Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Christian Pruvost: Ipteravox

2

Christian Pruvost: Ipteravox

By

Sign in to view read count
Christian Pruvost: Ipteravox
Within the small cult of trumpeters who reinvent the sonic range of the trumpet-beginning with the late Bill Dixon, continuing with Americans Nate Wooley and Peter Evans, Europeans Franz Hautzinger and Birgit Uhler and Lebanese Mazen Kerbaj-underrated French trumpeter Christian Pruvost (a member of the Muzzix musicians collective based in Lille)) is still a rare bird. His commanding technique-of breaths, circular breaths, tongue-flutters and blows-enables him to deconstruct the basic blowing process into an orchestrated series of atomized acts, turning the trumpet into a two-way, in-out breathing apparatus, an extension of his own body. His sense of invention allows him to add rubber bands and tubes, and toys and ducts to the mouthpiece, and to the trumpet itself, expanding his habitat of sounds. These virtuoso techniques and gadgets are used in order to articulate a new sensual and poetic musical language.

These five improvisations feature Pruvost's different approaches. On the title track he demonstrate how the breathing-blowing process can be reconstructed as a rapid, percussive and talkative flow of sonic ideas. "Feedback Plate" is an adventurous research into the relationship between the trumpet bell and the microphone, turning the instrument into a device for controlling and modifying feedback, bringing to mind the similar work of British saxophonist John Butcher, but also employs the circular breathing needed by aboriginal Australian's playing the didgeridoo. "Fremestique" creates a serene storm out of long, low breaths, suctions and blows, while "Frax Bugle" extends the trumpet repertoire of sounds with a rubber tube. The closing "Toupie" is a mysterious, meditative tone poem where the trumpet becomes nothing but a metallic wind apparatus.

Challenging, imaginative and highly personal.

Track Listing

Ipteravox; Feedback Plate; Fremestique; Frax Bugle; Toupie.

Personnel

Christian Pruvost: trumpet.

Album information

Title: Ipteravox | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Circum-Disc

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.