Leandre / Houle / Strid

Live at Sons D'Hiver

Label: Ayler Country: Sweden

"Seven spontaneous compositions/improvisations recorded in January 2009 by French bassist Joëlle Léandre, Canadian clarinetist François Houle and Swedish percussionist Raymond Strid during the annual Sons d'Hiver festival near Paris. That night, the three were last seen - or heard - heading towards musical excellence, and attaining it with the cumulative power of bass string bounces, double-tongued portamento reed trills and ruffs, rebounds and paradiddles from the drum kit often on show and frequently moving in counterpoint with each other throughout the performance."-Ayler

"A concert counterpart to their split live/studio disc on Potlach from 2006, this Radio France-recorded document finds this trio of masters in fine fettle in front of French audience at the dawn of 2009. Bassist Joëlle Léandre has a personal command of her instrument rivaled by but a few and her arco artistry earns the admittedly over-applied signifier of virtuoso moreso than most. Taking Evan Parker as part of his blueprint, Canadian clarinetist François Houle has honed a circular breathing technique on the licorice stick that makes impeccable use of its liquid pitch properties. Swedish autodidact drummer Raymond Strid is at once the glue and corrosive behind his kit, tying the music together and tugging it apart at intentionally erratic intervals. Knee-jerk hyperbole aside, it truly is a satisfying meeting and one that presents the trio at the peak of their collectively improvisatory prowess. [...]"-Derek, Master of a Small House