Agnel's playing has always stood apart for me in relation to other contemporary improvising pianists. No matter how far outside she gets, there's almost always a dark, lush, underlying lyricism at play, accented by a tendency toward the lower half of the keyboard. I often hear something of the late Frederic Rzewski's sound in her work, except Agnel is a far better improviser.

Song consists of seven tracks recorded over the span of a couple of years at Instants Chavirés in Paris. A couple of unique (at least in my knowledge of Agnel's work) aspects appear, including immediately on the opening piece, 'Song 1', where we hear the taped voice of a soprano, singing what sounds like a snippet of a worker's song or Spanish Civil War anthem. A little investigation of the sleeve reveals the name, Mauricette Millot, who recorded in the late 50s and early 60s, and further probing expands her name to Mauricette Millot-Agnel, implying a familial connection. The brief vocal sample sends Agnel hurtling into the nether reaches of the piano, both on keyboard and interior, repetitive chunks slammed up against freer passages, all very intense, rich and even dramatic.

'Song 1' is followed by a spacious, more abstract work, scattered plinks and plonks inside the piano, the type of approach that's by no means uncommon but very sensitively performed here. Interior preparations, I believe, are at play in 'Song 3', again utilizing a type of repetition with variations, summoning to mind something of Cage's 'Dances', but with a more pensive air. The back and forth between denser, more propulsive attacks and looser, freer ones continue, bits of rhythm examined, played through and temporarily abandoned, all extremely engrossing, intricate and very imaginative.

On the final track, 'Song 7', the tape of Millot returns, much more prominently, again singing what seems to be an inspirational workers' song. Agnel accompanies this brilliantly, both freely and more conforming to the song, but in a fierce and invigorating manner — really impressive.

Song is one of the finest, richest recordings of solo, improvised piano you're likely to hear in this or upcoming years. Great work.