ROBINSON/ELLIS/VINKELOE
[REV]
Blue Rêve
ELD Records
ER 2
With European and North American improvisers frequently operating on the
same wavelength, the number of cross-continental collaborations has increased
exponentially over the past few years.
These are genuine associations, mind you, not the sort of famous-soloist-meets-
locals match-ups of the 1960s and 1970s. Some of the more auspicious meetings
have involved Biggi Vinkeloe, a German-born alto saxophonist and flautist,
who has lived in Sweden since 1988. Vinkeloe, whose European trio recordings
have featured such respected bassists as the late Peter Kowald of Germany
and the American expat Barre Phillips has also played with Bay area bassist
Damon Smith.
Her associates on BLUE REVE show the respect with which her playing is
held, since the veteran bassist and drummer have worked with many of modern
improv's most accomplished players. Originally from Vancouver, B.C., bassman
Lisle Ellis has not only has a longtime partnership with fellow Canuck
pianist Paul Plimley, but also regularly plays with reedists -- from upstate
New York's Joe McPhee to the late Oakland, Calif.-based Glenn Spearman.
Another Spearman associate from their earliest days, drummer Donald Robinson
also worked with Danish reedist John Tchicai, local altoist Marco Eneidi
-- who also plays with Ellis -- plus he, Ellis and reedman Larry Ochs
formed the What We Live trio in 1994.
Despite -- or perhaps because of -- their credentials there's little sense
of awkwardness in this connection with Vinkeloe. One clue: the CD's title
and title tune, "Blue Rêve" is a word play on their initials
-- REV. Plus almost all of the dozen song titles are further variations
on the title, which translates as "Blue Dream" in English.
One notable point about Vinkeloe is that she has a bright, sharpest alto
tone like Cannonball Adderley -- an attribute not often found among avant-garde
players. Frequently, and especially on "Mémories de Blues",
she shows it off to great advantage. On that piece cymbal resonation and
walking bass are lined up with her sunny reed output. Later sluicing double
stopping from Ellis and hearty, ratcheting bounces and ruffs from Robinson
define their positions as she double and triple tongues and repeats a
long-lined tone. With each instrumentalist taking breaks as he would in
a conventional jazz jam, the theme is often reprised and the tune has
an unmistakable ending.
However, this lack of definite summations mars a few of the other tracks.
Missing the final partial, some compositions drift to an ending without
a strong summation. Most of the time however, the altoist's distinct,
pointed tone and the cooperation of the other two give the program a loose,
late-night club feeling.
This is apparent on pieces like the title and first track. Vinkeloe makes
her point through pointillism, languidly melding steady lyrical tones
and straight flowing vibrations. Ellis' bass lopes and Robinson applies
so little pressure with his brushes that you can clearly hear the inventive
bass lines.
This balladic command of the reed doesn't mean that she isn't capable
of spraying grainy half tones and mid range pitch vibrations when need
be. These irregularly harmonize with the others' work. Other times moderato
obbligatos that expand sock cymbal beats and single-string bass parts
give way to point-making screaming altissimo from the saxist.
Regrettably, Vinkeloe can't always overcome the so-called feminine quality
of the flute, and is seemingly content on a couple of tunes to rely on
flutter tonguing or clean, airy tones. Luckily her embouchure encourages
secondary breaths to be heard along with the tongued note.
For originality, "Petit Kamichi" and "Plus Rien à
Dire" are more notable flute flights. The former features some scatty,
spittle-encrusted flute hisses that become more unsymmetrical as she joins
deep bass strums and the timbres of wire brushes on the snare. The later
is a rare example of doubled tones, creating one with her horizontal instrument
and the other with her throat. Suggesting Scandinavian solitude, the squealing
overblowing matches perfectly with bowed bass and wavering cymbals.
With the three musicians combing for a consummate ending when the final
note is sounding is it too much of a dream or rêve to hope that
there soon will be an encore?
-- Ken Waxman
Track Listing: 1. Blue Rêve 2. Juste Un Mot 3. Aquilion 4. Blu Sud
5. Petit Kamichi 7. Dream Gone Blue 8. Blu Nord 9. Blue Impression 10.
Mémories de Blues 11. Plus Rien à Dire 12. Blue is the Moon
Personnel: Biggi Vinkeloe (alto saxophones and flute); Lisle Ellis (bass);
Donald Robinson (drums)