Héléne Labarrière

A feminist proposition that’s not a feminist tract and a women-directed proposal that doesn’t exclude men, French bassist Héléne Labarrière’s Puzzle could serve as a musical model for the state of intelligent male/female relations in 2025. The veteran bassist salutes five women who helped change modern history – Jane Avril, Angela Davis, Emma Goldman, Louise Michel and Thérèse Clerc – with the composition written in partnership with several male musicians.

Labarrière whose experienced encompasses membership in Ladies First, a pioneering all female band, has also worked extensively with  Sylvain Kassap and Marc Ducret among others. This non-sexist ethos also means that parts of this puzzle include not only distaff clarinetist Catherine Delaunay, but also cis male players Robin Fincker (tenor saxophone), Stéphane Bartelt (guitar) and Simon Goubert (drums), all of who have equivalent involvement in the international improv scene.

Long term, the compositions are reflections not portraits. “Souvenir” the concluding non-related track is an exhibition of Labarrière’s unfolding bass thumps that regularize guitar buzzes and electronic fuzz into a horizontal narrative. Similarly “Jane” named for Belle Epoque  dancer-model-actress Jane Avril for instance, which is tempered by Delaunay’s undulating note bending and Goubert’s drum  rolls, includes what sounds like eastern European and Africanized dance rhythms, far removed from the Can-Can that made Avril famous.

Additionally while “Vivre sa vie”, saluting anarchist agitator/theorist Emma Goldman, may conclude with aggressive guitar flanges and a martial sounding drum beat, this only occurs after midpoint harsh honks from Fincker and shaking vibrations from the bassist. The initial sequence is built around ethereal and almost fluffy reed intersection from the tenor saxophonist and clarinetist that evolve into Delaunay’s note-bending clarion wiggles.

With transformative motifs that encompass polyphony, harmonies and broken-chord advancement, modulations throughout can accentuate severity and dissonance in the form of reed mewling, cutting guitar flanges and thick drum ruffs in some sequences. Yet sections also turn around and highlight soaring clarinet riffs of liquid beauty plus swift, airy contrapuntal arrangements that ascend cunningly.

Labarrière’s thick string stops cement all puzzle parts and confirm a distinctive modern musical presentation here.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing:  1. Babayagas 2. Free Angela! 3. Vivre sa vie 4. Jane 5. A travers la vie 6. Souvenir

Personnel: Catherine Delaunay (clarinet); Robin Fincker (tenor saxophone); Stéphane Bartelt (guitar); Hélène Labarrière (bass) and Simon Goubert (drums)