Review Courtesy AllAboutJazz.com
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Ad Infinitum |
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By Budd Kopman The flute often gets no respect as a jazz instrument, and even the notes
to Ad Infinitum start off with a kind of apology saying that the flute
has a “refined elegance and charm that make it a natural partner of the
piano, and musical encounters with flute are often of the intimate, peaceful
kind.” Perhaps you too may feel reluctant and have shied away from the flute as
a lead jazz instrument. If that is the case, Ad Infinitum might just
be the cure. Francois Richard's playing (on both C and alto flute) and
compositions (all Richard originals except “Scout Boots,” by pianist Geoff
Lapp) have a contagious energy. His quartet is very tight and effortlessly
interactive because, as Richard says, they performed the pieces often before
recording them. This cohesion is quite apparent and the album has an almost
live feeling. It is hard to pin Richard down stylistically, since the eleven tracks
vary quite widely, ranging from the driving, hot feel of “Intuition,” “Secousse cosmique” and “Ete This is good music and it is easy to let each track take you away,
despite the fact that the flute is the lead instrument. Like Victor Prieto's work with the accordion on Persistencia, this music transcends the instrumentation, and the different musical
personalities of the bandmembers come to the fore
on each track. For example, “Labyrinthe” begins as if it were going to be in a Latin rhythm, but the piece does not
gel as such, as the metric drive is never sustained. After teasing us this
way for about a minute, Alarie begins to cook on
walking bass while Lapp adds pungent chords and lines. By the time Richard
joins in, the band is burning and just does not let up, even through the bass
solo. “Apologie” sounds at first as if it's in the
Debussy “Syrinx” solo flute mold,
only to take off in an entirely different direction when it is revealed to be
an introduction to a sprite and lively swinger. Ad Infinitum will definitely keep you on
your toes, and your ears will thank you for the experience. |
Track
Listing: Intuition; Secousse cosmique;
Rhodium; Ete 99; Une autre histoire; Joyeux millenaire; Apologie; Between Rain and Clouds;
Scout Boots; Labyrinthe; Ad Infinitum. Personnel: Francois Richard: C and alto flute; Geoff Lapp;
Frederic Alarie: acoustic bass; Michel Lampert: drums.
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