Trio Les Incendiaries

Putting a new spin on compositions by Ennio Morricone (1928-2020), a trio from L’Association à la recherche d’un folklore imaginaire (ARFI) extend “imaginary folklore” to recast six of the Italian composer’s best-known movie themes. Innovative on their own, Morricone’s spaghetti western soundtracks were influential because he used sound effects and electronic instruments to create orchestral textures from a small group of players.

Trio Les Incendiaries performs a similar reduction. The band members’ interpretations encompass all the distinctive sounds they can extract from Guillaume Grenard’s trumpet and euphonium, Olivier Bost’s trombone and banjo and Eric Vagnon’s alto/baritone saxophones and recorder. The three, part of varied ARFI ensembles, also introduce singular percussion modulations to the program.

At points the interpretations relate back to the implicit brass and drums coloration that come from small village bandas. Bouncy expositions balance on the baritone saxophone’s lowing scoops, with percussion ratchets and brassy shakes added. However the narratives move past marching band regularity when Vagnon introduces flighty split tones, Bost plunger trombone slides and Grenard trumpet peeps. One instance of this is on “Mon nom est personne” where whistles and harmonica sighs add to the ongoing drum ruffs and reed ostinato. Additional strained and fruity brass squeals could come from a piccolo trumpet, as trombone ripples complete the stacked interaction.

Instances of Bost’s tailgate emphasis joined by cymbal accents and steadying drum clunks create interludes that are almost pure Dixieland. Yet alto saxophone bent notes and twisted split tones plus the trumpeter’s portamento lines and siren-like squeals frequently alternate with the Trad Jazz sequences. These combination and fragmentations confirm the post-modern and expressive liner movement of most tunes. That strategy is also effective during the trio’s variant on “Le Bon, la brute et le truand”. The instantly recognized theme is played by the baritone, while the others gallop, shake and smear a stop-time metallic counter line with trumpet grace notes and gutbucket snorts that recaps the head before the finale.

Most notably, the rhythmic feel of shakes and flutters that make up “Il était une fois Dans L’Ouest” is deconstructed in part for an interlude of pennywhistle shrills, banjo twangs and euphonium lowing. Emphasizing that as well as the trade off between showy and linear motifs confirms the band’s originality.

Recomposition is one thing. But the strength of Trio Les Incendiaries’ interpretation suggests a program of original material would be welcome.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Pour une poignée de dollars 2. Mon nom est personne 3. Il était une fois la revolution 4. Il était une fois en Amérique 5. Il était une fois Dans L’Ouest 6. Le Bon, la brute et le truand

Personnel: Guillaume Grenard (trumpet, euphonium and percussion); Olivier Bost (trombone, banjo and percussion) and Eric Vagnon (alto and baritone saxophones, recorder and percussion)