The Squid's Ear Magazine


Gerard, Pierre: Pieces Of Apparatus (A New Wave of Jazz)

In the same character as a Wandelweiser/Jürg Frey work, guitarist Pierre Gérard offers up five minimalistic or reductionist improvisations, sparse works that follow the patterns of his mind and his improvisatory method, allowing his thoughts to linger and follow a music that is curiously compelling; an idiosyncratic companion to a quiet evening or afternoon.
 

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Personnel:



Pierre Gerard-composer, performer


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Label: A New Wave of Jazz
Catalog ID: nwoj0043
Squidco Product Code: 30499

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2021
Country: Belgium
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded in January, 2019, by Pierre Gerard.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.
"

Pieces Of Apparatus severs up five examples of extremely sparse and often spaced-out improv for guitar- with all the tracks unfolding in both a jaggedly wondering, dartingly inventive, and largely rewarding manner. Here on the New Wave Of Jazz label is CD release, presented in the labels house style packaging of a white and grey box gatefold, that features a worthy write-up about both Gérard work in general and the pieces offered up here.

Pierre Gérard is based in Liège, Belgium- and has been releasing work since around 2008. He's so far ( according to Discogs) racked up around twenty releases- with seemingly most of these been full-lengths. Pieces Of Apparatus is my first taste of his work, and I must say he has a rather distinctive sound that feels both wondering, that also purposeful.

As a release Pieces Of Apparatus runs at spot on the fifty-three-minute mark- with each of the tracks hitting between three and fifteen minutes, though mostly they hit around the ten minute plus mark. Each of the tracks here features a similar sparse, spidery, and just amplified guitar tone- so while there's not a lot of different sounds/ tone at play here, Gérard does manage to make each track have its own identity/ quirks.

The album opens with "Formé Sur Un Bois De Rose Pâle"( Formed On A Pale Rosewood)- this is the longest piece here at just over fifteen and a half minute. It's built around a blend of choppy 'n' darting picks, points of slight reverb, with more fleeting moments of tap 'n' hack, tighter and smaller string scrubs, and higher-pitched neck fumbling. The track feels both nervy and awkward- yet at the same time wonkily spritely and strangle appealing in its jaggedly spaced flow.

By track three we come to "Miniature En Poudre Pratique" (Practical Powder Miniature) where we find three and a half minutes worth of slow placed almost waltzing picks, low-key reverb hover, and a few more wailing/ sour points. The album plays out with the just over eleven minutes of "Emprunté A La Transparence D'une Forêt Sans Rose" (Borrowed From The Transparency Of A Forest Without Rose) which is all about sourly hazing-yet oddly warming clusters of note strums and string hovers- managing to feel both awkwardly fragile-yet- at the same time strangely heartfelt too.

All in all Pieces Of Apparatus offers up a good selection of Mr Gérard decidedly unique take on guitar-based improv. Let hope the release leads to more folk hearing his work, as there is no doubt he has a very one-off and largely worthy take on the improv, which I know will appeal to those looking for something a little different."-Roger Batty, Musique Machine


Get additional information at Musique Machine

Artist Biographies

"pierre gerard born in 1966 (BE)

i work minimalism with acoustic instruments and electro-acoustic guitar since 2006 ..the object always present was at the center of my first research ..added a new interest in abstract voice since 2017 ..

the improvisation in situ is the source of my music work (outdoor or architectural) ..over time i could describe this research more intuitive than minimalist ..in my electroacoustic compositions i try not to lose sight of intuition, silence,and a certain form of minimalism ..

work on the object is strongly influenced by the presence of wood (assemblage/assembling, sculpture, installation _'the force fields of wood') but also glass, leather, felt and other natural materials (if possible found or recycled) ..

in objects we would sometimes see sound compositions in 3 dimensions ..besides the intuition present here too, i keep a special attention for the encounter between human gesture and the form (organic, natural, accidental ..& intuitive, minimalist) ..

each of these disciplines can occupy the architectural space,place par excellence of the gesture and the shape _'the gesture in the shape' ..

storage stolen images in the form of paint traces the human migrations mental and physical ..who can inspire my path or express my disagreement .."

-Pierre Gerard Website (https://pierregerard.eu/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Forme Sur Un Bois De Rose Pale 15:36

2. Specimen Dans Les Tons Proches 11:41

3. Miniature En Poudre Pratique 3:29

4. En Plein Rose D'Un Bois Lisse 11:10

5. Emprunte A La Transparence D'Une Foret Sans Rose 11:06

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Guitarists, &c.
Solo Artist Recordings
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Ambient & Minimal Music
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