Umlaut Chamber Orchestra

Could this version of Zodiac Suite be characterized as post modernism or just an exceptional arrangement? In truth it’s a bit of both. That’s because French alto saxophonist Pierre-Antoine Badaroux, who recorded a selection of pianist Mary Lou Williams (1919-1981)’s compositions with the Umlaut big band, delved further into the archives to arrange her most famous composition for a chamber ensemble.

Ahead of its time when premiered in 1945, the original performance was marred by copyist errors and the inability of symphonic musicians and jazz improvisers to reach a common understanding. Badaroux’s tempo and orchestral decisions make this a more faithful rendition of Williams’ original concept.

Nearly 80 year later high-calibre musicianship from 22 players overcomes most of the 1945 drawbacks. There’s also more even distribution between the so-called classical sections of the suite and the Jazz elements. What that means that starting with the introduction and continuing through the 12 points of the zodiac passages from orchestra instruments such as oboe and violin are as prominent as interludes featuring piano, saxophone and trumpet. Not minimizing their expected role as a section that cushions individual solos in gorgeously conceived harmonies, individual string players add to the rhythmic impetus with pizzicato strokes, while the caustic timbres of Guillaume Retail’s oboe and/or Pierre Fatus’ bassoon contrast tellingly with the in-character swing affiliations from trumpeter Brice Pichard, trombonist Michaël Ballue, Geoffroy Gesser’s clarinet and tenor saxophone, and especially Matthieu Naulleau’s piano.

Without stepping out of character, Naulleau manages to impart a freshness to sequences like “Taurus” and “Libra”  where on the former his warm arpeggios turn to almost rote boogie-woogie or in the second where his honky-tonk-like pianism chugs up the scale when paired with fruity brass shakes. With the original saluting various Williams associates, other passages are reminiscent of  Bolero rhythms or martial fanfares. But while the massed recreation sometimes almost abuts movie soundtrack territory, the pre-Third-Stream mixture skirts clichés with sweet/savory challenges while hewing to swing motifs. Sometimes this is achieved when the break away from harmony is created by the trombonist’s plunger smears or hearty piano comping. Distinctive motifs are also created when sneering oboe timbres are contrasted with mellow saxophone evolution as on “Cancer” as the sequence builds to a climax; or on “Virgo” where tone elevation to classic swing is attained since the cadences from mixed bassoon/clarinet lines undulate more than open-horn trumpet fanfares.

Also avoiding any tendency to turn parts of the suite into a piano concerto, although “Capricorn “ comes very close, Badaroux has created charts that honor Willians’ original musical ideas while creating a program that’s distinctive on its own.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Introduction 2. I. Aries 3. II. Taurus 4. III. Gemini 5. IV. Cancer 6. V. Leo 7. VI. Virgo 8. VII. Libra 9. VIII. Scorpio 10. IX. Sagittarius 11. X. Capricorn 12. XI. Aquarius 13. XII. Pisces

Personnel: Brice Pichard (trumpet); Michaël Ballue (trombone); Harmonie Moreau (French horn); Geoffroy Gesser (clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone); Chloé Tallet (flute); Guillaume Retail (oboe); Pierre Fatus (bassoon); Matthieu Naulleau (piano); Sébastien Beliah (bass); Antonin Gerbal (drums); Stéphanie Padel, Florian Perret, Emilie Sauzeau, Raphaël Coqblin, Clémentine Bousquet, Clara Jaszczyszyn, Lucie Pierrard (violin); Elsa Seger, Valentine Garilli (viola); Myrtille Hetzel, Pablo Tognan (cello); Agathe Peyrat (voice); Pierre-Antoine Badaroux (direction)