The story behind this album brings together the names of six of the top bass players on the free improv circuit. Barre Phillips, Joëlle Léandre, William Parker, and Barry Guy were approached to perform a quartet concert at the Victoriaville FIMAV 2003 festival as a tribute to the late Peter Kowald. Guy cancelled his trip for personal reasons and Tetsu Saitoh, already scheduled to appear in Victo as part of Michel Doneda's French-Japanese quintet, agreed to take his place. After You've Gone documents this concert, a double bass summit, if you will. One could have expected a string of solos, duos, and trios, with the occasional quartet thrown in for good measure. On the contrary, all four improvisers are heard simultaneously most of the time. The performance is rather uneven: the music is dense, busy and crowded, but often lacks direction or simply doesn't live up to the expectations inevitably attached to a "supergroup" of this kind. Nevertheless, there are precious moments on After You've Gone. "Whoop Yer Tal" sees the bassists abandon textural playing to foray into more playful territories, and the result is amazing. The same applies to "Bleu Grek," a dynamic improvisation with many mood swings and a delicate finale. The encore, "P.S.-Te Queremos," is a grave arco quartet, requiem-like, a mournful drone hovering over a tonal center, with occasional atonal escapades. The group playing on this track eclipses most of what was previously heard, and leads one to think that the quartet had just warmed up by the time the concert was over. - François Couture
Reverberations from bassist Peter Kowald's passing continue to be felt two years later. Last year, a long-time bass quartet with one sub gathered to bathe Kowald's spirit in a bass balm. Comprised of close associates or admirers of Kowald, this quartet represents a summit from across borders and generations, sharing only remarkable technique and a love of the unknown.
Barre Phillips helped legitimize improvised solo bass, as well as expanding its vocabulary with extended techniques. Joëlle Léandre boasts a resume that includes work with John Cage, John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, and Merce Cunningham, figuring prominently in modern European composed and improvised musics. William Parker performs and records in any number of new music units and curates New York's Vision Festival. Tetsu Saitoh has recorded with Korean shamans and released versions of Astor Piazzolla compositions.
Together they performed live in 2003 with lost comrade Kowald in mind, resulting in a collection at once gripping and goofy; stately, somber, and silly. Any listener dreading the timbral monotony of relentlessly thumping bass needn't worry with these four acoustic alchemists on board. An orchestra of tones and textures rises from the quartet.
Beginning with a variety of techniques and sounds, the quartet introduces itself. All four imagine unique soundscapes composed of eliciting sound from interaction on various parts of the bass. Ultimately, "Ant Warps" leads back to the strings and layering varieties of attack. An extended itchy arco chorus ensues. Extended into flute and piccolo range, "Passing Thru" features all four sailing, scratching, and searching around in high treble clef.
"Whoop Yer Tal" drops all four back into deep bass clef and trades the smooth serenity for spiky edginess. Breathless vocalizing joins the fray. Tapping sounds create a percussion group effect. A knot of bowed strings tangle after random whistling. The last minutes emulate flute and drums with no "bass" sound present. "Teebay Deep" drones low, with minor variations, until the sound relaxes and the group coughs. Opening with pats and pizzicato, "Bleu Grek" hurtles toward a frenzy. "p.s.-Te Queremos" (roughly, "we love you") is the heartfelt farewell, accompanying the receding funeral barge.
Tracks
1. Ant Warps
2. Passing Threw
3. Whoop Yer Tal
4. Teebay Deep
5. Bleu Grek
6. P.S.-Te Queremos
BARRE PHILLIPS double bass
JOËLLE LÉANDRE double bass
WILLIAM PARKER double bass
TETSU SAITOH double bass
6 Musical pieces created by 4 double bass players, in memory of Peter Kowald
Recorded live May 23, 2003 at the 20th Festival International De Musique Actuelle De Victoriaville
Les Disques Victo – VICTO CD 091 (Canada)