Silk and Salt Melodies

Leading French clarinettist-composer-improviser Louis Sclavis continues his musical adventures with Gilles Coronado and Benjamin Moussay, who contributed creatively to his Atlas Trio album Sources released by ECM in 2011. But on Silk and Salt Melodies the addition of Iranian classical percussionist Kevyan Chemirani, master of the zarb, has brought a new dimension to their world of sound.

Sclavis' discography includes a number of themed projects, including powerful tributes to Rameau, painter and collage-maker Ernest Pignon-Ernest, silent filmmaker Charles Vanel and more, but with the current ensemble he has allowed himself to be guided primarily by the musical dispositions of his players to create templates for new composition. This particular combination of players clearly fires his imagination.

Adventurous contemporary music, says Sclavis, can be broad enough to embrace different but complementary traditions. "Silk and Salt indicates my desire for this work to take an imaginary, nomadic, Central Asian route, but also to address the idea of emigration in world history. In this case: journeying away from and back to jazz." Traveling melodies and rhythms predominate. The changing contexts inspire some of Sclavis's finest clarinet playing, captured by producer Manfred Eicher in this recording, made in Studio La Buissonne, near Avignon, in March 2014.

Silk and Salt Melodies is Louis Sclavis's tenth ECM album, following on from Rouge (recorded 1991), Acoustic Quartet (1993), Les violences de Rameau (1995/6), L'affrontement des prétendants (1999), Dans la nuit (2000), Napoli's Walls (2002), L'imparfait des langues (2005), Lost on the Way (2008), and Sources (2011).

Personnel: Louis Sclavis (clarinet), Gilles Coronado (guitar), Benjamin Moussay (piano, keyboard), Keyvan Chemirani (percussion)