ALBUM REVIEW - Felix Lemerle's "Blues for the End of Time"

Photo by Yoav Trifman

The concept of “time” is universal, central to our existence, and is a metric that tacitly governs every action. Paradoxically, a scarcity of time creates a sense of impermanence, while an abundance of time is a mirage, an illusion of perpetuity that simply obscures our inevitable fading to oblivion. Seemingly aware of this transience, Duke Ellington wisely noted, “I don’t need time, I need a deadline”, and perhaps the most extreme deadline of all is the conclusion of existence itself. Félix Lemerle’s Blues for the End of Time is an acknowledgement of the many crises that threaten contemporary society (and of Olivier Messiaen's landmark piece “Quatuor pour la fin du temps”) and his own reckoning with the tribulations of life.

As a debut release, Blues for the End of Time not only symbolises the strength of Lemerle’s emergence and voice, but also what can be interpreted as a catharsis - the taming of his “New World Expectations”, and resolution of the opposing forces of “Detachment” and “Attachment”. That is not to say Blues for the End of Time is pervaded by a stasis (nor a sense of finality), but is rather punctuated by an impassioned worldliness that is conflicted by the eternal forces of the human experience.

Lemerle possesses a refined melodic sensibility and complex tone, increasingly rare qualities that are equally faithful to the great lineage of guitarists who have preceded him and to his own depth of expression. As an improviser, he is lithe and articulate, but by no means bound to a gratuitous virtuosity that is all too common now, instead favouring an approach that values honesty and a candour or vulnerability. In addition, Lemerle’s compositions are erudite yet playful, shaped by an intrinsic logic, and serve as compelling vehicles for an outstanding ensemble.

Joined by pianists Bertha Hope and Samuel Lerner, bassist Ari Roland and drummer Jimmy Cobb, Lemerle leads a band of the highest order through a suite of his original compositions (bar two), which are as diverse as they are coherent. The compositions incorporate deliberate melodies, playfully poetic in their construction and reminiscent of Elmo Hope and Herbie Nichols, yet imbued with the angularity and asymmetry of Thelonious Monk. Also of note is Lemerle’s masterful rhythmic cadence, which is articulated through a nuanced interplay of melody and countermelody, taunting and jibing one another as two conflicting energies.

While much of the success of Blues for the End of Time can be attributed to Lemerle’s vision and architecture, it should be made clear he has also chosen the members of his ensemble thoughtfully, and they deliver. The now late Jimmy Cobb’s recent departure from this mortal coil seemed to signal the end of an era, and so thankfully his legacy has been further immortalised through this fine recording. His unrelenting cymbal beat is ubiquitous in jazz, and has been since before Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, and here it serves as the rhythmic backbone of the ensemble. Ari Roland’s bass lines share a depth of feeling with Cobb’s beat, unwavering in their consistency, yet continually defying one’s expectation with a mischievous harmonic sensibility. Hope and Lerner alternate on various tracks (and even within the title track itself), their individual styles juxtaposed, framing each subsequent composition as a Newton’s cradle swings from side to side.

Blues for the End of Time is amusingly in no way a symbol of finality, nor a descent into darkness, but rather is a celebration of a future, pregnant with uncertainty and rich in possibility. Thankfully, Felix Lemerle leads the way with the first instalment of what is sure to be a fruitful career.

FIVE STARS

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Review by Romeo Roquét

Track listing:

All tracks by Félix Lemerle, except where noted.
1. Blues For The End Of Time
2. Dahlka
3. New World Expectations
4. Detachment
5. Rise ‘n’ Shine (Vincent Youmans)
6. Fixation
7. Dismissed (Samuel Lerner)
8. Attachment
9. Pacha Chéri
10. The Grind

Félix Lemerle (guitar): tracks 1 through 10
Bertha Hope (piano): tracks 1 (second solo), 2,5,6,8,9
Samuel Lerner (piano): tracks 1 (first solo), 3,4,7,10
Ari Roland (double bass): tracks 1 through 10
Jimmy Cobb (drums): tracks 1 through 10