Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Francois Houle / Evan Parker / Benoit Delbecq: La Lumi

163

Francois Houle / Evan Parker / Benoit Delbecq: La Lumi

By

Sign in to view read count
Francois Houle / Evan Parker / Benoit Delbecq: La Lumi
Recorded at the Innovations concert series in Montreal in 2005, this trio teams Evan Parker with the established duo of Benoit Delbecq and François Houle, who have been together for a decade. The pair is known to play a wide variety of music—from classical to world to jazz and improvisation—all of it extremely well. Both technically and temperamentally, they are suited to Parker; the threesome sound well-adjusted to each others' instincts, and should as this was not just a one-off meeting; there are plans for the threesome to tour in 2008.

The music here consists of three tracks ranging from eleven to eighteen minutes. The opener, "Stone Through Sunlight," is longest and starts tentatively, establishing a mood of tranquility with Delbecq's piano well to the fore. After a call-and-response duet between clarinet and saxophone, with the two interweaving like they'd been doing so for years, there is a similarly impressive passage involving all three players that builds to a controlled crescendo. This gives way to an interlude for Houle to build an unaccompanied solo, starting barely audibly and slowly constructing with an architect's sense of form and logic; Parker and Delbecq join in quietly and supportively, leading to more three-way exchanges. The piece concludes with a fine Parker circular breathing solo. From the start, this trio sounds mature and established, not like players just getting to know each other.

"Moonlight Through Stone features a number of brisk sections when all three are playing at full-tilt to thrilling effect. Just as effective though are duet passages when Parker and Houle play musical tag, sounding very playful indeed. The slow ending—stately clarinet punctuated by piano chords—is very atmospheric and conveys a great sense of emotion. "Stone On Stone is just as good; the preparations to Delbecq's piano are most noticeable, as they produce a brittle, metallic percussive sound.

This is chamber improv of the highest caliber, without any of the pretensions that the term may imply, it manages to sound playful and fun.

Track Listing

Stone Through Sunlight; Moonlight Through Stone; Stone On Stone.

Personnel

Francois Houle
clarinet

Fran

Album information

Title: La Lumi | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Psi

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.