Sudo Quartet: Live at Banlieue Bleue

The master improvisers on this live set convey a relaxed, yet thoroughly experimental dynamic amid dips, spikes, intricate sub-group dialogues and some mimicking along a course that may suggest an oscillating loop, countered by splintering soundscapes. Hence, the organic nature of the all-acoustic format offers additional insights and subtleties as the musicians scurry across non-linear frameworks, largely based on asymmetrical pulses.

Violinist Carlos Zingaro and bassist Joëlle Léandre spawn a multitude of intriguing contrasts. Whether it's Zingaro's streaming staccato notes, answered by Leandre's zealous arco choruses, a dappled path emerges from the onset and remains a continuum throughout. Add trombonist Sebi Tramontana's infusion of pathos and the quartet attaches a socialization process to the schema, where distinct voices enumerate on several topics via their perceptive collaborations.

Leandre's signature wordless vocals and chanting over-the-top adds breadth and a capricious aura to these highly emotive exchanges. Sure, there are some boisterous and high-impact episodes, yet the artists' largely anticipate and at times, interrogate each other's muse, tinted with subplots and sub-groupings. On "Sudo 2," Tramontana imparts a series of bluesy drawls above Leandre's supple, walking lines and Zingaro's abstract, yet soulful counter-maneuvers. Here, they assimilate a late-night vibe. With "Sudo 4," the quartet explores darkness with low-register voicings and fluctuating movements, as they add layers and raise the pitch, shaded by drummer Paul Lovens' small cymbals hits and percussive accents.

Free-form experimentation need not be reckless or soulless. With this outing, the musicians elevate the outside spectrum to a prismatic event and do not settle for the norm or try to attain a status quo. Conversely, the program gels to an art-form that encourages change and innovation.

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