MICHAEL ATTIAS’ RENKU
Michael Attias-alto saxophone, John Hebert-bass, Satoshi Takeishi-drums
Renku is a Japanese form of verse in which several poets continually add one stanza after the other following strict rules as well as the name of the working trio of New York based saxophonist/composer Michaël Attias, known for his collaborations with Anthony Braxton. Attias’ background – born in Haifa of Moroccan parents, raised in Paris and the American Midwest- can all be heard in his music ‘A distinctive mixture of sweet-and-sour lyricism and off-kilter stomp, meticulously dispersed rhythms, like a hip-hop-inflected version of Braxton’s pulse-track structures: they don’t merely subdivide the beat, they pounce on it.’ (Coda). ‘Muy hip, a truly interactive trio – with some quirky things worked out rhythmically.’ (Cadence).