December 4th, 2009: Audrey Chen – Frederic Blondy – Michael Johnsen – Jerome Noetinger

@atelier tampon

It was my first time there, and the place is nice if a little too cozy for me in a way. It’s not a good fit for me, because I usually stand in the back, and there that’s next to the street and the noise from there often got in the way. It’s probably much better being seated in front.

I had seen each of the four performers before, but never two of them together. Frederic Blondy was familiar from Hubbub and Po-Go, and Jerome Noetinger from too many projects to mention. I had only seen Michael Johnsen and Audrey Chen once, but her Abattoir project has been a favorite of mine whenever it came up on the station, which has been quite often — that basically means more than once a week.

They did two sets, both with Michael Johnsen first playing saw, again in a very interesting way that featured none of the usual sounds associated with this instrument. Harsher, and replacing the smooth continuity with dense blocks that had another way of fitting in together. From way back, his part on electronics suffered from the same problem as what Jerome Noetinger was doing: I just couldn’t hear much aside from the occasional louder burst. That’s a shame because I really liked what Noetinger did with what I think where very short bits of voice recordings for while.

I’m quite fond of prepared piano, and Frederic Blondy was really good at it, exploiting the percussive side by hitting the strings as well as more resonating sounds that blended very well with the cello. Which was what I was here for, anyway. Audrey Chen did many different things, playing with a bow whether in the regular way or not, putting a stick between the strings, picking the chords, or rubbing those balls on the back to build up a very nice drone. She didn’t use her voice all that much though, but I think it was better that way because it wouldn’t have fit all that well with what the others were doing.

As a group, I think it worked OK but not great, but that might come from the acoustic instruments carrying much better to my spot than the rest. That meant I had a hard time hearing the latter unless the former stopped, and that robbed me of much in terms of how they were interacting. I guess I should have gone and sit in front in the light, but that was just not happening. What I could hear was worth it anyway, and I even got the Abattoir CD and a solo one, and both are great, by the way.

November 27th, 2009: Tengir-Too / Byambajargal Gombodorj / Ulzhan Baibussynova / Ardak Issataeva / Raushan Orozbaeva

@cité de la musique

Tengir-Too, at last! This gig was easily the one I had been looking after since the venue’s schedule came out. And having Ulzhan Baibussynova and Ardak Issataeva around only made it even more a must-see show. Byambajargal Gombodorj was a late addition, probably because of her being featured in the soundtrack to a movie that was popular around here. That made no sense in terms of the show’s theme, but I’m not complaining.

Let’s get the whining out of the way first: that late pretend inclusion of Mongolia in central Asia was lame enough, but even the original label “music from the steppe of central Asia” made little sense. That’s no big deal, but their *again* botching the sound aspect is getting an annoying habit. There was a nasty echo on one komuz and worse issues with Issataeva’s and Baibussynova’s voices. I mean people, get your act together, or stick to western classical stuff and spare me the aggravation. Maybe I should consider those issues a tribute to those amazing voices, as they clearly went beyond the expectations of the engineers.

I’m definitely not a fan of the elaborate dress of Byambajargal Gombodorj, but her voice is so great it more than makes up for that. I’m glad I ended up in front, because any PA would be challenged and her voice is really something to be heard. She sang first, then left and only came back at the end, two bits of long song that made me eager for more. I wasn’t that keen the first time I heard her, but she had won me over before the end of that gig and knowing about the long song only made this experience more enjoyable. I guess I’m a fan now, she’s just great. She didn’t sing that long, but these were highlights for me. I’ll put in a plug for a great resource about Mongolian Music for those who are interested.

The performers from Kazakhstan were great too. I still love Ulzhan baibussynova’s voice, the deepest of this evening’s singers, but this time around I noticed her wonderful work with intonations. It was like another part altogether, and only increased my esteem for this performer. Despite the technical difficulties, I liked Ardak Issataeva’s voice better this time, because I noticed a richer texture than the first time. And her dombra playing is just amazing, I just hadn’t paid enough attention to that. She has so many different sound and combines them so well. I hadn’t heard Raushan Orozbaeva before, but I love the qyl-qobyz and her long solo was another great moment. It might be a relatively simple instrument, but in the hands of such a talented performer, it reaches great heights.

Tengir-Too was as surprisingly enjoyable as I thought. I’m usually not fond of fast music, but Kyrgyz music is different. And definitely worth seeing, as the many sounds of the komuz come alive with the theatrics of such skilled performers. I don’t mean that in a disparaging way, those elaborate gesture do add something, I guess that’s closer than you’d think to Hendrix’s stuff, in a way, but I actually like the former better. Even the talking/singing part was nice, even though I couldn’t understand a single work. I wasn’t that fond of the female singer’s voice though, and I wish there had been more jew’s harps. But the little there was featured my beloved jygach, and Nurlanbek Nyshanov is a master than made me forget my initial dismay at not seeing Zalina Kasymova, who had impressed me last year. He was great with other instruments as well, many different flutes and chopo choor, which added to some of the disconnect. In that it reminded me of the obvious Andean music, which was still an improvement over the weird connection I felt with Irish music. No explanation for that, as I hadn’t even drank a pint of Guinness in a while — meaning more than one week, not a few hours.

A nice, nice gig, despite the problems, and this time they did come all together for an upbeat song, and even though it was far from seamless, it was nice to see them give it a shot. As a very personal note, I really appreciated the occasional small gestures of appreciation from some of the performers toward others from another country. Irdak Issataeva’s smile during Byambajargal Gombodorj’s second song was the most heartwarming thing I’ve seen in a while.

November 25th, 2009: Renata Rosa

@theatre de la ville

I was going there out of curiosity but with low expectations, because I’m not into Brazilian music. I was pretty dismayed to see I had a center seat in the front row, which was basically on the stage because the set was Masurca Fogo’s. I hate being in front this way, all the more for this kind of positive music — complete with singalong and people coming down to dance — which is deeply alien to me.

It started very well though, with Renata Rosa entering the stage with the four Karari-Xoco singers, very nice singing with percussive stomping, a great start. Hearing her on her own later made clear she has a great voice, and her violin playing is the kind I like, without overt displays of skill, but done too right for her not to be skilled indeed.

I really wish they had left more space for those singers, the one time they did a song by themselves was great but very short. Then again, there were fine call and response sequences, and some of polyphonic parts were really good — especially those with three doubled parts.

The musicians were good — especially Pepé — and they had a good thing going as a band, but I really have a problem with that typical Brazilian samba rhythm. I just don’t like it, and it got more grating for me as the set went on. It makes no sense at all, because I actually like cumbia, and it’s rhythm isn’t that different in a sense. But unfortunately it’s just the way it is, and that pretty much spoiled the second half or so for me. But I did enjoy the first half, so I don’t regret coming.

November 24th, 2009: TG

@udo

I’m catching up after yet another computer meltdown, which means I don’t remember all that well gigs from that busy week. The place is a small bar and it quickly got crowded. I guess that’s on the good side — it sure beats have a dozen people or less showing up — but the big downside was the crappy PA with its few tiny speakers.

TG did a pretty good job dealing with those conditions. More melodic at the very beginning, then going back to the drone I like a lot, before going more beat heavy for most of the set. I can’t even say I would have liked more drone, but not really. It’s not because of his playing keyboards and not guitar, it’s just because the PA couldn’t do justice to this kind of stuff. The beats did get through, and it was an appropriate choice in a crowded place anyway.

The best being that even if the beats were often straightforward, they could also get dirtier and anyway the keyboards, electronics and voice always kept thing interesting and in motion. I like this facet also. And I’ve yet to see a bad performance from this guy, or even two that sounded just the same.

November 22nd, 2009: Chris Corsano – Alexandre Bellenger – Christine Sehnaoui / Prince Rama Of Ayodhya / Amen Dunes / Mim

@les voutes

I didn’t like the first half or so of Mim’s set. I guess that was blues, but it seemed the textbook kind to me, and left me with the impression that he was out to try every possible style — in that case, I would suggest yodeling country, now that would be unusual and potentially entertaining. The second part mixed the influence and that made it both more personal and more interesting. He sounded good enough to be worth hearing again, hopefully with more of the second than the first.

I like Amen Dunes, but I was wondering how that would translate live. Better than I thought, actually, with a nice intensity. What I liked best is the music had an additional roughness that I liked a lot. Anyway, getting a different feel from the records is part of the point of gigs, and they did that well. He did a live session for the station in August, but I haven’t checked it out yet.

Prince Rama Of Ayodhya was the main draw for me, and I’m glad to see they recovered from having their equipment stolen. It seems that the benefit shows and call for donations worked. They also have a live set at WFMU available for download from the free music archive. I liked this show a lot, and I really like how the drumming was much more present than on the record. Generally speaking, I think the live setting serves them well, as the records sometimes put a little too much emphasis on the voice for my liking. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with her voice, but they’re a good live band and there was a better balance here.

I’ll admit I didn’t expect much from the closing trio. I like Christine Sehnaoui and Alexandre Bellenger, but I’m not that fond of Chris Corsano, and they’re so different that I thought the set had a real chance to fall flat. It turned out great. At first I thought each was remaining on familiar ground, but they quickly found each other and the set just took off. I probably wouldn’t say it was loud, but they did go for it and it was louder than I expected. A good set and a nice example of the good that can come out of improvising.

November 21st, 2009: Jayanthi Kumaresh

@abbesses

Another installment in my attempt to figure out at least something in classical Indian music. Not much luck so far, that much was clear most of the times one of the performers would mark the beat. When I like the performance as much as this time, it’s no big deal, though frustrating because I just know I’m missing a lot because I’m that ignorant.

I really like Jayanthi Kumaresh’s play. Her skill was obvious from her precise control over the strings and the many modulations she got by pushing and releasing them, but she kept the music coming first and I never got any hint of unwarranted virtuosity. Not really understated either, it just sounded right. And she did let some room for the mridangam and ghatam too. I guess it’s part of the style, but here again she handled that just right.

The veena is a very nice instrument, and I think the combination of frets and relatively few strings made it more accessible to my untrained ears. Far less overwhelming and distraction than the sitar, for instance. Not that the music is simple, but there’s a bit less going on, and that made it sound clearer to me, and I sure can use help. I think it could be a gateway into this stuff for me, but it’s not that common, unfortunately. She did say she would come back, but I have slightly more confidence in that kind of talk than in the classic “you’re the best audience” or “I just love playing here”. I’ll keep an eye out nonetheless.

November 20th, 2009: Jean-François Pauvros & Charles Pennequin

@centre pompidou

I’m not a fan of the place, and I usually don’t like spoken word, but I do like Charles Pennequin, and his pairing with Jean-François Pauvros just made the show more appealing to me.

It had been a while, but I thought his delivery was slower this time, but that’s just a remark, and it didn’t take anything from the performance. For most of the set he read his texts standing and with little movement, except for a his circling around the audience with a megaphone a couple times.

Pauvros was more active after a static intro bowing one of his two guitars. His role was mostly supportive, though he got louder and took a more assertive stance as the show went on. I liked the way he did it, doing plenty of different things, from banging the guitar to building up loops to playing with a corner of the booth to mock-spearing Pennequin. I think he was pretty good playing that part, even though the role limited what he could do. If anything that made me eager to hear him again soon — though I’m not sure that’s enough to make me take another chance on Evan Parker.

It worked OK, but I’m not sure it was that good to both: I think Pennequin too is better on his own, as he doesn’t need any support and at times it felt like they both were being a little too respectful of the other, leaving a little too much space and hesitant to fill it. Interesting experiment though, definitely worth a shot.