Here's a beauty for all you avant-jazz purists out there, a 2 CD set from pianists Charles Loos and Fred Wilbo. Loos has recorded and played with many artists over the years, including Chet Baker, Toots Thielemans, Philip Catherine, Maurane, and Art Farmer, while Wilbo has primarily been a solo act. The idea behind this set originated with Wilbo, who one day took his finger and, following the "Law of Analogy", pointed it 15 times at random into the complete works of Saint-John Perse (French diplomat and poet,
1887-1975, Nobel Prize 1960, who produced collections of sublime poems and meditations on the elements, civilisations, and human destiny). The first phrase from each sentence which appeared became the title of Fred's new compositions, which he then proceeded to record in purely improvisational style to gorgeous results. A year later, he recommended to his friend Loos the same idea, on the same piano no less, and the result is two CD's of solo piano work from both men that is as striking as it is exploratory.
While for some, 90+ minutes of solo piano music might seem a bit much, for many, this is perfect late night fare, a soothing tapestry of sounds that go perfectly with a good book, or a nice accompanyment to a romantic evening. Wilbo's set is the more melodic of the two, as his soaring melodies are instantly memorable, mixing classical and jazz influences seamlessly for a very romantic listen. Loos on the other hand, is much more adept at using dissonant chords and minor key tones, which gives his compositions a much more avant-jazz or prog rock feel. Both sets though have their moments of upbeat swing, as well as moments of soothing atmosphere. Background muzak, perhaps, but expertly played improvisation, most certainly.
Those into the solo piano works of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, or Herbie Hancock would be well advised to seek this out. So Happy, The Curve comes housed in an elongated CD box that can fit right on your bookshelf or DVD rack.
Track Listing
Disc 1 - Fred WILBO
01. Son allure était gauche et timide
02. Heureuse la courbe
03. Métaphore
04. Maïs noir
05. 1986, en juillet
06. Ici la grève
07. Seigneur terrible de mon rire
08. Quand vous aurez fini de me coiffer
09. Et celle qui danse
10. Le lit, les eaux du ciel
11. D'autres portes
12. L'aile du vent
13. Azur
14. Mer déserte
15. Ailleurs
Disc 2 - Charles LOOS
01. Etre telle
02. Au pur délice de l'amante
03. Le mouvement, créateur du langage
04. Non, violet
05. La volonté
06. Le reniement
07. Terre fumante
08. Fini de vous haïr
09. L'impatience du poème
10. Réponse
11. Grondement de l'âme
12. Soit avec nous
13. Un cri
14. Plus bruyante qu'une criée aux poissons
15. L'histoire fut moins claire
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