E_L_B (ACT)
E_L_B
Released April 1, 2001
All About Jazz The Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969
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About:
Three letters are enough to signify the outstanding trio that was formed in France almost two years ago. ELB stand for Erskine, Lê, Benita _ and anyone who has followed the international jazz scene over the past twenty years will click their tongues at the three names. “There is no boss for us, we are three equal players,” says guitarist Nguyên Lê. Together with drummer Peter Erskine and Michel Benita, the trio plays jazz as if from a single source, which sometimes sounds energetically rocky, sometimes bouncy, relaxed and sometimes incredibly lyrical.
Their interaction is closely interlinked, always a closed unit in which the whole is more important than occasional solo flights of fancy. Perfectly coordinated are Nguyên Lê’s razor-sharp, often slightly Far Eastern tones, the light-handed suppleness of Michel Benita’s bass playing and Peter Erskine’s subtle precision, which can give a pianissimo the power of a volcanic eruption.
The American Peter Erskine (born 1954) became world famous as a member of the group Weather Report at the end of the 1970s, played with musicians such as Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie and the songwriter Joni Mitchell and has performed with his own bands as a A profiled drummer who can also make drums and cymbals whisper.
Guitarist Nguyên Lê, born in Paris in 1959 to Vietnamese parents, achieved his international breakthrough in 1994 at the latest (performing at the Berlin Jazz Festival). With CDs like “Tales from Viet-Nam” and “Purple (Celebrating Jimi Hendrix)” he underlined his reputation as an idiosyncratic world musician.
Bassist Michel Benita, born in Algiers in 1954, has lived in Paris since 1981. His warm, powerful tone has made him a sought-after partner of musicians such as Aldo Romano, Marc Ducret and Martial Solal, but also Lee Konitz and Archie Shepp.
Track Listing:
1. ZigZag (Nguyên Lê) 5:56
2. Autumn Rose (Peter Erskine) 6:39
3. Pong (Nguyên Lê) 4:47
4. Country Boy (Michel Benita) 4:14
5. Now Or Never (Peter Erskine) 3:59
6. Sao Sen (Nguyên Lê) 6:14
7. Pirates (Michel Benita) 3:43
8. Meanwhile (Peter Erskine) 6:33
9. Bee (Nguyên Lê) 5:36
10. Bass Desires (Peter Erskine) 5:17
11. Free At Last (Michel Benita) 5:29
Personnel:
Nguyên Lê: guitar
Michel Benita: bass
Peter Erskine: drums
Recorded October 30 – 31, 2000, at Rainbow Studios, Oslo, Norway
Produced by E_L_B
Recorded and mastered by Jan Erik Kongshaug
Cover Art by Jonathan Lasker
Photography by cf wesenberg
Design by Peter Krüll
Review:
Vietnamese-French guitarist Nguyen Le has had a solid career for more than thirty years, mostly on the German ACT label. He’s played with such jazz notables as Peter Erskine, Terri Lyne Carrington and Art Lande, plus dozens of European musicians. E_L_B stands for Erskine (drums), Le, and [Michael] Benita (bass)—the first of two albums by this guitar trio. The attention-getting thrillers on this album are “ZigZag” and “Pong,” and they may be enough to bring listeners back again and again. “ZigZag” features a snaky guitar solo that just builds and builds, first very subtly and then with more dynamic force and an incredibly strong melody that keeps you in its thrall until the very end, when you may be compelled to play it over and over again. “Pong” boasts a more aggressive rock guitar sound with yet another wonderful, dancing groove.
These two standout groovers put the rest of the program in relief as the remaining songs are gentler, emphasizing subtle beauty. They grow on you over time as Le’s masterful playing takes you on a magical journey. He always manages to find subtle variations in his tone and playing. Erskine and Benita are able partners in this journey; their improvisations are always at the highest level of spontaneity and inventiveness. “Autumn Rose,” an endearing ballad, “Now or Never,” a blues workout, and “Bee,” a languid lament, are standouts. And, as in many of his albums, Le visits his Vietnamese roots in the meditative “Sao Sen.” A welcome surprise, however, is a rare cover of “Bass Desires” from the album of the same name that also featured Erskine with Bill Frisell and John Scofield. E_L_B does them proud. It’s a deeply satisfying, multi-textured album from a true guitar genius.
Robert Middleton (All About Jazz)
