Tripes - Suicide Jazz (COAX Records, 2015) ***½

By Stefan Wood

Tripes is a French jazz trio, formed by Jean-Brice Godet (clarinet), Julien Chamla (drums) and Marco Quaresimin (double bass). Calling themselves a "jazzsuicide" trio, they fuse trance and alternative rock music style to improvised jazz, with interesting results.

 Their album "Suicide Jazz," is comprised of two long tracks, each over 19 minutes in length. On both tracks, the clarinet establishes a theme, done repetitively, allowing the bass and drums to provide counterpoint, developing the repetition into a hypnotic environment that becomes the basis for their improvisations. "Why tripes?" has Godet and Chamia playing off one another, clarinet initiating the call, drums in response, each throwing back and forth their own rhythm. Moving into another theme, Godet recalls Scalsis in his playing, clear and concise, as Chamla and Quaresimin destroys the trance with a barrage of frenetic playing, drums and bass scorching the sonic landscape, then receding back into yet another repetitive theme. 

"Omnia Vanitas" Godet again establishes a theme, only here Quaresimin joins in a few minutes in, echoing Godet. Chamla provides a tapping rhythm, and the others fall in place, Godet slightly varying the notes, as if doing scales. It has an engagingly funky swing that, done over and over a lengthy time, establishes its own trance like environment. Chamla and Quaresimin take over, with a deep, bottom heavy groove, and Godet provides a counterpoint, reintroducing the main theme of the track. Towards the end, Godet's circling notes become more complex, and the rhythm becomes slightly faster, Chamla, driving the theme home. 

"Suicide Jazz" is a fine debut by this Parisian trio, using repetition as a starting point for their complex series of improvisations and rhythms, creating a very listenable soundscape that is hypnotic and engaging.