AVAILABLE NOW: Unreleased Historic Recording: “Barney Wilen Quartet Live in Tokyo ’91” on Elemental Music

A man of many interests and artistic depth, he composed for French filmmakers during the ‘80s & ‘90s–and experimented over the years in forms ranging from rock and punk to musique concrete, African music and the sounds of Grand Prix auto racing–but in the 1990s his own artistic vision primarily returned to the hard bop domain of his earlier years.

Live in Tokyo ‘91 was recorded at the famed Keystone Korner on his second trip to Japan, where he achieved a deep adulation among its audiences during his various trips there during the ‘90s. What better way could there be to understand a musician’s essence than with a live performance in front of a deeply appreciative audience accompanied by totally sympathetic musicians? For this tour, Wilen assembled an outstanding rhythm section of Olivier Hutman on acoustic and electric piano; Gilles Naturel on bass and drummer Peter Gritz – Hutman facile, at ease in all styles, sensitive in support and creative in soloing; Naturel with a solid rhythmic thrust, whether swinging or freer, always maintaining a solid pulse; and Gritz very creative without ever losing the rhythmic body of the piece, deftly fitting into the context of each piece.

The synergy they create with Wilen is splendid, providing a fertile setting for his delightfully exploratory and exciting solos. His playing is clean, precise and fully in control, calling to mind the fluid lyricism of Stan Getz and the richly visceral muscularity of Sonny Rollins. His free jazz experience is evidenced often in his solos as he blends free blowing elements into his hard-driving swing without any disruption of the flow and not even a wisp of affectation–reminiscent of the straight-ahead players in the ‘60s and ‘70s like Joe Henderson who adopted various elements of free jazz into their vernaculars.

From the first few seconds of the opening piece, the tone of the recording is fully apparent–no nonsense, straightforward jazz featuring the swaggering and authoritative sound of a musician in full command of his consummate musical abilities. The live setting allows for extended pieces that give Wilen plenty of room to stretch out on the adventurously intriguing tales that he weaves through his imaginative and colorful expressiveness.

The set boasts carefully curated packaging, with a 20-page booklet peppered with photos taken during the date and with plenty of information about Wilen. Elemental Music reached out to three jazz giants of the French jazz scene–Laurent de Wilde, René Urtreger and Daniel Humair–about both their reminiscences and angles of perspective about the unique persona that was Barney Wilen. Their comments, plus the recollections of Hutman and Naturel, paint a fascinating study of this very special saxophonist and composer; But no better portrait can be displayed than the extraordinary music contained in this set of Barney Wilen at his best: live and spontaneous in front of a deeply appreciative audience. It is both a fitting tribute and a marvelous introduction to a great saxophonist.

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