Josh Berman / Jason Stein / Didier Petit / Edward Perraud

Christer Bothén 3

Omen

Bocian Records BC-CB3

Expressing low-pitched clarinet timbres in original fashions is part of the appeal of these small group discs. Of interest as well is after decades of overlooking their qualities, improvised musicians can dedicate themselves to deep timbre woodwinds. A veteran player born in 1941, who has recorded with Mats Gustafsson and Don Cherry, Swede Christer Bothén’s Omen is two suites performed on bass and contrabass clarinets, with contributions from younger players, bassist Vilhelm Bromander, 33 and drummer Konrad Agnas 30. Five tracks of pure improvisation, Chicago-based young veteran Jason Stein, 44, who has played in many formations, adds his bass clarinet tones to those produced by landsman Josh Berman, and two French visitors, cellist Didier Petit and drummer Edward Perraud with a much smaller age gap than on Omen.

Reveling in the chalumeau tone, Bothén moves from that register to ever higher pitches as he outlines the theme of “Suite Omen”, buoyed by walking bass lines and intermittent march tempo raps from the drummer. Paced by designated pauses, by mid-point reed expression is pulled out to moderated squeaks, supplanted by a section of a capella story telling, followed by darker interface among the three until a final sequence uses drum rat-tat-tats and reed slurs to recap a variant of the head. “Suite 77” unrolls in similar fashion, although with more careful harmony from Agnas’ maracas-like percussion shakes, Bromander’s low-pitched echoes and squirming bass clarinet slurs. Very quickly though full-fledge swing relaxes the interplay, although mellow is prevented from becoming paramount by the trills and split tones in Bothén’s vertical exposition. Further intensity results from a turn to squealed glissandi and multiphonics culminating in thumping pressure from the bassist. In a change of pace the final sequence relaxes into a satisfying fade by bass-string strums and sympathetic clarinet whistles.

A suite of sorts as well, in that The Way Through’s five tracks merge into one, the extra horn parts and slender jabs from the cello add pressure to the program. Berman’s furious cries and slurs evolve in counterpoint with Stein’s gnarly sputters with the cellist and drummer creating an ambulatory pulse. As soon as this rolling continuum is established however, it’s fragmented by Stein’s clarion bites, Berman’s half-valve effects and Petit’s unison string stroking and verbal yodeling. Reaching an oasis of quiet at mid-point, the quartet regroups and shakes off the languid interruption via Perraud’s percussive chopping and bell ringing that is harmonized with Petit’s faux operative gargles, Tongue slaps from the clarinetist with capillary flutters from the cornetist create a to-and-fro vamp. This keeps the theme horizontal as it builds to a final section. Oddly loose, the motifs fluctuate among drum ruffs and clip-clops, bass clarinet trills that move up and down the scale. Meanwhile Petit vocalizes what could be a bizarre sea shanty. Sinking to near silence even as sound mobility is maintained, the bell-pealing, string resonation and rhythmic drumming on the cello’s wood signal the end.

More part of group interaction than solo showcases, the capabilities of low-pitched clarinets are aptly expressed on these sessions.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Omen: 1. Suite Omen (Omen/The Spirit of …) 2. Suite 77 (Northern Rim/Åhana/77)

Personnel: Omen: Christer Bothén (bass and contrabass clarinets); Vilhelm Bromander (bass) and Konrad Agnas (drums)

Track Listing: Way: 1. In 2. The 3. Way 4. Through 5….

Personnel: Way: Josh Berman (cornet); Jason Stein (bass clarinet); Didier Petit (cello) and Edward Perraud (drums)