By Richard Blute
“Music is about people for me…it’s about putting people into challenging
situations. And for me, challenges are opportunities.”
– John Zorn
I often think of this quote from John Zorn when I come across a surprising
combination of instruments. It’s an opportunity to hear something genuinely
new. On Fisheye, it was the combination of Henri Herteman’s trombone and
Claude Parle’s accordion that I found so intriguing. (I was already familiar
with Michel Kristof’s electric guitar and Makoto Sato’s drums. The two put
out a very good duo album in 2022 called Wasabi Lullaby.)
I never thought much (honestly, at all) about the accordion as a viable jazz
instrument until I happened to catch a duo concert with Michel Portal on
saxes and clarinets and Richard Galliano on accordion, which produced a
wonderfully rich, almost orchestral sound. Since then, I’ve always kept an
eye out for the accordion occurring in free jazz, where it doesn’t seem to
be very prominent. Rüdiger Carl used an accordion extensively both in his
solo work and with his band, the COWWS Quintett. Sven-Åke Johansson used an
accordion frequently as well. Much more recently, Charlie Watkins just
published a review of Suzann Peeters album Cassotto, a very different (and
exciting) take on free jazz accordion.
Part I of Fisheye is a textbook case of how good free improvisation can be.
It begins with a rush of sound before the musicians settle into their
respective roles and begin a conversation. Herteman’s trombone has an almost
vocal quality to it, and he has some important things to say. Parle’s
accordion is frequently laying down a drone, but will jump in with a
flourish of notes at opportune moments. Sato’s drums propel the music
forward but will slow things down as the situation warrants. There’s a
moment in the middle of Part 1 where it’s just trombone and accordion with
the drums only playing softly in the background and we’re listening to two
musicians who know each other well. I suddenly realize Kristof is making
quiet scraping sounds and then he and Sato come to the forefront. Kristof
frequently has a rock-guitar quality to his playing but he is equally adept
at doing Derek Bailey-style improvisation. This piece is 26 minutes long and
not a moment is wasted, there’s no aimless noodling or repetition.
Part II is more frenzied. It begins with Kristof and Sato in duo covering
some of the same ground as their duo album. And then there’s a pause. And
then Herteman jumps in. And then Parle. The four musicians are all on the
same page as they steadily build up the intensity of the piece. I’m always
excited to hear this sort of energy coming out of free improvisation.
All four pieces are full of beautiful little moments. Some loud and intense,
some quiet and simple. This is an album made by four master musicians and
improvisors, highly recommended.