Objets Trouvés
Fragile
(Intakt)

Sometimes I think about the distance that passes between two different meanings of the word "mainstream": the one that refers to those characteristics that are "objectively" an accepted part of any given musical idiom, the other the one that refers to what mass audiences really consider as something they are prepared to like. And those two can differ quite dramatically! A good example of this being this CD: on one hand, quite easy to grasp, absolutely not too hard on the ear, well played, well recorded; but too subtle, I suspect, too distant from the usual theme-solo-solo-theme framework, too devoid of those cheap showy tricks which many times are the real reason for a successful release.

Objets Trouvés is the name of a well-rehearsed quartet. Nimble pianist Gabriela Friedli is also the writer of those melodic/thematic fragments that pop up once in a while, not necessarily exactly where one would expect them to be. Co Streif, whom I remember as a young sax player from about fifteen years ago, is the appropriate performer on alto and soprano saxophone; while on the former instrument she sometimes sounds as a strange mix of Paul Desmond and Elton Dean, on the latter she manages to bring to the mind both Evan Parker and Steve Lacy (not at the same time!). Good drums by Dieter Ulrich. In my opinion the sound of the electric bass played by Jan Schlegel has a bit too much compression, which makes for two decidedly unpleasant consequences: first, which notes are being played is sometimes not that easy to understand; then, everything is OK when Ulrich is on cymbals (which fortunately happens quite often), but when he plays the drums some frequencies clash.

There are four long tracks, sometimes sounding like a suite. Once in a while one detects some echoes of Bossa. Nice soprano start à la Lacy, after the piano enters sounding a chord, at the end of Pugglig – Fledged (at about 13′ 11"). It’s also quite peculiar to notice that a "percussive" soprano à la Parker morphs into a clear singing à la Lacy during the first part of Lucullus – Ursa Maj (at about 2′ 39"). Nice thought: not once I looked at my watch while listening to this album.

Beppe Colli


© Beppe Colli 2006

CloudsandClocks.net | Jan. 25, 2006