CD Reviews: STEPHAN OLIVA : Itineraire Imaginaire (Sketch. SKE 333042)
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Posted by: Adminon Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 01:12 PM |
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Paul Donnelly
It’s always especially rewarding to hear an album that yields something more with each play and this is one of those recordings. Pianist Oliva has gathered extremely sympathetic musicians around him, though I’m only really familiar with bassist Bruno Chevillon, and they have clearly brought the most out of his compositions.
These pieces range from the delicate opening and closing statements ‘Preface’ and ‘Postface’ through to more turbulent passages featuring Jean-Marc Foltz on clarinets and Matthieu Donarier on soprano sax. They cover plenty of interesting territory on the way too. ‘Preface’ for instance, introduces the harmonious coupling of the clarinet and sax whilst ‘Marche Antique’ highlights, among other things, the inventive drumming of Nicolas Larmignat. The latter’s performance is a particularly outstanding aspect of the whole cd.
A number of tracks are brief, clocking in at only a couple of minutes each, but they are perfect miniature expressions of the close interplay evident within the band. So, for example, ‘Resonance D’Un Silence’ displays the crystal clarity of the sax and piano in duet with just the merest shading from the bass, whereas ‘Cercle Ouvert’, a more impressionistic piece, utilises arco bass and mournful tones from the horns creating an unsettling atmosphere.
Oliva allows himself brief solo space on the opening of ‘Cecile Seule’ before being joined by the mellifluous soprano and more of that creative percussion. The music unfolds with superb harmonies and poignant melodic statements that linger and return, as I said, revealing more with each new listen. Then there is the playful duet between sax and bass clarinet on ‘Mouvement Interrompu’ which leads immediately into ‘Paradoxe’, a more spiky, staccato workout that includes a spirited bass and drum interlude that is quite breath-taking in its display of empathy and togetherness.
One particularly impressive group improvisation is ‘Tango Indigo’ where all five voices interact through ensemble and short solo spots. No individual player ought to be singled out in this case though Foltz’s slightly distraught clarinet provides one of the rawest solos on the cd as he takes it to unexpected extremes of the register. He is also exciting and exploratory on ‘Ellipse’ where some of the rhythms and the dervish-like twists of the theme recall work done by various Louis Sclavis groups.
As always the recording quality is flawless and the packaging attractive, maintaining the high standards that are a trademark of Sketch recordings. If you want to hear jazz that is stylish, adventurous and lasting, whilst maintaining links with earlier traditions, this is good place to look.
Paul Donnelly
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