Fatrasies
François Houle; Kate Gentile; Alexander Hawkins
Victo cd 137 (victo.qc.ca)
Three masters of the improv craft from three different countries confirm not only creative music’s universality but also how so-called abstract music can be as definitive as any other. Each of the five instant compositions blend American Kate Gentile’s restrained drum pops and rumbles, the UK’s Alexander Hawkins’ refractive pianism ranging from meditative to mauling and Canadian François Houle’s output from two clarinets and electronics that encompasses textures ranging from hissing trills to bagpipe-like drones.
Used sparingly to amplify tones, electronics underline Houle’s versatility since by playing both clarinets at once or dismantling them for extra timbres he produces distinctive sounds from the near opaque to free-flowing. Not to be outdone, Hawkins creates immediate responses to either player’s musical thrusts. For instance on La petite bête he doubles his speed to intersect with the clarinetist’s rappelling up the scale. On Tart ara mon cueur, as blowsy basset clarinet tones widen and intensify, the pianist moves from gentle clinks to splayed percussive pedal action. Gentile responds quickly as well and hard thumps plus cymbal colours join the piano patterns to properly frame Houle’s dual clarinet output so that it becomes moderate and linear.
There are numerous instances of the interaction flowing the other way such as electronic whizzes meeting piledriver piano runs or hollow-sounding reed flutters extending an a capella piano introduction. The (so-far) shared democratic heritage of these countries could serve as a metaphor for how well these three interact.
