Fred Frith, Jean-Pierre Drouet, Louis Sclavis

Victo 40th Anniversary Super Sale. An international trio of great improvisers. Frith, Sclavis, and Drouet delivered improvisations with a clear sense of intersecting personal vocabularies. Frith displayed versatility, moving from abstract textures to searing linearity to dulcet, fingerpicked folkish melodiousness. Sclavis responded with lines that built from warm, bubbling melodies to insistent, fiery flurries. Drouet's whistles, bells, and hand drums were an effective complement, creating a flowing open pulse. Their playing displayed a warm, relaxed sensibility. The extended improvisation moved from open, free sections to heated intensity, ending with an intimate interchange of Flamenco-like, dancing guitar patterns, Arabic modal clarinet, and tinkling percussion.

Michael Rosenstein, Cadence, July 2000