Hubbub, the quintet of French improvisers Frédéric Blondy (piano), Bertrand Denzler (tenor sax), Jean-Luc Guionnet (alto sax), Jean-Sébastien Mariage (guitar), and Edward Peraud (percussion), is an ongoing collaboration that convenes sparingly but purposefully. Since their first recordings on renowned labels For4Ears (Ub/Abu) and Matchless (Hoop Whoop)—the latter one of the finest examples of ensemble free music—they’ve released just five full-length documents with the same lineup, each one capturing the absolute best they have to offer in that phase of their evolution. abb abb abb follows 2019’s Poitiers and continues its forays into moody, slow-paced soundscaping. Throughout these two extended sessions, the five musicians paint in precise strokes with brushes wide and narrow. Mariage especially makes use of the full textural range of the electric guitar, his tremolo rattle and droning decay skirting along the fringes of the action before taking over with pensive full tones. The nearly forty-minute “abb” is largely drone-based, a structure given body by Peraud’s extended techniques, each of his scrapes and swipes carefully attuned to the resonance of the kit’s various pieces. This track shares a lot of DNA with the contemporary Norwegian ensembles I love most, particularly No Spaghetti Edition and its offshoots; 2020s Hubbub would sound right at home on Sofa’s roster. “abb abb” is a more active, not nearly as skittery as the group’s early explorations but still a feast of delicious dissonance. The sax interplay is a highlight here, as are Blondy’s ivories toward the end, a captivating final stretch that concludes with a perfectly timed percussion knell.
Noise Not Music 