HOULE/LEANDRE/STRID - "9 Moments" CD (Red Toucan)
Improv trio of clarinets, double bass, and percussion. It's hard not to find a project that involves LEANDRE on bass that isn't at the same time serious, fun, and communicative. The conversations between the three are almost never broken or uncomfortable and these studio improvs show three people who know how to communicate with their instruments. Jazz improv yes but sounds of a chamber trio do show up. LEANDRE also throws in some of her vocal improvisations which are more sounds that words.
**1. Short, darting with quick jabs from each. Kitchen sink percussion, scraping on bass and up front clarinet.
**2. Long with early drawn out sounds on bass and quieter percussion. This slowly builds with bowed bass and quiet squirrelly clarinet. After a droney section and a quiet primarily percussion section LEANDRE starts making vocal noises all ending with a more jazzy feel.
3. Quiet squeaks on clarinet and whispers and scraps on percussion and bass. Track does get busy later. Ends quiet.
**4. Fluttery clarinet invoking a little BROTZMAN. After some group thunder LEANDRE takes her turn to take the forefront and the bass has a strange violin quality. This turns into a subtle jazz section and later even lyrical walk in the park by the clarinet. In other words all over the place.
5. Quiet and minimal bass and percussion. After 3 minutes or so we get aggressive scraping on bass. Ends very, very quiet.
6. Quiet percussion. The three slowly turn prickly.
7. Minimal individual notes on bass and breathing sounds or drawn out notes on clarinet. Similar to humming to each other. Jazz.
8. Immediately squirrelly with fluttery clarinet and busy percussion. All go all the time.
9. Long notes on clarinet. Quiet. The goodbye. Ends quiet with a goodnight and claps.
Good stuff. -mph