Artist: Yves Robert
Album: In Touch
Year: 2003
Line-up: Yves Robert – trombone
Vincent Courtois – cello
Cyril Atef - percussion
Label: ECM
Alright folks! Due to our busy
schedule, we decided to be little progressive – as is perfectly
fitting to our nature, the little maniacs that we are – and play
our April Fools' prank a week earlier. Now we are back in the game
and ready to deliver you another hidden musical gem. Today we are
going to take a peak at a record which is rather interesting in more
than one way. In Touch is the debut album of French trombonists Yves
Robert as leader who has previously worked and recorded with
composer Heiner Goebbels and French wind instrument player and
bandleader Louis Sclavis. On this particular album, Robert is joined
by cellist Vincent Courtois and percussionist Cyril Atef.
I have this habit of buying records
sometimes on very random reasons; it might be the cover, the band
name or the album name or the line-up. On this occasion, I picked up
the album while browsing the sales section and two things caught my
attention: First, the album was released on ECM Records which in
itself is a certain hallmark when it comes to record labels.
Secondly, the line-up on this album aroused my interest. The trio
consisting of a trombone, a cello and percussion is quite unique and
interesting to say the least. You have the trombone which is usually
associated nowadays with jazz music, although it has its origins in
Western art music. You have the cello as accompaning instrument which
is people normally see as a classical instrument and the percussions
which I guess are a kind of a neutral family of instrument found in
various musical traditions.
Well, what kind of music this kind of
odd trio might produce then, you might ask. In Touch is an album
where various elements of seeming contradictions come at play but
magically happen to work very smoothly. Robert himself has described
his own music as ”imaginary baroque”. This manifests itself in a
weird but interesting mixture of jazz and baroque music as warm and
lyrical themes are mixed with beautiful counterpoint and
improvisations. The compositions are very open particularly to
collective improvisation (meaning that every member of the trio can
improvise at the same time rather than traditionally taking turns to
improvise while the others accompany the soloist). In addition the
players treat their instruments in a very original manner: Each
member takes the full advantage of the capability of his instrument
by using idiosyncratic techniques. Robert's sound, use of the range
and extreme registers of the trombone, the use of multiphonics and
various breathing techniques, Courtois's dancing pizzicatos, use of
the bow and harmonies and the unique rhythms and various different
percussion instruments of Atef are all just dazzling. In that sense,
the music also has a certain element of ambient music in it as the
albums from time to time takes the time to nourish the sensuality of
sound.
In Touch is a meeting of like-minded
versatile musicians who have come together to make music which is a
conversation and sharing of ideas and creativity. It is a quiet
record which on the other hand has an intimate warmness but also a
certain intensity in it. As said earlier, it is an album where
opposite ends meet and somehow make it work.
This record is such an aural obscurity
that not one track is found from YouTube! I guess you just have to
trust me on this one, even tough is it officially April Fools' Day.
Written
by Παναγιωτιης
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