JACQUES COURSIL — Minimal Brass (review)

JACQUES COURSIL — Minimal Brass album cover Album · 2005 · Jazz Related Improv/Composition Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
French trumpeter Jacques Coursil is known by his two great free jazz albums, released on French BYG label in 1969-70(with such collaborators as Anthony Braxton and pianist Burton Greene among others). Classically trained in Paris, he left for New York in late 60s to become a part of American free jazz scene.Later he left active music for studying literature and mathematics ans than worked as University lecturer in France and Martinique for decades. In his early years in New York where he needed to work as French language teacher to receive a visa,young John Zorn was his pupil and even visited his concerts.

Thirty-five years later Zorn offered to Coursil to record an album, first from 1970. Jacques,who never really left music,surprisingly enough suggested to record solo trumpet music. "Minimal Brass", released in 2005 is a result of this project.

Three compositions lasting less than 35 minutes, just trumpet (with some overdubs), and it doesn't sound like angry free jazz improvs from 70s. Coursil uses circular breathing and plays lot of tunes without playing melodies.Music is quite lyrical,warm and minimalist, obviously influenced by Terry Riley works. There is no rhythm or organized structure,just circles of quite beautiful trumpet sound.It starts nowhere and goes to nowhere but differently from many ambient music recordings it has life and mind. Being short,this album doesn't last too long to become repetitive or boring.

After the release of "Minimal Brass" Coursil returned to more intense musical activities releasing an album every few years (non of them contain music,similar to this though).
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