release date: 06.12.2024 via Tour De Bras
Even though their name may conjure up images of chesterfields erupting into flames, the Québec duo Brûlez les meubles (Burn The Furniture, in English) has been mining an atmospheric corner of avant-jazz since their 2016 debut, always alongside an illustrious cast of guest artists. On Folio #5, the group’s founders Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière and Éric Normand continue this tradition, inviting legendary improvisers Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone) and Marianne Trudel (piano) into the fray, alongside rising-star percussionist Jonathan Huard on vibraphone.
The band’s name derives from the French expression “Sauver les meubles,” which means ‘preserve the essential.’ Although the group’s sound is rather economical, their gleeful inversion of this aphorism gestures toward their eagerness to take risks and to interrogate what constitutes “essential.” Their foundation of exploration permeates all aspects of the group from the improvisational thrust of the material they play to their interest in constantly embracing new personnel, be they stalwart players or emerging talents. Over the years they’ve played host to the likes of Jean Derome, Alexandre Robichaud and Félix Hamel, as well as drummers Tom Jacques, Louis-Vincent Hamel and John Hollenbeck.
Folio #5 is their first outing without drums, and although the drummers of previous releases would frequently imbue the music with weightlessness rather than aggression, here this conspicuous absence provides a distinct feel. The collection resides in a spacious, nocturnal lyricism common to artists spanning Paul Bley to Christian Wallumrød, Susan Alcorn to Ben Monder. And like the work of these fellow travellers, the compositions that Brûlez les meubles performs leave ample room for volatility, surprise, and the idiosyncrasies of the players to present themselves. There’s a loose-knit counterpoint within the ensemble, evocative of soft, late-night conversation and the warm, unhurried character of these exchanges brings an overarching sense of intimacy and intrigue to the recording. Their collective language audibly extends from jazz, but also draws from the varied musical experiences of those involved. Moments of strange fervour, carefully meandering passages, and faint textures all steer their sonic discourse in unforeseen directions.
The multi-talented Marianne Trudel has enjoyed a remarkably varied career, having shared the stage with artists such as Charles Aznavour, Chucho Valdes, Kenny Wheeler, Ingrid Jensen, John Hollenbeck, Tony Malaby, Dave Liebman, William Parker, Mark Feldman, Hamid Drake, François Houle, Joséphine Bacon, Klo Pelgag, Lena Chamamyan, Farida, Naseer Shamma, Charbel Rouhana, Juan Carlos Caceres, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Violons du Roy and the Orchestre Métropolitain (Montreal). She has performed to critical acclaim in 13 countries and produced 10 albums as a leader, all having garnered rave reviews and numerous nominations and awards (JUNO
Awards, ADISQ, Prix Opus). In 2023, she made a noteworthy appearance in the documentary flm of Richard Desjardins “Chip, Chip: Chopin par Desjardins.” She has also composed and arranged for Violons du Roy (Quebec), the American Composers Orchestra (NYC), the Henri Mancini Institute Orchestra (Los Angeles), the Canada National Jazz Orchestra, Orchestre national de jazz de Montreal, the Hard Rubber Orchestra (Vancouver), the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, the Kingston Choral Society and the Chorale du Gesù (Montreal).
Ingrid Laubrock, like Trudel, has cultivated a reputation that spans numerous musical worlds. Her collaborators have included the likes of Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richards Abrams, Dave Douglas, Kenny Wheeler, Jason Moran, Tim Berne, William Parker, Tom Rainey, Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis, Tyshawn Sorey, Craig Taborn, Andy Milne, Luc Ex, and countless others. Her numerous awards include the BBC Jazz Award for Innovation in 2004, the 2009 SWR German Radio Jazz Prize, the 2014 German Record Critics Quarterly Award, Downbeat Annual Critics Poll — Rising Star Soprano Saxophone (2015), Rising Star Tenor Saxophone (2018) the Herb Alpert/Ragdale Prize in Composition 2019 and the 2021 Berklee Institute of Gender Justice Women Composers Collection Grant. As a composer, she has been commissioned b the BBC Glasgow Symphony orchestra, Bang on The Can, Grossman Ensemble, The Shifting Foundation, American Composers Orchestra, SWR New Jazz Meeting, The Jazz Gallery Commissioning Series, NYSCA, Wet Ink, John Zorn’s Stone Commissioning Series and the EOS Orchestra.
Award-winning percussionist Jonathan Huard has collaborated for some time with Brûlez’s Éric Normand in outfits such as Grand groupe régional d’improvisation libérée (GGRIL) and Les Jazz Mess. His passion for exploratory music and improvisation have also led him to forming the experimental vibraphone duet T.J.J.H. alongside Tom Jacques, a group whose aim is to expand the instrument’s possibilities. Huard holds a BA in percussion from the Rimouski Conservatory of Music and a master’s degree in percussion, obtained with distinction, from the Conservatoire de musique de Québec. He studied with Gabriel Dionne, Marc-André Lalonde, Anne-Julie Caron, Aiyun Huang, Ryan Scott and John Rudolph. He has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and the So Percussion Summer Institute. In 2023, he won the Prix d’excellence of the Fondation de l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec. He regularly collaborates with this orchestra and with numerous other contemporary and improvised music ensembles alongside pursuing an Advanced Certifcate in Performance at the University of Toronto.
Brûlez les meubles is a two-headed musical project conjured up by Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière (Montréal) and Éric Normand (Rimouski) – two of Québec’s leading improvisers. The pair have known one another for many years, and have long shared a mutual interest in each other’s music despite their different artistic backgrounds (and the fact that they live more than 500 km apart.) Montréal-based seven-string guitarist Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière works in a number of other contexts outside of Brûlez les meubles spanning jazz to metal. He was formerly a member of the dance collective Atypique as musician/composer and is a member of angular avant-fusion groups Gisèle and Quinos. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Université de Sherbrooke and performs frequently as a soloist.
Meanwhile, Normand resides in Rimouski, QC and is active as an improviser, bassist, and composer, among many other things. He has developed an utterly personal language on a homemade electric bass, which he wields in conjunction with numerous preparations, devices and radical techniques. Normand’s unique approach can be heard across over 30 recordings. His strong interest in collective creation and orchestral improvisation is the driving force behind the 15-piece ensemble GGRIL which has been running for the good part of a decade, enjoying partnerships with esteemed composers such as Evan Parker, Jean Derome, Xavier Charles, Ingrid Laubrock and Michael Fischer. He is also one half of the free-form-folk duo the Surruralists alongside revered guitarist Arthur Bull. Normand has also worked with the likes of Jim Denley, Philippe Lauzier, Xavier Charles, Pierre-Yves Martel, Magda Mayas, Martin Tétreault, as well as avant-jazz legends Burton Greene and Joe McPhee. His music has been programmed and/or performed in several festivals across Canada, Australia and Europe and broadcast widely across those same territories. He is the founder of the Tour de Bras presenter/ imprint.
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BRÛLEZ LES MEUBLES: Folio #5
+ Ingrid Laubrock, Jonathan Huard & Marianne Trudel
Out: December 6th, 2024 on Tour De Bras/ Circum-Disc (LP/CD/DL)
(TDB900012LP/ microcidi36LP)
Genre: Avant-Jazz
Tracklist:
A
Argentique
Conscience du tragique
La vie commence aujourd’hui
B
Vagues
Spider Song
Paradox de la joie
Folio
Line up:
BRÛLEZ LES MEUBLES:
Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière — electric guitar, Éric Normand — electric bass
+
Ingrid Laubrock — tenor saxophone, Jonathan Huard — vibraphone, Marianne Trudel — piano
Composition: Éric Normand A1, B2, B4; Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière A2, B3;
Marianne Trudel A3, B1. Recorded at Conservatoire de Musique de Rimouski September
5th, 2023, by Sébastien Côrriveau. Mixing and Mastering: Bernard Falaise.
Cover Illustration: Christian Bujold, 2024. Design: Marie-Pierre Morin
Screenprinting: Camille Cloutier, Christian Bujold, Marie-Pierre Morin, Éric Normand