Reviewed by Matt Cole
Eclectic cellist Helen Gillet came to the attention of DooBeeDooBeeDoo when she joined SoSaLa onstage on electric cello in New Orleans a few months ago. While the music is certainly not the same as the free jazz-Iranian-smorgasbord of SoSaLa, it certainly measures up in terms of musicianship and creativity. We have here two recent CDs of hers to review.
Artist: Helen Gillet
Title: Running of the Bell
Label: self released
Genre: jazz/contemporary music/improvised music
The first one I listened to was her trio CD Running of the Bells, on which she is joined by Doug Garrison on drums and percussion, and Tim Green on tenor sax, conn o sax, and occasional percussion. While the CD might wind up being filed in the jazz (and in particular ‘free jazz’) section of a record store due to the overall sound and strong group improvisations to be found within, there’s definitely more than jazz on this album. The opening track “Waking Milo” begins with solo cello arpeggios, almost reminiscent of Bach’s solo cello suites, before the percussion and then tenor sax join in, adding to what becomes a somewhat dissonant conversation. The second track, “Lilly,” starts with a bluesy, smoky, back alley film noir saxophone sound, with answering brushed drums, before joined by pizzicato strings. There are very free moments, such as “Flemish,” with its 3-way conversation which includes some incredible use of cello overtones, and yet the very next track (“Red”) draws on the sounds of metal and funk. Celtic sounds (“Talk to Ruff,” “Tourdion”) also make appearances, and after all the different influences; and at one point Green’s sax playing reminded me of Jessica Lurie (“Gulmar”). The CD ends on an almost avant classical vibe with “Hillcrest Python.” All three musicians are outstanding, but the best part of the CD is the way that they interact together; always listening and conversing, but never totally dominating the conversation, even when one is taking the lead. Even when playing in totally free space, the music is always going somewhere, not noodling for the sake of noodling, and the musicians are always making something together, not playing past or over each other. This is a very challenging CD to be sure, but very rewarding for those who like eclectic improvisations that have a lot of substance.
Artist: Helen Gillet
Title: Helen Gillet
Label: self released
Genre: avant pop
The other CD is self-titled (Helen Gillet), and all the sounds are made by Ms. Gillet; mostly on cello (with lots of loops and effects), but also piano, cassette player, and voice. This CD could possibly be classified as the work of a singer-songwriter, but is definitely not the usual straightforward song-and-guitar-or-piano type. Ms. Gillet makes wide use of her sonic palette, whether coaxing rich overtones, lyrical arco lines, or ethereal pizzicato sounds from her cello, and combines these various sounds in multiple, mutually supporting layers (which she brings in and out to good effect, for example on “Atchafalaya”), and always in support of the song. Her vocals are up to the task, also, whether singing Celtic-sounding songs in English (the above-mentioned “Atchafalaya”), a Hungarian folk song (“Hidegen Fujnok a Selek”), poignant songs in French (“Julien,” “De Memoire De Rose”), or using her voice almost as a percussion instrument (“Run”). Ms. Gillet wrote all but two of the songs on the album, and it is clear that her songwriting skills match her excellent playing. Like Running of the Bells, this is a challenging CD if one is not used to extended techniques, but also like the aforementioned CD, the various techniques are not used for their own sake, but in service of the music. It is to be hoped that Ms. Gillet has a long and productive career, for her musical gifts are considerable, and her ear is as good as any one’s.
