Jean-Luc Guionnet – L’ EPAISSEUR DE L’ AIR LIVE (Potlatch, 2025)

By Fotis Nikolakopoulos

If writing about a solo recording, of any kind of instrumentation, is a difficult task, one can imagine the difficulties that exist in creating solo music. Talking about the former, writing about it, always revolves around the fear that you might not get, understand, realize or whatever, what the artist has in mind. The former seems to me much more frightening: the artist must overcome any kind of fear, present the music as it is without the safety the other contributors always offer. It is the artists’ bare truth alone.

Jean-Luc Guionnet never seemed to have second thoughts about going into unknown territories. To be honest here, he seems fearless. Starting as s free jazz saxophonist, he quickly stepped into the shaky ground of free improvisation. But not only that, he has been, for some years now, experimenting outside his respected instrument, the saxophone, building a trajectory of sounds that are as free as possible.

Here, on this live recording, he uses his alto saxophone as a medium of exploration. Ok, I understand that the former sentence could sound like one of those “heavy” descriptions when talking about experimental music. Quite often stale, sterile sounds are hidden behind descriptions as such. But, this is not the case. On both tracks, that are live recordings from 2023 and 2024, Guionnet seems to enjoy his struggle…Because it is a struggle, an exploration of physical endurance. The first track last 36 long minutes making it clear to the listener that he is in there to exhaust himself, leave him breathless at the end while building sounds that are personal and full of emotions.

In addition, made clearer at the second track I believe, he is looking for a way to explore the dynamics of the room, where space, air and his grasp of the instrument combine into frenzied attempts. As a listener you have the notion that you, with your ears, are checking out this space, listening on how the sounds come to you from different angles.

Solo saxophone recordings have always been a field of very interesting experimentation by a number of artists. Some of them have made it clear that there are no boundaries for the capabilities of the saxophone. Along with the willingness of its creator to do so, this cd is one of them.

Check here: http://potlatch.fr/

@koultouranafigo