Gift - Marteau Rouge & Evan Parker

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There was nothing gentle or melancholy about the live meeting between British saxophonist Evan Parker, 80, and members of the French Marteau Rouge trio on Gift (FOU Records FR-CD 51 fourecords.com/FR-CD51). A self-contained unit that boomerangs among tough improv, rock and electronics, guitarist Jean-François Pauvros, drummer Makoto Sato and synthesizer player Jean-Marc Foussat bring a furious energy to their playing. Finding a prominent place for himself among Pavros’ twangs, frail and arco string bowing expressions, Sato’s steady beat and Foussat’s processed drones and field recorded samples doesn’t faze the saxophonist who has faced down big bands and electric-acoustic ensembles with the same aplomb. He outputs what could be termed anthracite lyricism at points, his usual strategy, especially on Into The Deep, the more than 34-minute centrepiece. Building on earlier synthesized, organ-like thrusts, constant string strums and drum rumbles, Parker alternately soars over the interface with whistling timbral variations or snorts and snarls that whir as much as programmed voltage, as vibrating reed pressure finds a place beside the guitarist’s intense flanges and twangs. In contrast though, while the saxist fragments textures into slurps and split tones – the better to challenge Sato’s drum clunks and clips and Foussat’s yodels and yells produced by both his voice and machine programming – Parker’s straight-ahead tone touches on melody. Going his own way slowly and logically, reed timbres are partially affirmed by the others so that there’s a song-like as well as a sinewy essence to the final improvisation.

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