ABACADAË

This is not my comfort zone. By that I do mean that to write about a jazz outfit is not within my comfort zone. I love listening to it, I enjoy very much the musicianship, the tunes and the overall experience. But as I am by no means a connoisseur I feel I may write something silly, not correct, but I'll try anyway. I've decided to go for a descriptive and personal view, with less emphasis on what to compare the music to, what styles dominate it.

As for the music, it lies very well within my comfort zone. This zone is quite wide and is open to most styles, genres, sounds and inclinations. They go beyond the medium of jazz to include experimental sounds and approaches (Il Rôde Toujours) as well as rock elements. The music of Outre Mesure, a jazz outfit, goes from the quiet and peaceful to the hectic, distorted and crazy; from cool and focused to free style and frenzied. It is a very dynamic album; featuring a progressive process of theme developments, alongside showcasing the musicians' abilities and letting loose their passionate playing.

And indeed they do shine here. Listen to the drumming by Charles Duytschaever, which seems to go insane at times but provides wonderful and suitable rhythm (listen to the 4th minute on Les Dieux En Face Des Trous); listen to the guitar playing of Jean-Louis Morais which either plays a very focused and powerful lead or just straddles along nonchalantly; listen to the bombastic sounding trumpet by Marc Dosière, though it can also be delicate sounding (for instance on Les Dieux En Face Des Trous and Il Rôde Toujours); the bass played by Olivier Verhaeghe is calculated, meticulous and effective; the tenor sax of Jérôme Roselé which can sound as smooth as silk, desperate as a man in need (Il Rôde Toujours around 2:20) or raunchy as an army assault.

I particularly like the balance between the seemingly spontaneous flashes of sounds, like the sax and trumpet smooth moves and the composed structured bits that still flow with ease forward. The balance between the soft and calm jazzy "waters" to the stormy and chaotic segments where full madness takes over, where the sax and guitar are roaming free, spilling their sound content all over, yet still very much in tune with the music. Chaos under control so to speak. All of this brings me to my conclusive part; this is a highly enjoyable and fun album to listen to. It serves as a great chill-out record, with variety in styles, tempo and moods, good musicianship and free spirit that I very much appreciate.

Fans of Henry Cow might get a kick out of this album, considering it sounds an awful lot like them on many respects. It is essentially a jazz record with avant-garde leanings, for example, using a repetitive yet dissonant vamp for more mainstream soloing. The guitar and bass work is the real treat, yet the trumpet during the first five minutes of "Course Épique" is without question the highlight. So this album has a few stellar moments, but is quite frustrating because just when the music gets good, the band ruins things with disharmonious balderdash.

"Hu Blu Bin" The bass sets the tone, but the other instruments dominate the piece, namely drums and saxophone. Yet the piece becomes atonal, full of electronic screeching, and not enjoyable. The final moments are rather akin to King Crimson's "Moonchild."

"Les Dieux En Face Des Trous" Quite similar to early Henry Cow, this has brass music ranging from melodic to wild, with some exceptional guitar work afterwards. Of course, it becomes harsh and discordant toward the conclusion.

"Petite Douceur" This terse ninety-five second instrumental has a subdued chord progression with a pleasing horn duet working over it.

"Il Rôde Toujours" Monotonous blasts of brass shout over a laid back bass groove. It becomes boisterous quickly enough though- not bad, but not exactly calling for repeat plays, either.

"Course Épique" Lonely trumpet, very much in the vein of the late great Miles Davis, charms the listener. It is a tranquil, almost mournful piece with gorgeous subtleties and a thicker arrangement during the second half. Electric guitar laden with tremolo plays over light drumming before adopting distortion and rolling with a creative solo.

"Ôde Au Raboteur Flamand" Offbeat drumming and raucous saxophone go at it, doing two completely different things. The music maintains a quirky huff and puff sound, with quick jabs of notes and odd noises.

"Abacadaë" Initially quite energetic, this jazzy number tapers off rather quickly, leaving behind a soft electric guitar. As it picks up, my mind focuses on that exquisite bass work.