Le Boeuf Brothers to Release 'HUSH' in April

While apart, saxophonist Remy Le Boeuf and pianist Pascal Le Boeuf have made their respective marks as leading-edge, Grammy-nominated artists. But together, channeling a distinctive twin-sibling synergy, they've forged one of the most exciting partnerships in jazz. Taking the next creative step forward as one, the Le Boeuf Brothers deliver the quietly compelling HUSH.

The seeds for this project were first planted in 2017. Discussing Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, they came to agree that its ability to conjure and hold a specific atmosphere was one of its chief innovations. "I remember listening to an NPR segment on Kind of Blue," shared Pascal, "and drummer Jimmy Cobb said 'It's relaxing and it's not hard...so people got a feeling from that record.' In the same segment, Steve Lacy said something about how it was cool because it wasn't 'startling' but 'subtle.'"

Pulling this concept into the present, the Le Boeuf Brothers imagined their own contemplative space as a counterweight to our streaming society's algorithm-fueled push for excitement. "We wanted to create an emotional landscape that people could sit within to feel good," Remy explains. Keeping that in mind, they settled on a fitting technical approach-performing into close microphones at an extremely low volume.

"When you get exceptionally close to a microphone and perform very quietly, low and high frequencies are exaggerated. So you really get this warm intimacy like a whisper," notes Pascal. "I think if you're improvising and communicating with the band in hushed tones, you come up with different ideas," explains Remy. "It was a refreshing challenge."

Receiving key assistance from engineer Andy Taub, the Le Boeuf Brothers turned that thought into a reality. And working with first-class musicians and longtime friends-tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Christian Euman-they produced a brilliant work of calm purpose.

Opening on Pascal's "Arrivals," the saxophones draw back the curtain with gentle, two-note gestures. It's the first of several of the pianist's Meredith Monk-inspired compositions on the album. His "Wedding Planning" follows. Presenting with anticipatory energy, it reflects the excitement surrounding each brother's recent nuptials. Remy's "Vignette No. 25" comes next, offering swift motivic movement across the horn.

Having initially authored two books of 12 vignettes for solo saxophone, he wrote this extra one specifically for the recording. The positioning of those first three numbers speaks volumes about the nature of HUSH: Each brother's voice rings true while familial bonds sit at the center of it all.

As the rest of the album unfolds, the Le Boeuf Brothers continue to integrate artistic and personal elements. Pascal's pen explores the potential of fourths in "Waiting Room," deals in subtle complexities and penta-play on "Apollo," superimposes fast-moving textures against slow development on "Revolving Doors," and breaks down a single chord in stunning fashion on "Departures."

Remy offers dark-laced desire in "Vignette No. 18," a rub in seconds on "State of Conflict," and a metaphor for universal emotions during the COVID-19 crisis through "Please Scream Inside Your Heart." And both connect to house and home: "Susie Song" is given in tribute to their late aunt and the lulling "Gaia" is for their three-year-old niece.

The entire body of work provides glimpses into Remy and Pascal's separate yet sympathetic pursuits. Yet it's what unites them-the joys of family and the increasingly rare opportunities to come together-that serves as the album's sub-theme. "Because we spent the last several years focusing on separate projects-I got deep into writing for jazz orchestra, Pascal went to Princeton for a PhD in composition and explored electronic production-we have new perspectives to share with each other," notes Remy.

"We both just took academic jobs, each of us got married, and I just became a father, so it's harder for us to casually get together," Pascal adds. "Making music has become a reason for us to see each other. We didn't even realize it at first, but that's really what this record is all about-those aspects of family, togetherness and reunion."

To post a comment, you must register and login.