Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Olivier Le Goas: Reciprocity

Olivier Le Goas: Reciprocity

By Dan McClenaghan
August 15, 2016
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Matt Cibula, writing for All About Jazz, wondered in his review of French drummer

Olivier Le Goas

drums
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Olivier Le Goas' Gravitation (Altrisuoni, 2007): "Who the heck is Olivier Le Goas...?" indicating perhaps a paucity of information about the leader, even in this day of Internet info overload. Nine years later there still isn't much on-line scoop about the man. So we go with the music.

Gravitation, an all-star quartet affair featuring guitarist

John Abercrombie

guitar
1944 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">John Abercrombie, trumpeter

Ralph Alessi

trumpet
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Ralph Alessi and bassist

Drew Gress

bass
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Drew Gress, had an ECM Records vibe (no surprise, given the players) with a flowing, less that Earth gravity atmosphere and a smooth momentum.

Reciprocity the recording at hand, is also a quartet effort, featuring the marvelous high profile pianist

Kevin Hays

piano
b.1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Kevin Hays, joined bassist

Phil Donkin

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Donkin and guitarist

Nir Felder

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Nir Felder, along with the leader behind the drum kit. The piano/guitar front line weaves a tight rhythm. There are clean unison lines and an inspired trading of solos. Guitarist Felder crafts a resonant, full-bodied sound; pianist Hays has a looser approach, and the collective effect is a modern jazz/precision chamber/ groove-centric music, reminiscent of—with its own distinctive personality—the Pat Metheny Unity Group, minus the electronics and synths and the orchestrion.

In spite of the chamber approach, Le Goas has a distinctive, full-of-surprises, off-kilter drumming style, one that enhances and punctuates with exclamation points the lubricious flow of this unfailingly engaging music.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Corners; Main Street; Since I Know; Curves And Colors; Day Home; Call; Cecile; Evision.

Personnel

Olivier Le Goas

drums

Nir Felder

guitar

Kevin Hays

piano

Phil Donkin

bass

Album information

Title: Reciprocity | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Neuklang Records

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