Vincent Sauve Trio

Don’t be put off by the references to the works of Olivier Messiaen and the 17 odd pages of musical notation included in the booklet which comes with this CD. Rather than being an academic treatise or an attempt to recreate so-called classical works it’s instead a nine-track suite of low-key sound variations related to Jazz extensions by a trio of young veteran French players.

All academically trained, leader and drummer Vincent Sauve also works with players like Nicolas Péoc’h and Magic Malik and is involved with music for dance and theatre. Alto saxophonist Sol Léna-Schroll is part of groups such as Bêl and Pétrole, while keyboardist Clément Merienne, a member  of the Autre Collectif, works in groups like Kobon and also plays harpsichord.

Well professional and well-played, La mémoire du son/principes aléatoires’ drawback is that throughout easygoing playing frequently wobbles on the edge of enervating. Narrative highs and lows seem to be blanketed by a certain sonic sameness. Léna-Schroll’s reed tone is commonly expelled with a flimsier than Paul Desmond inflection; Merienne’s pianism appeared to be wedded to repetitive mid-range comping; while Sauve’s drumming mostly favors single clips, clanks and rim shots.

Some tracks such as “2 nuages” and “l’impossibilité” do raise the expositions’ temperatures slightly higher. There are drum rolls, paradiddles and rebounds heard on the first; and piano soundboard refractions and high and low reed peeps on the other. Elsewhere “vari clame” is even built around staccato sax squeaks, tremolo keyboard runs and drum ruffs, yet brighter cottony  harmonization among two or three instruments wins out at the end as it does throughout the disc.

Those who yearn for relaxed music with a touch of recondite will no doubt be more attracted to this set. However it’s hoped that the trio’s interest in lyricism will expand to include liveliness and well as languor.

–Ken Waxman ,

Track Listing: 1. source fa 2. syn 3. vari clame 4. diffusion 5. petit tranquille 6. les oiseaux sont 7. 2 nuages 8. l’impossibilité 9. abîmes

Personnel: Sol Léna-Schroll (alto saxophone); Clément Merienne (piano and synthesizers); and Vincent Sauve (drums)