Emile Parisien: Louise
ACT

A few things about Louise catch the eye immediately, the first that Emile Parisien plays soprano saxophone exclusively and the second that among the originals by the French musician and his bandmates is a cover of Joe Zawinul's “Madagascar,” a tune first heard on Weather Report's Night Passage (1980) and recast by the Zawinul Syndicate on 2008's 75. It's a surprising and inspired choice when so many a jazz artist opts for a standard or classic from the jazz canon when choosing a non-original.

Another key detail catches the eye, and that's the talent Parisien's assembled to accompany him. US bassist Joe Martin and drummer Nasheet Waits power a sextet that augments the leader with French guitarist Manu Codjia, American trumpeter Theo Croker, and Paris-based pianist Roberto Negro; enhancing their contributions, Codjia, Croker, and Negro also contribute tunes. That American-European mix makes for high-energy interaction, with the six fluidly pooling their energies into nine tracks, three of them constituting the leader's multi-part Memento.

For about a decade, Parisien, who's been mentored by Clark Terry, Bobby Hutcherson, Oscar Peterson, and Wynton Marsalis, has been making a name for himself in European jazz circles and on this side of the Atlanta too, that rise attributable in part to his enduring association with the Munich-based ACT Music & Vision label. He's been with the outfit for ten years and issued seven releases as a leader or co-leader during that time, including this one. He's regarded as one of the preeminent voices on the soprano and makes a strong argument on behalf of the instrument, just as Sidney Bechet, Steve Lacy, Wayne Shorter, and, of course, John Coltrane did before him.

Personnel is always critical to a jazz release, and Louise is no exception. Codjia and Negro have played with Parisien in many contexts: the guitarist was one of the first musicians he met upon moving to Paris almost two decades ago, and he's regularly played with Negro as a duo and in other settings. Having met him on tour in 2018, the saxophonist has forged a particularly strong connection with Croker, the grandson of the late trumpeter Doc Cheatham. Whereas Parisien played with Martin in pianist Yaron Herman's quartet, Louise is the first time the saxophonist has worked with Nasheet, though their paths earlier crossed at festivals.

The title track isn't named after a romantic partner but rather sculptor Louise Bourgeois, well-known for her spider work Maman (visible outside The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa). Introducing the release, the piece blossoms from restrained statements by Parisien and Croker into a sultry meditation crowned by a bluesy theme, tasteful solos, and nuanced ensemble interaction. Rather than replicate the Weather Report arrangement of “Madagascar,” Parisien and company more allude to it in their swinging take, with the original's melodies functioning as a springboard for some of the album's most freewheeling playing.

Memento's heavy, dirge-like first part is marked by a scalding solo from Codjia, the experimentally inflected second by an expansive exploration by Negro, and the breathless third by a steamrolling African-influenced pulse. After Negro's dreamy composition “Il giorno della civetta,” Parisien's “Jojo” roars at blistering speed when not delivering Ornette Coleman-styled themes. Diametrically opposed to it is Croker's rubato-executed “Prayer for Peace,” which closes the album on a graceful spiritual note.

February 2022