Bruno Angelini/Sakina Abdou/Angelika Niescier

Program music without needless words, French pianist Bruno Angelini has composes a suite of nine portraits honoring individuals whose actions advanced needed political changes. Angelini, who has recoded with Régis Huby and Claude Tchamitchian among others has chosen a unique format for these tributes. He matches his steadying piano narratives with the advanced reed techniques of German alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier, who has recorded with Alexander Hawkins; and Franco-Nigerian tenor saxophonist Sakina Abdou, part of many ensembles with the likes of Peter Orins.

Except for some pre-recorded encouraging words from Nelson Mandela on the final track, the emotions and expatiation of the affiliated situations are reflected in the music. Thus while some tunes are self-contained and straight-ahead, with sweeping keyboard harmonies and layered reed intersections, others are more aggressive. “Madres de Plaza de Mayo” for instance saluting the women who engaged in peaceful demonstrations calling to account Argentina’s military dictatorship which “disappeared” many political opponents, is built around reed split tones and double tongued aviary flutters as well as sped-up percussive pianism. Additionally “Les sens (for Paul Eluard)”, remembers the French Surrealist-Communist poet most prominent in the 1930s and 1940s, with an bugle-like introductions from the saxophonists that evolves into snarling, shaking and buzzing reed swirls alongside balanced keyboard comping and finally tranquility.

Other tunes make their points more obliquely and are infused with more hope than hostility. They salute climate activists in one piece where reed tongue extensions and honks share spare with Angelini’s pseudo-ragtime bounce. Meanwhile “Por la defensa de los rios” is dedicated to Honduran environmental activist Berta Caceres, is expressed with a march tempo propelled with sliding keyboard work and unison horn sweeps,

Although some may wish that Lotus Flower’s individual petals expanded enough for more extensive reed playing, it isn’t the purpose of the disc. Staying true to his vision, Angelini – and Abdou and Niescier – instead reflect his ideas sympathetically, seriously and strikingly.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing:1. Hull house (for Jane Adams) 2. Por la defensa de los rios (for Berta Caceres) 3. Rosa and the thorns (for Rosa Parks) 4. Madres de Plaza de Mayo (for the mothers of May square in Argentina 5. Race for the earth (for Wangari Maathai and Bert Bolin) 6. Apeîrogon (for Bassam Aramin, Rami Elhanan and Colum McCann) 7. Les sens (for Paul Eluard) 8. Elévation (for Wayne Shorter) 9. L’art de la paix (for Nelson Mandela)

Personnel: Angelika Niescier (alto saxophone); Sakina Abdou (tenor saxophone) and Bruno Angelini (piano)