Tuesday, 3rd December 2002, 4:09pm
An opinion by:
Nette
No Comment by Joëlle Léandre
Some people argue that improvised music is better live than recorded but I don't agree. It is true that we lose the visual aspects of the event , but with a musician like Joëlle Léandre, who infuses her performance with drama and humour, there is no noticeable loss. Oh, although I did see her perform in Paris and she did some funny things with her leg, but hey, that kind of thing can happen with pop stars too, non? In any case, No Comment is a compelling blend of two live concert performances, one in Vancouver and the other in Italy. It is inspiring to hear such strong, confident mastery (how to escape these gender-specific terms?) of the bass with some sound poetry/vocalizing thrown in for good measure. Joëlle knows what she wants to say and forges ahead with ease. She is a super role model for those daring enough to venture into creative, improvised music. What could be more expressive?
[Buy it]
