Although the recorded collaborations of the French pair of baritone saxophonist Daunik Lazro and double bassist Joëlle Léandre have been few and far between, they date back over three decades to January 1984 — a trio with George Lewis that appeared on Lazro's Sweet Zee album, on Hat ART, to which Léandre contributed bass and voice. Within years, the two were together again in the Paris Quartet with Yves Robert and Irène Schweizer. In 2002 they were recorded for Potlatch in another quartet, this time with Carlos Zingaro and Paul Lovens. But this December 2011 recording is their first together as a duo — good news, as each of their histories shows them to be well-versed in the art of the duo, with a variety of impressive partners.
From the very first notes it is obvious that Lazro and Léandre are in typically fine form, locked into each other's thought patterns, responding sympathetically and fluently, supplely and subtly. Consequently, across the six live improvisations, totalling some forty-six minutes, the music flows beautifully and develops naturally, with no awkward pauses or non-sequiturs. The two are so well-attuned that the music could be the product of a single mind. That effect is enhanced because their instruments produce similar low frequencies and often overlap, at times becoming so entwined that they are only distinguishable because of their differing timbres.
However, neither of them is constrained by the characteristic frequencies of their instrument and, without warning, either is quite likely to break away and soar, momentarily seeming to defy gravity. The element that most often breaks away from the low end is Léandre's voice which she occasionally deploys as an effective counterpoint to her own bass, her sparing use of it making it a refreshing delight every time she does. Such flights never seem arbitrary or capricious but feel like logical components of a coherent, satisfying whole that the two are sculpting as we listen. Now they have broken the ice and recorded as a duo, we must hope this excellent pairing reconvenes soon. Easily one of the year's best.
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