Canopée Dans les arbres

• 1 La Fumée 05:14
• 2 L'Émanation 03:52
• 3 La Vapeur 07:10
• 4 La Buée 01:58
• 5 L'Éther 04:24
• 6 Le Vertige 01:54
• 7 L'Immatériel 09:22
• 8 Les Cimes 07:56
• 9 La Brume 01:19
• 10 La Transparence 06:10
• Total Runtime 49:19

Info for Canopée

Dans les arbres – das unverwechselbare Improvisatorenquartett aus drei Norwegern und einem Franzosen – verfeinert sein künstlerisches Konzept immer weiter, indem es geduldig und mit hochsensiblem Zusammenspiel seine schimmernden Klangflächen ausspannt. Die Kombination aus ungewöhnlichen Klangquellen wie Xavier Charles’ Klarinettenmehrklängen, Christian Wallumrøds präpariertem Klavier, Ivar Grydelands mit einem Bogen gestrichenen Banjo und Ingar Zachs hoch differenziertem Spiel auf der Gran Cassa führt bei Dans les arbres zu freiem Spiel und Gruppenimprovisationen in einer ganz eigenen Liga. Das ECM-Debüt der Gruppe erntete viele begeisterte Kritiken; so erklärte das britische Magazin The Wire: „There’s no end to the delights of this quite magical disc.“ Eben diese Magie wirkt auch auf dem im Juni 2010 und April 2011 in Oslo aufgenommenen neuen Album „Canopée“.

Xavier Charles, clarinet & harmonica
Ivar Grydeland, electric guitar, banjo & sruti box
Christian Wallumrød, prepared piano & harmonium
Ingar Zach, gran cassa & percussion

Recorded June 2010 at Biermannsgården and April 2011 at Cafeteatret, Oslo
Engineer: Thomas Hukkelberg

This quartet stems from work that Ivar Grydeland and Ingar Zach began in duo toward the end of the twentieth century. Grydeland and Zach established the label SOFA, performed as a duo, and started several ensembles in which the two worked with musicians from the European improvised music scene. The duo passed through several stages, but their music really took shape while Grydeland and Zach were studying for their Master's degree in Chamber Music at the Norwegian Academy of Music between 2001 and 2003. Those studies focused exclusively on their own compositions and improvisations. Around the time they gave their graduate concerts, Christian Wallumrød’s “Sofienberg Variations” (ECM 1809) was released. Grydeland and Zach felt that Wallumrød’s music was related to their own. Seeing a possibilty for musical cooperation, they invited Wallumrød to participate in rehearsals and concerts. This work led Grydeland and Zach to record with Wallumrød.

Parallel to their duo, Grydeland and Zach were also working with bassist Tonny Kluften in a project-based ensemble with the obscure name, No Spaghetti Edition. The core of that ensemble was originally Zach and Kluften, but Grydeland gradually became an equal member. The ensemble core invited guest musicians from diverse genres to join their CD releases, tours and concerts, with a constant focus on large-ensemble improvising. Wallumrød took part in one of the earlier projects. In 2003, No Spaghetti Edition released their third CD (“Real Time Satellite Data”, SOFA513). On this release and on the following tour and concerts, French clarinettist Xavier Charles was a guest. Grydeland and Zach were impressed by Charles’ music. Feeling he could enhance the work that began with Wallumrød, they invited him to rehearsals.

In early July 2004 they had their first meeting as a quartet. Though it was successful, they weren't able to meet again until 16 months later. That time, they met for another project with No Spaghetti Edition—recording the CD “Sketches of a Fusion” (SOFA520) with Tonny Kluften and the Canadian improviser, Martin Tétreault. Although the focus on “Sketches of a Fusion” is clearly different from “Dans les Arbres,” working with “Sketches of a Fusion” and playing concerts with this material and this lineup inspired them to continue their work as a quartet.

In July 2006 Charles, Grydeland, Wallumrød and Zach met again. This time to work on a band sound and to compose music for the present release. The CD is called “Dans les Arbres” and it's also the introduction of the quartet by the same name: Dans les Arbres.

This album contains no booklet.