Progressor
Olav Bjornsen
May 4, 2013

Prolusion. Jean LAPOUGE and Christian PABOEUF have a common past in the French band Noetra. In fact, their collaboration was an ongoing one, when Noetra disbanded in 1985 the twosome kept going as a duo for a while. It was in this period that the material for this album was recorded, although it would take more than 20 years before these compositions made it to the CD "Atlas", released through Musea Records’ sublabel Great Winds in 2010.
Analysis. A couple of details about this disc at first. Audiophiles will notice one detrimental feature right away, namely tape hiss. Whatever the quality of the storage device these compositions were captured on, it wasn't able to remove this slightly annoying feature. Perhaps not the biggest issue around, but an important little detail for some, and it also makes it a tad harder to try to uncover the instrumentation used. I could have sworn I heard a bass guitar and the occasional keyboard or vibraphone detail before this disc came to a close, but due to the tape hiss it was impossible to truly tell if these were present items, excluded from the album credits or merely instrument details provided by the credited instruments performed in a subtly unusual manner. With that slightly sour grape out of the way, I'll have to admit that the music on this disc is by and large of an alien nature to me. We're way into the jazz realm on this occasion, perhaps with a subtle jazz rock detail to it but with a distinct focus on the former part of that description even so. This is jazz, but probably not what one might describe as a traditional variety of it. Jazz fans will arrest me easily on that statement if it is faulty presumably, but to my ears and mind we're dealing with a production just a tad outside of mainstream, traditional jazz here. The star of the show, to my ears admittedly, is the guitar. Lapouge showcases a masterful skill of using guitar resonances to craft gentle, delightful atmospheres, more often than not of a melancholic, mournful nature. For variation as well as reflection, we're treated to a fair share of subtle alterations in pace and intensity, documenting quite nicely and to intriguing effect just how much even a slight alteration in any of these details can alter the mood of a song or a sequence. Add in some delightful solo passages and the occasional dramatic effect, and the end result for this part of the proceedings is sure to fascinate guitarists and the guitar interested alike. Supplementing and contrasting Lapouge's guitar, Paboeuf uses oboe first and foremost, both in mood and harmony with the guitars, as well as used as a more starkly contrasting feature, playfully soloing on top a gentle melancholic guitar motif or adding a harsher, raw texture to an otherwise gentle mood. Occasional features of the recorder, percussion and voice effects expand the canvas and further add variation and mood enhancers to the proceedings, but it's the guitar and oboe that are the main features and the former of these most of all. Most of these compositions are fairly similar in nature, although a few pieces do head out into somewhat different territories: PF with more frequent use of percussion details, voice effects and recorder, Solo as the standalone guitar piece and tilte track Atlas, a masterful exploration of drawn out guitar resonances.
Conclusion. Lapouge and Paboeuf's CD "Atlas" is a fascinating journey for those who like their jazz mellow and careful, and in particular for those fond of the guitar in general and careful use of guitar resonances in particular. If you enjoy jazz of a gentle melancholic nature and in addition find the guitar and oboe combination to be a fascinating one this is a CD that merits an inspection. It's as simple as that.

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Dutch Progressive Rock Page
John O’Boyle


Duo Jean Lapouge (guitar) and Christian Pabœuf (bass, oboe, recorders and voice) have finally seen their beautiful album Atlas being released. The first time I came across these guys was with Noëtra Live 83 which received a healthy 8 out of 10. Musically, Atlas doesn’t move in the same circles as Noëtra, it takes a more serene and peaceful approach, which doesn’t make it any less of an album, it just confirms how adept, in tune and at ease these guys are with each other.
Here we are offered eight beautiful and emotional jazz pieces that tonally call to mind Pat Metheny and the French guitarist Jean-Pascal Boffo. Lapouge has definitely managed not to drop into the homage arena, cleverly keeping his own unique imprint stamped on his creations. The whole feel is just perfectly married with the laid back tones that complement each other, Lapouge’s acoustic and electric arpeggios interact perfectly whilst the addition of Pabœuf’s oboe and recorder work and some slight inclusions of percussions just put the icing on the cake. You can tell that these two guys that have been played together for a long time, (approximately thirty five years), in varying forms, this is something that is conveyed in the music.
The first thing that struck me about the album was the whole production value; it is second to none, crystal clear, precise and elegant, which is quite fitting, humbling to some degree, allowing you to hear every nuance. This is obviously where these two gentlemen are most at ease. There is no distraction from other instrumentation or band members which has allowed them to focus on the job ahead. The have breathed life into their music, a life that has been allowed to mature, being given a voice, a voice that needs to be heard.
Tourbillon the opening piece which really emulates its name, spinning and rotating, turbulent but fluidic, spiralling interactions between Lapouge and Pabœuf. A musical movement that is moody, almost conversational, Lapouge being lead by Pabœuf, creating atmospherics which chop and change, finding that perfect balance of harmony as the two weave in and out of each other. Delta flows beautifully, peacefully and calmly viewing the world around, absorbing the whole ambiance, the tone of the guitar work here I think more than at any other part of the album emanates that Metheny sentiment, one that just builds musical imagery. Marécage features some very interesting guitar work that has been manipulated. It is an instrumental piece that brings Lapouge into his own, excited melodic interactions built around some very effective bass intonation, which allows the whole piece to ebb and flow.
Gothique has a darker structure than that of the Marécage, which at times has a sense of urgency about it, punctuated interjection, the meter and timber working in collusion, arrogantly stating their points, yet retaining an air of majestic semblance.
P.F’s approach is rather interesting to say the least, Pabœuf’s interaction both wind and percussive, masters the whole soundstage. Lapouge’s guitar tones meander, subservient at times, venturing into a less jazz orientated phrasing, but never travelling to far astray. It’s the dynamics that are presented here that make this so interesting. Sombre again see the music meanderings emulating the title in some form, it may be dark in approach but it is never dull, the musical shading may not be the brightest, but be under no illusion, this has quality written right through it, stunning interactions that are so complimentary, giving the impression that one can’t exist without the other. The guitar playing in Solo is inspiring, its structures and passages undulate and caress the listeners ears. The sound is captivating and mesmerising at the same time, allowing the notes to flow, their subtle differences and distinction in expression adding to the whole effect. Atlas the longest piece and album closer does not disappoint, it is a collection of musical phrasings, an emotionally journey that for me is a statement of intent of what Lapouge and Pabœuf are about. It’s just a beautiful atmospheric map of their musical prowess; the energy of the piece creates its own momentum that just carries it, proving that you don’t have to be flash to produce quality.
Jean Lapouge and Christian Pabœuf have produced a rather excellent and stunning album, which is full of atmospheric and quality music that may have originally been recorded in 1987. Even today the quality of what is presented here has lost none of its impact, being as relevant today as it was then. This is definitely one to consider adding to your collection.
Conclusion: 8 out of 10



Jazz Hot
Serge Baudot
4 juin 2011

Voici un duo très plaisant mais dont la musique a tout de même un rapport assez lointain avec le jazz. Pas facile de faire swinguer des flûtes à bec, encore plus difficile avec un hautbois. Certes le guitariste a un phrasé jazz, mais au service d’une autre musique, la leur. En accompagnement il procède souvent par accords tenus avec réverbération, ou par nappes, ce qui donne un petit côté orgue fort plaisant. Il y a de belles mélodies, telle "P.F.". C’est une musique d’aujourd’hui avec des instruments anciens, pour un beau duo.


Monsieur Délire
18 08 2010

Quelque quatre ans après la séparation de Noëtra, les deux figures de proue de ce groupe, soit le guitariste - compositeur Jean Lapouge et l’hautboïste/flûtiste Christian Paboeuf ont enregistré un dernier disque. Cette mouture 1987 tend plus que jamais vers un son ECM, mais l’écriture de Lapouge demeure aussi posée et distinctive. Et le hautbois est merveilleusement utilisé comme instrument principal.
Pour les amateurs de RIO acoustique, de jazz nordique, de musique contemporaine néo - mélodique. Beau.

Four years or so after Noëtra’s break-up, the band’s two main figures - guitarist/composer Jean Lapouge and oboe/flute player Christian Paboeuf – recorded one final album. This 1987 vintage gets closer than ever to the ECM sound, though Lapouge’s writing remains as assured and singular as ever. And the oboe is marvelously showcased as the lead melodic instrument. For fans of acoustic RIO, Nordic jazz, and neo-melodic contemporary music. Beautiful.


Big Bang
Aymeric Leroy

Quelques mots pour finir sur Atlas, bande datant de 1987 et témoignage, donc, de la continuation post-Noëtra du partenariat entre Jean Lapouge et Christian Pabœuf (sous le nom de Contrejour, qui n'est toutefois pas utilisé ici). Les huit pièces proposées ici présentent des durées homogènes (entre 6 et 8 minutes), détail révélateur dans la mesure où le concept musical s'est fait, lui aussi, plus répétitif, se conformant davantage au schéma jazz d'un thème joué en introduction et en conclusion, avec entre les deux des développements, qui heureusement prennent rarement la forme rébarbative d'une "impro sur grille" convenue. L'instrumentation, le son et le jeu des deux musiciens et l'écriture harmonique et mélodique de Lapouge suffisent à eux seuls à convoquer l'atmosphère caractéristique de Noëtra dans son versant le plus intimiste (le thème sublime de "Delta" par exemple, morceau dans lequel le guitariste s'autorise en outre, par la magie du re-recording, un chorus au lyrisme pudique), mais d'autres passages s'en éloignent résolument (le début de "P.F.", dans lequel Pabœuf officie aux percussions et à la flûte à bec, ou les deux pièces interprétées par Lapouge seul, ou presque, "Solo" - en réalité un duo avec lui-même - et "Marécage", dont l'étrangeté ambiguë flirte de très près avec le silence).
Au total, un document qui s'impose comme un complément naturel à la trilogie Noëtra (dont les deux premiers volumes, notons-le, viennent d'être réédités avec un packaging plus soigné).


Wayside Music

Nice to see these later solo works by the leader of the great chamber-rock/ECM-styled band Noetra appear. This is a duo between guitarist Lapouge and Christian Paboeuf on oboe, flutes and percussion. This album, which was recorded in 1987, but never before released, consists of compositions from 1977-1987. Since Paboeuf's oboe and Lapogue's guitar were two constants in Noetra, even though this is very stripped down, it's like very intimate, serene and refined duo reductions of Noetra and it has still their sound.

waysidemusic.com/Music-Products/Lapouge-JeanChristian-Paboeuf-Atlas