Henri Roger
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FIRST NAME : Henri
NAME : Roger
STYLE : Avant-Garde Jazz Improvised Music

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    • PsyTechConnectors. : Henri Roger
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    • "Transplutonian O Noise" + "Near a Lake" + "Stadium Choir Adagio" : Henri Roger
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    • Géographies des transitoires : Jean-Marc Foussat and Henri Roger
    • Speed : Noël Akchoté and Henri Roger
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    • Siderrances : : Noël Akchoté and Henri Roger
    • Sunbathing Underwater : Henri Roger piano solo
    • Parce Que ! : Eric-Maria Couturier, Emmanuelle Somer, Henri Roger, Bruno Tocanne
    • Parole Plongée : : Benjamin Duboc, Didier Lasserre, Henri Roger
    • No Meat Inside. : François Cotinaud, Barre Phillips, Henri Roger, Emmanuelle Somer
    • When Bip Bip Sleeps : The Sérieuse Cartoon Improvised Music Quartet
      • All About Jazz review by Eyal Hareuveni. July 2013
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      • The SéRieuse Cartoon Improvised Music Quartet

      All About Jazz review by Eyal Hareuveni. July 2013

      Extended Analysis

      By EYAL HAREUVENI, Published : July 21, 2013

      How can a free improvised setting, a typical serious musical happening, serious-as-your-life, almost by definition, blend with music associated with fun, such as cartoons soundtracks ? Quite naturally if open-minded musicians participate in such happening, ones who disregard such artificial distinctions and like to blur outdated conventions.

      French self-taught guitarist and pianist Henri Roger thought about such a mixed happening. He asked vocal artist Emilie Lesbros, cello master Eric Maria Couturier, solo cellist for the noted Ensmble InterContemporain that was founded by iconoclastic composer Pierre Boulez, and acclaimed jazz drummer Bruno Tocanne—now all named as The SéRieuse Cartoon Improvised Music Quartet—to join him for a free improvised session that references the work of American composer Scott Bradley. Bradley wrote music for many beloved cartoons series such as Tom and Jerry and Tex Avery, but he was also known for introducing for what he defined as "funny musdic"—exceptional compositional devices as the twelve-tones concept of composer Arnold Schoenberg, as well as ideas from other modern composers as [Béla Bartók and [Paul Hindemith.

      With such influential references it is clear that humor, playfulness and game-like interactions will characterize this happening. But this happening—presented on a vinyl with accompanying disc—is so successful simply because these four musicians regard their humor with utmost seriousness. There are healthy doses of invented sounds, a sense of adventure and taking risks, a unique sense of timing and reflection, as well as a stubborn attempt to frame the immediate interplay in a broad picture. A much bigger, maybe updated and futuristic picture, that on one side references the work of Bradley with irreverent perspective but on the other side refuses completely to root itself in any genre or style, or to attach itself to any articulation.

      The ideas are flowing and accumulated, juggled between all four members, toyed for brief seconds and abandoned for newer, shinier ones. Often the busy and noisy musical conversations sound as paying tributes to Butch Morris or early compositional devices of John Zorn. But these conversations sound more as wandering in a long and winding labyrinth of mirrors. The scope of ideas and its immediate exchange, elaboration and fast shaping into other extraterritorial forms of sonic textures save this meeting from falling into any musical clichés.

      The interaction on improvisation on "Don’t Talk To Me Like That" acknowledges its roots in the dynamic plot of a cartoon series, but does not obey the form of this genre. There are too many detours into sonic alleys, the process of tension building is mocked, the leading players as portrayed by the musicians sound as untamed, ill-mannered players who succumbed joyfully to a deep and colorful psychedelic trip, busy inventing new, proactive forms of expression and to get lost in this tasking process.

      There are glimpses of free jazz interactions, mainly when drummer Toccane takes a leading role, as on "Are you Happy ?," but most of the time he prefers to color the dense conversations. Vocalist Lesbro’s invented language and the virtuous cello playing of Couturier with the invented sound universes of Roger push these wild conversations to different poles. Only on "At The Circus" the busy interplay slows down and this improvisation may sound as part of extreme cinematic adventure, still nuanced and inventive, but with more room for narrative progression.

      A wild and highly engaging ride.

      The SéRieuse Cartoon Improvised Music Quartet

      Looking for a "SeRieuse music".

      Scott Bradley is an American composer of music for cartoons (Tex Avery) who used the concepts of Arnold Shoenberg in his compositions of "funny music" as he defined it himself.

      Contemporary music, usually serious, mixed with music where humor is the main subject gives a special interest in listening to these compositions without watching cartoons.

      I proposed to a group of improvisers to listen separately to
      a selection of six themes of Scott Bradley, and to spend some time with them.

      The idea was not to replay them or imitate them but to let this music get a little in the way of each artistist expression.

      Then we went into the studio to record a series of improvisations in which
      humor as the music will be free and made by the perception of each musician of the cartoon musics


      We recorded the album at Studio 26, Antibes, France.
      I did the mix at the Angulus.
      Studio Lakanal made the mastering.
      The album cover is by Anne Pesce

      The album will be released during spring 2013 on Facing You / IMR, distribution by Musea

      Eric-Maria Couturier : cello.
      Emilie Lesbros : voice, sounds box.
      Henri Roger : piano, guitar, laptop, percussions.
      Bruno Tocanne : drums.

      Video : "Cats and Dogs" by Anne Pesce.

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    • Exsurgences : Henri Roger piano solo
    • Remedios la belle : Henri Roger and Bruno Tocanne
    • Imprudenses : Henri Roger piano solo
    • Hyperkinezik : Henri Roger piano solo
    • Acouphenia : Henri Roger. Electro Improvisations
    • In Ze Tower : Henri Roger Home Studio
    • Telepatik Jam : Henri Roger Home Studio
    • Energies Douces. Rythmigration : Henri Roger. Piano Solo
    • Images : Henri Roger. Pôle Records.
    • Jazz Rust : Pouaz"rlk
    • Une journée anonyme : Duo Rythmigration. Henri Roger and Ismael Robert
    • Le son d’une seule main : Duo Rythmigration. Henri Roger and Ismael Robert
    • Musique écrite et improvisée du début du XXIè siècle du moyen pays niçois : Compagnie So What
    • Muses et modèles, no dogme : Compagnie so what
    • L’amour aux nus : Piano and voice duo with Catherine Ribeiro
    • Manipulsations : With Paul Rogers, Jean Louis Méchali
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