I put these two reviews together to demonstrate a study in contrasts. Clinical versus organic.
Chromatic harmonica player Gregoire Maret heads this album, with a little help of all stars like Marcus Miller, Take Six, Toots Thieleman, Cassandra Wilson and Jeff “Tain” Watts, among a host of others. The harmonica itself is a weird beast, as like the bassoon, has little in terms of an individual sound, as Maret sounds adroit as far as the note selection goes, but a bit anonymous in terms of tone. Wilson puts some soul into “The Man I Love” and Miller and company makes the “Crepescule Suite” sound like mid era Weather Report. Creative sounds also are emitted on the “Children’s Suite” but a lack of personal sound starts making the disc clinically blend together like a packaged cherry vanilla sundae from your Seven Eleven .
E One Music
www.gregoiremaret.com
Guitarist Stephane Wrembel goes the completely other route, recording this collection of material with a rhythm guitar (Koran Hasanagic), bass (Dave Speranza), percussionist (David Langlois) and drummer (Nick Anderson) through an organic collection of material that mixes the gypsy flair of Django Reinhardt with the Iberian earthiness of Spanish folk. Traditional swing is spiced with experimental effects dashed to perfectionas on “The Voice From The Desert” while the band drives forward with an incessant joy on “Momentum” and “Minuit Aux Batignolles.” Percussion and drums serve as lithe frames to the alluring pickings, strumming and bending of strings by this master of the frets. Look for this one; it’s a doozy!
Water Is Life Records
www.stephanewrembel.com