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Melissa Pipe Sextet: Of What Remains
ByNoir is a word which comes immediately to mind on the disc's opener, "Complainte du vent," and its follow-up, "La part des anges." a pair of somber tunes which may evoke a lone protagonist wandering the midnight streets of an Old World citysomeone deep in thought, and sad.
The instrumentationPipe's low-toned reeds, Lex French's trumpet, Philippe Cote's tenor sax & bass clarinetis a rich, murky brew. The beautiful and intricate chamber-like interplay is the way this ensemble rolls. And this is an album which features cover art representing the music perfectly.
"In DueTime" features a jazzy front line which growls, screams and bops, followed by "Ici, ainsi," featuring guest Michael Sundell on contrabassoon. The tune has a light-stepping, positive vibe which rides the rhythm section's "serve-the-music" groove, with drummer Milli Hong supplying a distinctive, understated percussion approach.
Throughout, the bassoons, baritone saxophone and bass clarinet add an element of soul to the sound, an approachable, sympathetic humanity. Pipe's arranging skills are superb. Of What Remains is a cohesive set of sounds, from start to finish. Albums like thisand those on ECM Records- -with a consistent, deftly-crafted mood, are to be cherished. They are also a rarity in the "debut recording" category.
And the bassoon in jazz? Not that common, although 2022 saw bandleader Satoko Fujii employ bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck on Hyaku: One Hundred Dreams (Libra Records), while 2023 introduces us to Montreal's Melissa Pipe, on her excellent Of What Remains.
Track Listing
Complainte du vent; La part des anges; Ici, ainsi; Fragment no. 2; Apothecium; Complaint du vent (reprise); Day; Puudutus.
Personnel
Melissa Pipe
saxophone, baritoneLex French
trumpetPhilippe Cote
composer / conductorGeoff Lapp
pianoSolon McDade
bassMili Hong
drumsAdditional Instrumentation
Melissa Pipe: bassoon; Phillippe Cote: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Michael Sundell: contrabassoon (4, 5, 9).
Album information
Title: Of What Remains | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Odd Sound Records
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Comments
About Melissa Pipe
Instrument: Saxophone, baritone
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