Remy Le Boeuf: Light as a Word
Outside In Music
While textura isn't in the habit of reviewing releases from years past, Remy Le Boeuf's 2019 bandleader debut (four Le Boeuf Brothers recordings with his identical twin Pascal preceded it) is so solid, it warrants coverage—even if its successor, Assembly of Shadows, has since been released, hitting the streets a mere six months after the debut and reviewed in these pages last November. With Light as a Word, the Brooklyn-based saxophonist makes an extremely compelling case for himself as a composer, arranger, and group leader, the impression helped in no small part by the contributions of his collaborators, tenor saxist Walter Smith III, pianist Aaron Parks, double bassist Matt Brewer, drummer Peter Kronreif, and, on two tracks, guitarist Charles Altura. As much as the album's about the expression of an individual voice, even more integral to its impact is the chemistry between the ensemble's players. Interaction, dialogue, and rapport are key to the release, whether the musicians are focused on the leader's charts or contributing a soaring solo.
It doesn't hurt that those collaborating with Le Boeuf are long-time colleagues and friends. Brewer's been with him for a decade, while Kronreif's toured with Le Boeuf Brothers for eight years, and the history shared by the three makes for a level of telepathy that makes the music tight. Building on that is the robust frontline of the leader on alto and Smith III on tenor, a dynamic combination that benefits from the pairing of Le Boeuf's suave tone and his partner's earthier attack. Anything but a footnote, Parks enhances the performances with critical contributions, whether it be strengthening the harmonic foundation or adding a melodious solo (he's even granted an unaccompanied spot in “Vista Hermosa Intro”). Put the players together and music of sophistication, authority, and resonance comes out the other side.
Three miniatures, two of them intros, add breathing room to the album and set the stage for longer group performances. By way of illustration, Le Boeuf introduces the recording with a lovely unaccompanied solo (“Bloom”) before “Full Circle” showcases the group in action. The leader's penchant for intricate compositional form is evident in the setting but not to such a degree that space for solo turns is compromised, with expansive expressions by the leader and Smith III helping to make this elegant effort memorable.
Nothing more than “Union,” a stately ballad Le Boeuf penned for his sister's wedding, is needed to argue for his consummate gifts as musician and composer. While there's certainly a cerebral dimension to his playing, this magnificent performance is all about emotion, and heartrending emotion at that. Memorable too if for different reasons is "Mirrors in Your Eyes,” which both melodically and rhythmically soars, the latter in no small part due to the swinging, Latin-tinged groove the rhythm section gets up to.
Small group interplay is at a high throughout the set, and as graceful as a typical Le Boeuf composition is, it's not without a rough edge or two—consider the emotional outpourings of the saxists in “The Melancholy Architecture of Storms,” for example. Different colours are added to the album during “Imperfect Paradise” when Parks moves to Fender Rhodes and Altura's extended solo brings grit to the performance. In contrast to “Vista Hermosa,” a rousing homage to Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band, “Qoo” opts for elegant, restrained rumination. That Light as a Word was recorded in but a single day at Brooklyn Recording—September 18, 2017, to be precise—testifies to the heightened rapport between the musicians. As if there was any doubt, the recording also shows Le Boeuf's capable of leading with his brother or by himself equally convincingly.March 2020