Visionary Swiss harpist and composer Julie Campiche has unveiled her first unaccompanied album, Unspoken, a quietly radical hymn to the women who endure and inspire. Released on the Ronin Rhythm label, this work transforms extended harp techniques into music of profound intimacy, restraint, and conviction, marking a significant milestone in her avant-jazz career.
A Startling Introduction to UK Audiences
Campiche first captivated UK listeners during the 2020 London Jazz Festival, which was held online due to pandemic restrictions. Her enthralling livestreamed performance with her avant-jazz ensemble served as a startling highlight, introducing many to a virtuoso already making waves across Europe. In that set, she plucked guitar, zither, and east Asian-style sounds from her harp, blending them with vocal loops, classical influences, and Nordic ambient jazz. While her soundscape might be described as magical or otherworldly, it coexists with a campaigner's political urgency on environmental and social issues. Yet, Campiche remains a true visionary, ensuring that the eloquence of pure sound is never overwhelmed by polemic, a balance Unspoken confirms more than ever.
Celebrating Sisterhood Through Sound
The album's extra-musical agenda is a heartfelt celebration of sisterhood, dedicated to women in both public and private spheres who have shaped Campiche's world. The opening track, Anonymous, is built around a poignant Virginia Woolf quote: "for most of history, 'anonymous' was a woman." This line is repeated by a chorus of women's voices in different languages, gradually building to a powerful clamour that underscores the theme of unrecognised female contributions.
Other tracks continue this tribute with nuanced musical storytelling. Grisélidis Réal is named after the Swiss artist and writer who explored every precipice of physical and mental life, including sex work, expressed through gently lyrical harp lines intertwined with the spooky sounds of footsteps clicking on pavements. Rosa offers a lilting harp melody dedicated to the weary resolve of migrant workers, while Andréa Bescond shifts rhythms in a lissome tribute to the French actor and director. On Maman du Ciel, Campiche mesmerisingly uses her own in- and out-breaths as the rhythmic pattern, adding a deeply personal touch.
A Departure from Jazz Traditions
Unspoken stands as the least jazzy of Campiche's remarkable ventures to date, yet it is deeply rooted in the world of improvisation. Without her background among improvisers, she might never have imagined such an innovative approach. The album showcases her ability to push boundaries while maintaining a tender, reflective tone that resonates with listeners.
Other Notable Jazz Releases This Month
In addition to Campiche's work, several other jazz artists are making waves this month. New York avant-jazz pianist Craig Taborn, who emerged in the late 1990s with leaders like Tim Berne and Steve Coleman, continues to blossom in the 21st century. His new album, Dream Archives on ECM, features a trio with cello star Tomeka Reid and percussionist-composer Ches Smith. It embraces fast-moving collective free-swing, smouldering lyrical originals, and heartfelt tributes to Paul Motian's Mumbo Jumbo and Geri Allen's When Kabuya Dances.
French jazz luminary, trumpeter Airelle Besson, further nurtures her long-standing relationship with accordionist Lionel Suárez on Blossom, released by Bretelles Prod and Papillon Jaune. This mainstream yet delightful mix includes jaunty and tender originals, along with affectionate covers of Carla Bley's Ida Lupino and the Pat Metheny-Lyle Mays song Au Lait.
Meanwhile, gifted young UK pianist-composer Noah Stoneman continues his steady rise with Dance at Zero. This album features ingenious transformations of his minuscule compositions into rich improvisations, performed alongside fast-rising young saxophonist Emma Rawicz, bassist Freddie Jensen, and UK jazz drum maestro James Maddren.
