Rachel Musson, Reeling ****

A solo tenor saxophone free improvisation from Rachel Musson, one of the top improvisers in the UK oh for years. What the saxist does is not to paraphrase, it is also not total wipe-out. Musson can do scalding, unrelenting, all the things that the …

Published: 1 May 2021. Updated: 2 years.

A solo tenor saxophone free improvisation from Rachel Musson, one of the top improvisers in the UK oh for years. What the saxist does is not to paraphrase, it is also not total wipe-out. Musson can do scalding, unrelenting, all the things that the ill-informed might expect is meat and drink for a free-improviser. But the language has a far bigger vocabulary. And Musson's use of its infinite resource is more extensive than anyone can easily chart in whatever the chosen sense. For instance, Musson is good at stepping back and giving the music space. Humanising the texture is something again that the saxist is very adept at so it is realisable that there is actually a reed there and not only the sound down by the tube station at midnight of roar and knockout. On 'Reeling' you get the idea of immense characterisation in the improvisation and heat above all else, a compelling rotation of Musson's own immaculate divining. On Dreamsing, 21 May, 577

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Julien Daïan Quintet, Trop C’est Trop (Too Much is Too Much) ****

Combining a driving, bohemian, open ambience plenty of room for the instrumentalists to roam guaranteed in the shape of the piece, and the irresistible spoken word voice of none other than Serge Gainsbourg (sampled from 'Ecce Homo Et Caetera') …

Published: 30 Apr 2021. Updated: 2 years.

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Combining a driving, bohemian, open ambience plenty of room for the instrumentalists to roam guaranteed in the shape of the piece, and the irresistible spoken word voice of none other than Serge Gainsbourg (sampled from 'Ecce Homo Et Caetera') super-spirited French sax player Julien Daïan has bass guitarist Tommaso Montagnani, pianist Edouard Monnin, drummer Octave Ducasse, flautist Cyril Benhamou and flugelhornist Alex Tassel with him on the record. But it's been quite a while since Daïan and pals have been around and so it's a moment for sure to check their new work out.

The piece builds to the full album Cut-Up set for a late-May release and released on the French Paradox label.

Julien Daïan, top. Photo: Renaud Monfourny