being showcased. At the same time the amount of sonic clamor added means that any resulting interpretation has to negotiate a fine line between incoherence and inventiveness. Although the volume of these sessions is somewhat stentorian, and their coherence sometimes spotty, the cleverness of the participants involved helps avoid major pitfalls. MORE
September 23, 2008
Soffio di Scelsi
La Buissonne RJAL 397005
Combining his interests in both notated music and jazz-based improvisation, French clarinetist Jean-Marc Foltz organized this CD as homage to enigmatic Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988).
Preoccupied in his later life with compact expression, Scelsi’s body of work was absorbed by ostinato formations that incorporated clusters, resonance effects, subtle harmony, toccata structures and note repetition. Soffio di Scelsi, translated as “a breath of Scelsi”, showcases 14 miniatures that sift the Italian composer’s leitmotifs into sonic expansion that takes into account non-European expressions. MORE
March 6, 2006
Jean-Marc Foltz/Bruno Chevillion
Cette Opacité
Clean Feed
Anthony Burr & Skúli Sverrisson
A Thousand Incidents Arise
The Worker’s Insitute
By Ken Waxman
March 6, 2006
Should two more divergent methods exist of organizing a bass clarinet–double bass interaction, then they’re probably not terrestrial.
Utilizing electronic processing in some way on the four tracks of their CD, Icelandic bassist Skúli Sverrisson and Australian clarinetist Anthony Burr seem intent on burying the customary textures of their instruments. In contrast, bassist Bruno Chevillion and clarinetist Jean-Marc Foltz, both French, intensify the wood, string and metal construction of their chosen implements to emphasize tones, unaltered with adds-ons. MORE
August 30, 2004
Itineraire Imaginaire
Sketch SKE 333042
GAETANO LIGUORI
L’Anima Di Un Uomo
Splasc (H) CDH 858.2
Program music that could be the soundtracks for journeys, real and fanciful, characterize the music on these CDs composed by vastly different European pianists.
Leading a sextet, Paris-based Stéphan Oliva’s ITINERAIRE IMAGINAIRE vaults between the sounds of his two greatest influences, Bill Evans and Lennie Tristano. With 13 tracks that offer up his version of escapist romanticism, this imaginary itinerary takes in the filmic territory inhabited by movies like Claude LeLouche’s “A Man and a Woman” and Jacques Demy’s “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”. Imagine a post-modern Gallic twist on Cool Jazz. MORE
January 26, 2004
The sublime and. Sciencefrictionlive
Thirsty Ear RHI 57139.2
MARC DUCRET
Qui parle?
Sketch SKE 333038
Leaving well enough alone has never had particular appeal to those involved in creating electrified jazz/rock fusion music. Why keep the volume control knob turned to nine when it can reach 10? And why play for a few minutes when a half-hour or so is available?
Alto saxophonist/composer Tim Berne -- who has proven his talents in many situations ranging from working in standard-size jazz combos to writing for a classical sax quartet -- flirts with excess on this two-CD set, recorded live in Switzerland. While he and drummer Tom Rainey stick to acoustic instruments, the allure of showing off the textures available from Marc Ducret’s guitar(s) and effects and Craig Taborn’s electric piano, laptop computer and virtual organ evidentially prove too seductive. Although in total the Science Friction band session clocks in at 109 minutes, it includes three tunes in the 20-minute range and one that rocks on for more than 30. MORE