Track Listings (12) - Disc #1| All Artists: Michael Attias Title: Renku Members Wishing: 0 Total Copies: 0 Label: Playscape Recordings Original Release Date: 8/30/2005 Release Date: 8/30/2005 Genre: Jazz Style: Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPC: 801495154724 |
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Search - Michael Attias :: Renku
 | Michael Attias Renku Genre: Jazz
New York-based saxophonist/composer Michaël Attias makes his Playscape debut with Renku, which documents his two-year old working trio of the same name featuring bassist John Hebert and drummer Satoshi Takeishi. Named... more » |
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Product Description New York-based saxophonist/composer Michaël Attias makes his Playscape debut with Renku, which documents his two-year old working trio of the same name featuring bassist John Hebert and drummer Satoshi Takeishi. Named after a style of Japanese linked poetry, this trio has an intense but intricate and diversely cultivated sound befitting both its name and the eclectic background of its leader, an Israeli-born son of Moroccan parents who was raised in Paris and the American midwest. Critics write that Attias "blows with great authority and passion" (AllAboutJazz.com), recognizing his trio's "knottily vibrant compositions" (Time Out-New York) and "perpetually shifting tunes, richness of timbre, and a singular personality" (Village Voice). Renku features seven Attias compositions, as well as selections by Hebert, collectively composed works by the trio and Thelonious Monk's "Work," though the group prides itself on blurring the lines between notated music and improvisation. Similar CDs
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CD ReviewsGreat Debut Troy Collins | Lancaster, PA United States | 11/02/2005 (4 out of 5 stars) "An up and coming young saxophonist, Michaël Attias' debut recording with his trio shows great promise. Backed by bassist John Hebert and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, Attias employs a rhythm section perfectly suited to his needs. With a selection of tunes featuring originals by the leader, a handful from Hebert, a cover of Thelonious Monk's "Work," and a few collective improvisations, "Renku" is a signifier of a fresh new voice.
With a dulcet tone and supple phrasing, Attias is a fluid and adroit improviser. With a mix of angularity and stop-start timing, his originals reference a plethora of influences. Shades of Thomas Chapin and Tim Berne materialize as Attias' knotty compositions unfold, but only fleetingly. The alto sax-driven title track, with its off kilter timing embodies the sort of jaunty rhythmic foundations found from M-Base-schooled musicians to Downtown avant-gardists. "Lumbago Boogaloo" is a soprano feature with a circuitous head melody that conjures the ghost of Steve Lacy. Another riff on angular post-bop can be heard in "Loom," with its sudden stop-start rhythms and funky undercurrent. Takeishi and Hebert are a rock-solid pair and their sensitivity to dynamics make this album a prime example of excellent rhythm section interplay. Attias switches to baritone saxophone on "Ciao Monkey," which slowly builds in rhythmic intensity from pointillism to unbridled playing, with Attias delving into the lower depths of the big horn. Rather than launching into the upper register like so many other free leaning saxophonists, Attias seems content to plum the lower ranges of his horns, resulting in a rich solo on baritone, full of long held notes and thematic variations. Hebert counters with a bowed bass solo while Takeishi propels the piece ever forward. "Snow" follows with the same instrumentation and format, but is delivered impressionistically, all airy call and response. Closing with Monk's "Work," Attias and company make their connection to tradition abundantly clear. Their re-imagining of this piece sounds perfectly in tune with the rest of the program. "Renku" is the first of a sign of more to come from Attias and company." |
