Noël Akchoté - Just Gone (The Music Of King Oliver's 1923 Creole Jazz Band), (For Guitar)
Bandcamp, 2024
French guitarist Noël Akchoté goes on specific musical “Tears” from time to time. He has spent much time studying Plainsong and its transition into polyphony. He has delved deep into the Baroque and Classical repertoires and the late Romantic and Modern flavors. The guitarist’s two holiday offerings, Jingle All The Way (Bandcamp, 2015) and Santa Ina Bubba (Bandcamp, 2015), maybe the two most brilliant postmodern mistreatments of the seasonal fare available.
There have been some recent jazz recordings showing up. Recently, Akchoté released the beautifully fractured Inside C.C. (Charlie Christian At Half-Speed), (For Guitar) (Bandcamp, 2024) and followed that with the equally fragmentary and revealing Books Of Bix – (Beiderbecke Cornet Solos, In The Text), (For Guitar) (Bandcamp, 2024). Staying in that same orbit, the guitarist turns his attention to Joe “King” Oliver and his 1923 Creole Jazz Band, featuring 22-year-old Louis Armstrong.
This release mirrors, but also expands, Akchoté’s method on Books Of Bix, where the longer pieces hold together as integrated performances and the shorter fragments are vignettes, the soundtrack to silent films. The guitarist balances between postmodern deconstruction (“Just Gone”) and sepia-toned nostalgia (“Dipper Mouth Blues”). Akchoté may always be counted on to perform provocatively, raising ire as much as praise from listeners. His appeal is broadened because of this.