Urs Leimgruber / Jacques Demierre

A variant of their long-established trio with American bassist Barre Phillips, authoritative Swiss sound explorers, soprano saxophonist Urs Leimgruber and keyboardist Jacques Demierre introduces novel strategies and timbres during It Forgets about the Snow’s 12 tracks. One reason for the textural extensions heard on this two-CD set is that Demierre, usually a pianist, draws novel textures from a 1711 French spinet. It was taken from a private collection and amplified to allow for more tonal experiments.

The single set of strings placed at an oblique angle to the keyboard means that Demierre can not only sound out single-string expositions from inside the piano plus singularly strum. but also create multi-string vibrations with connected glissandi or multi-string rattles as the sympathetic strings come into play. For his part Leimgruber contributes shattering peeps, extended shrills and a variety of smears and, split tones. But skill and familiarity also drive this tongue and mouth jiu jitsu into unexpected interactions. Leaving notable pauses in certain tracks the extended techniques aren’t gratuitous but fit with improvisational elaborations.

“Snow 01”, for instance, starts off the studio session with an expansive keys-and-strings crash that evolves into singular plinks meshed with tongue sucks and reed smears. As the piece evolves uncoiling glissandi and mallet pops on the strings mix it up with flute-like reed peeps and throat gurgles. Following a decided pause, a strangled reed cry from Leimgruber introduces a new sequence with watery tongue slaps meeting zither-like frails until finally strident reed trills shrill past altissimo tones to create a distinctive climax. Swallows, aviary squeaks and darkened cries from the saxophonist and Demierre ‘s rattling and clashing string positioning and refractive percussion textures characterize the other studio tracks until the conclusion. However, “Snow 04” offers more contrasts with intermittent reed squeaks inflating to bugling staccato timbres while the keyboardist strums and comps in a Jazz-like manner.

The program is elaborated on the second CD, recorded two months later in concert. Here the introductory “Snow 06” is more effervescent than anything expressed on the studio disc. Notable textures come forward from Demierre’s harp-like swirls and Leimgruber’s thin reed trills that are appropriately showcased, with dramatic pauses making them stand out still further. By the finale however, the keyboardist rubbing a metal comb across his strings to shake out slaps and rebounds is met with dog-whistle-pitched shrieks from the saxophonist. As the duo wiggles and jiggles through the rest of the program, vibrating soundboard echoes and multiphonic cries circle around and then connect creating equivalent expositions, narratives and resolutions. Raucous string twangs and siren-like reed screams preserve the staccato toughness on the rest of the session. However, a connective drone created by combining circular breathed tones and concentrated spinet timbres, first alluded to and then confirmed on the final tracks, demonstrates the close listening that went into the session.

This is a chamber duo that can only be appreciated on its own terms. The program here may obliterate flurries for eager sound appreciation in some cases, but may send some listeners scurrying for the warm blanket of more conventional improvising.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: CD1: 1. Snow 01 2. Snow 02 3. Snow 03 4. Snow 04 5. Snow 05 CD2: 6. Snow 06 7. Snow 07 8. Snow 08 9. Snow 09 10. Snow 10 11. Snow 11 12. Snow 12

Personnel: Urs Leimgruber (soprano saxophone) and Jacques Demierre (amplified spinet)