Jean-Marc Foussat / Guy-Frank Pellerin / Eugenio Sanna
Escale
FRANCE FOU RECORDS FR-CD 59 (2024)
Improv recordings from 7 July 2023 – our Algerian friend Foussat joined by the French saxophonist Pellerin and the Italian guitarist Sanna, whose inventive work we heard many years ago on the cassette La Porta Stretta.
Although these performances are quite restrained and respectful, we can hear traces of Sanna’s strange textures on ‘Touche’, approaching the kind of non-conventional semi-noise outbursts which we heard on the 2015 tape. He also plays “cellophane”, hopefully by crunching it up in his hands near a microphone. For me, the quartet start to spark to life on Track 03 ‘Sourire’, and listeners who enjoy Parker-Bailey sax-gtr duets of the 1980s (duets that eventually became battles, some might say) will enjoy this timely update on what could be regarded as a “classic” improvisation set-up. Except the eerie, discontented Synthi AKS murmurings from Foussat do much to disrupt normality. At times he is almost compelled to act like the large bass drum of Edwin Prevost, except he does it all through his mechanical engine breathing in growls.
Once again Sanna’s acidic interjections are the most impressive element for me, but I sense he’s holding back 75% of his true powers in this situation. Rare are the moments, it seems, when all three instruments are able to sound at the same time; in between are lots of mysterious gaps of coldness and frowning countenances. One of several improvised music items received in April from this label. (30/04/2024)