Lionel Garcin

Urs Leimgruber
Room 423
Creative Works Records CD  CW 1084

Gianni Mimmo
The Lonesome Thing
Rosebud Relevant RRRO1

What was thought curious is now almost commonplace, at least when it comes to solo soprano saxophone recordings. Once limited to so-called idiosyncratic sound explores like Steve Lacy and Evan Parker these timbral forays have become almost expected. Still, superior creativity isn’t always prevalent, which is why these discs stand out. Created by experience solo – as well as group – players, each is a singular and equally genuine elaboration of the solo sax paradigm. Italian Gianni Mimmo, who has worked with everyone from Harri Sjöström to Vinny Golia has the most expected session with performances of three Lacy compositions and one by Billy Strayhporn as well as his own originals. French native Lionel Garcin, who has been in groups with Barre Phillips, Daunik Lazro and many others, creates the most aberrant selections, transforming his horn’s directions as much a noise adventurer as a music creator. Somewhat in the middle are the 14 improvisations from Swiss Urs Leimgruber, also a collaborator with other progressive players like Jacques Demierre and Thomas Lehn.

Conventional doesn’t mean commonplace and despite a certain sameness in technique and tempo on The Lonesome Thing, Mimmo favorably balances the lyrical and the leathery. His gritty pitch slides and growls are most evident on his own “Notturno delle Cryptomerie”. Using a combination of double tonguing and low breaths he gradually corrals pithy reed bites and expanded trills into a minute examination of each note as vibrated and echoed tones until restrained and restricted note patterns attain the designated climax. Meanwhile tunes such as Lacy’s “Sideline” and the title track edge close to the straight-ahead with, especially on the latter, variations on the familiar “Flower is a Lonesome Thing” exposition and a final reprise of the head. Meantime moderated phrasing and the slow investigation of  the theme of “Sideline” leads to a wispy melodic reading where repeated patterns adumbrate a slow fade. At the same time concentrated peeps and slurs on Lacy’s “Sloping Patience – Utah” ends the disc on a prominent note. Mimmo extends the exposition further and further with circular breathing and reed squeaks that are eventually moderated to a horizontal conclusion.

Squeaks, trills, circular breathing, tongue flutters and stops as well as sopranissimo passages are just some of the extended techniques Leimgruber brings to Room 423’s 14 numbered selections. Bookended by the tinkle of Tibetan temple bells with overlapping peals, he conclusively sets up the whirls, whorls and wizzes that characterize this recital. Although Leimgruber’s usual output mixes strident reed bites and aggressive overblowing, as improvisations flow they ascend to resonating key percussion, focused multiphonics and inside horn yelps. Crucially though, melodic interludes flit in and out of the improvisations. Terse reed snaps and stretched honks alternate with swaying lyricism on “#5 7:31”. Similarly a succinct pastoral melody is interspaced among the hollowed squeals and aviary squawks that make up “#7 8:11”, so that the reed slide to the finale transforms the narrative to one that’s ripened and mature.

Rarely muffled, the majority of tracks are characterized by tranches of circular breathed or repeated shrilling and resonating growls. “#6 9:50” and “#9 4;49” are examples of this. The briefer second instance is built around nearly opaque billowing squeaks thickened with equivalent resonating key percussion. The elongated “#6 9:50” not only expands from extended reed slurs at the top that are repeated multiple times, but soon open up to wider and more extended trills that alternate between piercing and peaceful. With note patterns becoming more elevated each time they’re recapitulated, a turn towards antiphony in the final section leave the impression of a piece whose horizontal extensions are both scrappy and steady.

If Mimmo and Leimgruber adopted extended reed techniques to a greater or lesser extent on their sessions and moderated them with snatches of melody, then Garcin’s Volatilités take those approaches as starting points and maximizes their adaptation. Beginning with  a tongue slap and strained squeaks and peeps as the base on which to build his improvisations.. By the time “Pour John Tilbury” and “Hyperbare” the second and third track arrive, he’s already propelled the unbroken flatline reed timbres from near inaudible to skyscraper-high corrosive squeaks, with both heard in tandem. Soon with notes more broken than bent the expositions take on tongue-rolling novel textures.

Completing the CD with billowing and galloping split tones that eventually suggest an aural after image as they conclude with near quiet single notes, the recital’s mid-section emphasizes every sort of reed note mutation imaginable – and some not thought of before.

Although like Leimgruber there are terse intervals where pivots toward lyric and linear cells stand out from the improvisational flow, these are few and far between. Instead extended tracks such as “Orgue à bouche” and “Mémoire du bois” live up to their mouth and wood suggestions to bypass melody on the first. Bites and trill meld into continuous wavering vibrations with occasional gulps to refresh breaths and then widen to overriding blowing and tongue slaps. Extended during “Mémoire du bois” singular tongue tones slaps against the reed at the same time as the horn’s metal body and keys project percussion echoes. Broadened the texture playing pout attain a kaleidoscope of multi-timbral lines that crisscross and are heard all at once reaching a crescendo of unbroken vibrations and a distinct final mechanical whistle.

Explorations of singular saxophone tones continue to be recorded every day it seems. These soprano examples are memorable as well as showing different strategies to attain distinctive results.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Room: 1. #1 4:49 2. #2 8:18 3. #3 7:16 4. #4 3:06 5. #5 7:31 6. #6 9:50 7. #7 8:11 8. #8 4:04 9. #9 4:4910. #10 3:18 11. #11 4:07 12. #12 5:0113.#13 6:12 14. #14

Personnel: Room: Urs Leimgruber (soprano saxophone and Tibetan temple bells)

Track Listing: Lonesome:1 Exceller – Esteem 2. Secondo Notturno 3. The Slurring Dancer 4. Sideline 5. Notturno delle Cryptomerie 6. A Flower is a Lonesome Thing 7. Sloping Patience – Utah

Personnel: Lonesome: Gianni Mimmo (soprano saxophone)

Track Listing: Volatilités: 1. Geai des chênes – chant d’amour 2. Pour John Tilbury 3. Hyperbare 4. Mémoire du vent 5. Cigales lentes 6. Orgue à bouche 7. Mémoire du bois 8. Mémoire du métal

Personnel: Volatilités: Lionel Garcin (soprano saxophone)