Benjamin Duboc, Alexandra Grimal, le retour d'Ulysse

Synchrony works in unpredictable ways. No sooner have I appreciated soprano-tenor voice Alexandra Grimal on a duet album for Ayler Records (see Gapplegate Music Review article published this month) than she is back again very prominently and nicely, in duet with avant bass-master Benjamin Duboc, on a two-cd set le retour d'Ulysse (Improvising Beings ib32).

This outing has the free jazz element out front, with plenty of space for both players in tandem and in themselves. I've been digging Benjamin Duboc for a while now--and you may note I named his solo album the bass offering of the year last December (see December 2014 listings). Alexandra I am really getting into as well now. The pairing of the two is good for them both and good for us, the listeners.

They give us a full-blown free program with the accent on spontaneous combustion. Both are hearing and playing with close focus and the results are rather magical. It's primo, no bs jazz declamation.

And for that it is exemplary for what a reedwoman and a bassist can do when let loose. Alexandra has arrived. Benjamin sets a place beside himself and they dig in with gusto!

Highly recommended.