Joelle Leandre is the rare musician who can inhabit different worlds with equal prowess. She's a remarkable solo performer, an insightful improviser and, as her recordings of John Cage and Giacinto Scelsi show, a great interpreter of composed work.
With dozens of recordings to her name, she's her own hard act to follow. At her best, she is resonant, remorseful, joyous, angry and demonic. Her fervent playing and incredible range as a vocalist make her one of Europe's most evocative performers.
So a perfectly nice record by her can be something of a disappointment. There are just too many musicians by whom she can be held back. Musicians such as Derek Bailey, Susie Ibarra, William Parker, Iréne Schweizer and Carlos Zingaro can keep pace with and even compel her. But the bassist's c.v. is probably too much to hold most musicians up against.
Signature pairs Leandre with two pianists for a series of short duets, one a jazz player and the other a classically trained performer. In structure, it's a fitting project for Leandre, but as realized it pales compared to much of the bassist's work.
Masahiko Satoh's jazzy playing makes the first disc a more upbeat affair, but hardly a surprising one. He's got his chops, but considering his background with Art Farmer and Nancy Wilson, a set of standards might have been a better meeting point for the two.
The Yuji Takahashi duet is more intimate, and having worked with Iannis Xenakis and John Zorn probably made him a better match for Leandre. It's certainly the better disc, although Takahashi is only so convincing as an improviser.
If the pianists had more to say, it's not evident here. The sets are divided into separate discs, tidy enough but a shame since each disc only clocks in at about 30 minutes (and the set sells for double- disc price). There are nice moments on each, but with a catalogue as large as Leandre's, there are certainl y plenty of discs to hear first.
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