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Bertrand Denzler / Antonin Gerbal: Sbatax

By Mark Corroto
October 2, 2020
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Bertrand Denzler / Antonin Gerbal: Sbatax

With six and one-half minutes remaining in this single thirty-eight minute live tenor saxophone/drums recording, an audience member at a club in Berlin begins howling. Listeners to this recording will probably be saying to themselves, "where have you been? I've been shouting encouragement since I pressed play!" It's that kind of record.

The two Parisians, tenor saxophonist

Bertrand Denzler

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Bertrand Denzler and drummer

Antonin Gerbal

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonin Gerbal work regularly in Zoor with guitarist Jean-S��bastien Mariage, and as a pair released Le Ring (Confront, 2016) with

Axel Dorner

trumpet
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Axel Dorner. Sbatax finds the duo in sharp contrast with their very quiet, almost minimalist duo session Heretofore (Umlaut Records, 2015).

From the first snare drum strike, they take no prisoners �� la

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane and

Rashied Ali

drums
1935 - 2009

" data-original-title="" title="">Rashied Ali, and for the entire album they go toe-to-toe as if this were a tag team wrestling match. Gerbal is in constant motion here, more

Hamid Drake

drums
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Hamid Drake than Ali, and more

Billy Higgins

drums
1936 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Higgins than

Sunny Murray

drums
1937 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Sunny Murray. His performance is the accelerant for Denzler's tenor exploits, who drops whole notes then pushes his horn to the brink, working the edges of overblown intensity. It is not until the halfway point that Denzler pauses for the drum solo. Which of course is not a solo at all, but a continuation of Gerbal's attack. As the pair drive on to the conclusion (and the shouting patrons) the musicians, and by now the listeners, must wring the water out of their sweat-soaked garments.

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Track Listing

Sbatax

Personnel

Bertrand Denzler

saxophone

Antonin Gerbal

drums

Album information

Title: Sbatax | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Umlaut Records

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