The other part of Ambiances Magnétiques institutionalization came in the form of a sort of repertory group led by violist Jean René, who released the remarkable solo recording, Fammi (&records) in 2010. With violinist Joshua Zubot, fantastic drummer Pierre Tanguay and bassist Nicolas Caloia, René struck a Stéphane Grappelli bop that could melt and reform in quick minutes and turn to upbeat Québécois folk the next. The set list was comprised of an Ambiances Magnétiques songbook, with old and new pieces by Derome, Normand Guilbeault and René Lussier, as well as some of René’s own pieces. The quartet was lively and precise, and, along with Ensemble Supermusique, showed once again what a unique group of composers and interpreters there are under the Ambiances Magnétiques banner. […]

If you are a fan of longer, exploratory forms and large-group ensembles, this will be a very rewarding disc. Le Grand groupe régional d’improvisation libérée (GGRIL) is an improvisational collective based in Quebec, Canada, and Vivaces captures a live recording from a concert in Rimouski. Le GGRIL often hosts guest artists to head workshops and conduct the group, and this recording captures illustrious saxophonist Evan Parker conducting and playing with the GGRIL.

The three songs on this recording display great willingness to explore the depths of each improvisation. The mixture of sounds in loose rhythm that open Vivaces gives a hint to the surprising textures at work in this ambitious recording. These are accomplished musicians, and the interactions between them progress in surprising ways. At times the structures remind me of Parker’s work in the Global Unity Orchestra, and like those recordings, the music here is consistently rewarding and occasionally difficult. The array of instruments and sounds present in each track creates a sonic map that shows us how the conductor’s thinking progresses and still manages moments of great lyrical beauty. We hear accordions, violins, voice, tuba, guitar and of course Evan Parker’s saxophone.

The final third of opening track reaches a brilliant set of surprises and some magnificent saxophone work by Parker, but mostly he is conducting on the first two tracks. And in many ways the conductor is the star here, with Parker directing the sound by dropping instruments in or out of the music, and extending certain tones by bringing them to the forefront. As the second track, Boutrage, crescendos with a wonderfully demented and circus-like rhythm (yes, the tuba!) you feel the full potential of the improvisational large group. The music alternates between rhythmic propulsion and lyrical, floating tones, often involving the accordions. Organic textures provided by violin, voice and accordions often bring a very welcome dreamlike quality to passages in the recording.

The second track covers so much territory, from lush to spare, from hypnotic to jarring, that it alone acts as a large-group improvisational workshop. It’s this 25 minute track that most intrigues me, especially because the musicians never seem to run out of new territory and the music often takes on a mind-altering quality. During the third track Parker’s playing provides space and melody for the other players to work off, and they often enough find sublime moments behind him.

It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to a live recording with so many textures on it, and all this in only three songs. Congratulations to the GGRIL and to Evan Parker on this fine recording. The disc is nicely mixed and its live quality adds to that tightrope, highwire tension, that feeling that the musicians could slip up, take a wrong turn, disassemble. But of course there are no wrong turns, only opportunities for the next turn. Vivaces is a blueprint of sorts, a how-to for groups exploring large group improvisations. As a recording it is fascinating listening, and the GGRIL project is an excellent model for the development of a regional avant garde.

Tim Brady’s 24 Frames series (this double CD and its companion 24 Frames—Trance, from 2010) is about precision and virtuosity. Billed as a larger project of “24 compositions… atmospheres… scenarios… [and] ways of playing guitar,” the Scatter discs offer six duos and twelve miniatures (solo pieces) composed by Brady. All are finely crafted, note perfect, and are performed with a pristine timbre— perhaps too pristine for my taste. Brady’s duets expand the virtuosity that’s at play, with him often challenging his fellow musicians to duals with his fret board.

Jean-Marc Bouchard (baritone sax), Lori Freedman (bass clarinet) and Karen Young (voice) all take the challenge and keep pace with Brady’s sizzling fingers on their respective instruments. Young’s vocal range is particularly impressive and at points she perfectly matches the texture of the distortion that Brady adds to his sounds. The highlight of the duets is a lovely piece with violist Pemi Paull. The warmth of his playing adds a particularly good counterpoint to Brady and encourages a beautiful interlude between some of the more ostentatious work.

The miniatures disc shows even more of Brady’s talents, with a bit of warm flare overcoming some of the previous showiness. Threefold Scordatura finds him creating nice Frissell-like forays around his guitar, while Delay Tactics sees him creating wild sonic escapades out of the possibilities of four types of delay pedals. Finally, Five Colours ends the collection with a series of descriptive sound colours that end the project on a particularly warm note.

Since 2005 Montréal’s Quatuor Bozzini—leading interpreters of new string-quartet music—have hosted the Composer’s Kitchen, a workshop for emerging composers, where they hone their craft. In 2011 the ensemble approached previous workshop participants, and harvested thirty-one miniatures to celebrate the workshop and to be incorporated into the ensemble’s repertoire. This disc captures this large and widely varied body of pieces.

The double CD serves as a rare snapshot of Canadian talent born 1969–1985 and features the likes of Cassandra Miller, Emilie LeBel, Olivier Girouard, eldritch priest, and Taylor Brook. While the interests and sound worlds of the individual composers are radically individual, the album’s curation causes it to flow together seamlessly, as though it were one long work, making for a satisfying yet perplexingly uniform listening experience.

It’s not, however, without moments of surprise. In fact, in spite of the sly, smooth sequencing of the tracks, each piece is still its own tiny discreet world. Eric KM Clark employs blended vocal doublings of the strings amidst a stark microtonal sound world. Jeff Morton’s use of motivic pizzicati interspersed with oddly choked bowed notes is quite striking. Ghislain Lecroulant fleetingly touches upon material with strong ties to Ravel’s String Quartet. Daniel Brandes’ work takes luminous harmonic chords glazed with whistling from the quartet and intercuts the gestures with sharp bursts of noise. The Girouard piece masterfully deploys various techniques to create a cloud of mysterious, purring friction, with few moments that resemble string playing at all.

As always, the quartet’s execution is clean, precise, and radiant, making this a real treat to listen to, especially since the highlighted composers are seldom recorded elsewhere!