02/02/2012
Wipidoup/Kailh a gorrion/Bemol Productions/2012
Personnel:
- RégisHuiban: accordeon chromatique, accordina
- Pierrick Tardivel: contrebass
- Gildas La Buhe : saxophone, vocals
- Philippe Gloaguen: guitar
“In its new opus, Wipidoup is devoted explicitly to the transmission. From the first call to the dance to the final call to sleep, children both young and old are taken by the hand to discover the melodious richness of musical instruments and the poetic delirium of the impassioned Breton voice.”
Kailh a gorrion, the eagerly anticipated third release from the dark, jazzy Fest Noz group Wipidoup (which means double poison in Breton) has finally come out from Bemol Productions. Wipidoup’s lineup retains the hugely talented chromatic accordionist RégisHuiban (Kof ha Kof, Tan Ba’n Ti, Skolvan), upright bassist Pierrick Tardivel (Darhaou, Dibenn, Bill Ebet, Kej), vocalist and woodwind player Gildas La Buhe (Termajik, Bill Ebet) and guitarist Philippe Gloaguen (Kej, Tan Ba’n Ti, RégisHuiban Quartet ). Kailh a gorrion demonstrates a further refinement and evolution of their signature sound. It is is a richly imagined storybook; quite literally in the gorgeous and extensive book contained in the packaging, and in the cycle of tunes and musical stories that make up the recording. While definitely not a straightforward work of dance music as were their previous efforts, it is wildly imaginative, gorgeous, complex, and dare I say, magical. La Buhe’s spoken word pieces, previously confined to brief opening statements, have here expanded to full tales or ‘contes’ with musical accompaniment and are powerfully evocative.
Wipidoup takes to a pleasant extreme a quality present in much good Breton music – dark, sinuous minor key melodies and a tonally and harmonically rich, trancelike presentation – an aesthetic made even more explicit with the use of suggestive titles such as L’Opium du danseur, their first recording. Kailh a gorrion is no different. Huiban and Tardivel continue to exhibit the jazz-inflected, rhythmic and harmonic perfection that is the foundation of this band’s sound. Gloaguen, who has already played with these two in earlier groups, adds a significant amount of depth and interest. As a quartet, the instrumental depth behind La Buhe’s vocals elevates the group’s efforts - this is a great recording; classy, seductive, beautifully arranged, subtly produced and with charming and clever storybook graphics continuing the all-too-appropriate theme of puppets who are slaves to the dance.
- Fañch
