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Jazz Articles about Joëlle Léandre
Joelle Leandre / Phillip Greenlief: That Overt Desire Of Object
by Mark Redlefsen
Contrabassist Joëlle Léandre and West Coast woodwind player Phillip Greenlief work out 11 different compositions between their two respective instruments and voices on That Overt Desire of Object. The flexibility and space that each provides the other seems to be reflected in the line note comments about the negative effects of greed. The title is a variation of the Luis Buñuel movie That Obscure Object of Desire (1977), with a playing field that appears a bit more level when compared ...
Continue ReadingJoëlle Léandre: Live at the Ulrichsberg Kaleidophon
by Glenn Astarita
Few modern era instrumentalists sojourn into uncharted regions of the musical cosmos with the ingenuity of bassist extraordinaire Joëlle Léandre. Supported by her vast discography as a leader and co-conspirator, Léandre's serious intentions are differentiated by a sincere vision and jubilant demeanor. These attributes repeatedly surface on her recordings. This release is a two-CD gala that presents stark contrasts, given the tentet and trio groupings. Recorded live in Austria on successive dates, the respective programs convey more emotive aspects and ...
Continue ReadingJoelle Leandre Tentet & Trio: Can You Hear Me?
by Eyal Hareuveni
It is quite rare to find recordings of composed works by French double-bassist Joëlle Léandre. Léandre has gained a justified reputation as an innovative virtuoso of the double-bass, a masterful free improviser, and as an imaginative collaborator, mostly in small, intimate outfits. This double-disc set, with its first half featuring Léandre's composed work for a tentet, is one of the treats that Léandre is releasing to celebrate her upcoming 60th birthday. This recording was captured on two consecutive ...
Continue ReadingJ. Leandre / N. Mitchell / D. Van Der Schyff: Before After
by John Sharpe
Flutist Nicole Mitchell's strong attachment to the Vancouver creative scene has borne unpredictable fruit. She has been an artist in residence at the city's International Jazz Festival from 2006-2010, but it was only when bassist Joëlle Léandre was likewise featured, in 2009, that the two combined, along with Vancouver native Dylan van der Schyff behind the drums, for the performance documented here as Before After. Over four collective inventions in a 43-minute program, the three participants reach an ...
Continue ReadingJ. Leandre / N. Mitchell / D. Van Der Schyff: Before After
by Glenn Astarita
One of the preeminent thinkers and bassists within the modern avant-jazz era, Joëlle Léandre shares equal billing on this addition to her voluminous discography. The trio's performance, at a community center in Vancouver, Canada, offers additional credence to the understanding that free improvisation must, in boundless entities and designs, be evocative and focused to become successful. This performance engenders numerous thought-provoking persuasions; austere at times, the trio flips the coin as well, by inciting a highly entertaining gameplan.
Continue ReadingJoelle Leandre / India Cooke: Journey
by John Sharpe
Joëlle Léandre's name on the sleeve guarantees invention and passion. Over the years, the French improvising bassist has made the duet format one of her prime modes of expression, pairing, in recent years, with George Lewis and Jean-Luc Capozzo on just two recent examples from a discography now more than 150 strong. Further swelling the ranks, this live date from the 2008 Conference of the International Society for Improvised Music matches Léandre with Bay Area violinist India Cooke.
Continue ReadingJoelle Leandre: Last Seen Headed (Live at Sons D’Hiver); Trace & Duo (Heidelberg Loppem) 2007
by Wilbur MacKenzie
Joëlle Léandre/François Houle/Raymond StridLast Seen Headed (Live at Sons D'Hiver) Ayler2010 Joëlle Léandre/Maguelone Vidal/Raymond BoniTraceRed Toucan2009 Anthony Braxton/Joëlle LéandreDuo (Heidelberg Loppem) 2007 Leo2009 Bassist Joëlle Léandre is a quintessential representative of the connection between free improvisation and European classical music. The early stages of her career ...
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