Distinguished Canadian clarinetist Houle's sextet interpret his compositions with gusto and sensitivity.

Distinguished Canadian classical/jazz/new music clarinetist Houle's sextet, an international cast of creative music heavy-hitters, interpret his compositions with gusto and sensitivity. Elegant arrangements and playing suggest an amalgam of John Carter, Steve Lacy, 60s free jazz and composers such as Xenakis and Ligeti, with a distinctively European flavor. The band consists of Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet/flugelhorn), Samuel Blaser (trombone), Michael Bates (bass), Harris Eisenstadt (drums) + longtime collaborator Benoît Delbeq (piano, electronics). Each member is a well-known leader on labels such as Hat Hut, Sunnyside, Clean Feed etc. as well as Songlines. The group deftly balances spontaneous exploration and disciplined ensemble, dense textures and spare, off-kilter lyricism.

Houle explains: 'I've always been seduced by a kind of composition that makes full use of instrumental colors: Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Elliott Carter...In the jazz arena I would be attracted to the more colorful approaches of Gil Evans, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Bob Brookmeyer....I wanted my new band to have that kind of versatility, but with the writing focusing on instrumental combinations at the micro level.'

'Most of the compositions on this record started from a sound, a small of group of sounds, or a rhythmic cell. So the intent, feeling, mood of the compositions are already present at the start. It was really important for me to realize and construct ideas from an evocative primary state. I called the album Genera to express this idea of a genetic code that is present from the very beginning of the creative process...Ultimately, you want your playing to be in line with an inner purpose, be it raw or sweet. Your job as a musician is to tap into these potentials via sounds. You become a vehicle for something that is intrinsically a human experience. At least that is what I sense when I hear great music making. It always seems to come from a very deep place.'

Track Listing

• Le concombre de Chicoutimi I
• Essay #7
• Guanara
• Albatros
• Le concombre de Chicoutimi II
• Old Paradigm
• Piano Loop (for BD)
• Punctum II
• Sulfur Dude
• Mu-turn Revisited

Additional Details

Label: Songlines

Genre: Jazz

Run Time: 56 mins

Release Date: 07/10/12

UPC: 774355159521