Poise by François Houle & Benoît Delbecq

Duo playing is about the most intimate way to communicate with another musician. And probably, after solo playing, the most difficult. You have to agree on certain things and make room for differences. I have grown to have a deeper understanding of Benoît’s language and sound world, which always provides me with clues as to how to execute ideas in different ways. But the beauty with this sound world is that there are so many mysteries yet to investigate, some many stones to turn, and so many dice to cast!

How this plays out is that we don’t try to formulate premeditated structures, or to ever adopt a traditional call and response, solo/accompaniment thing. Our improvisations are much more akin to embroidery, painstakingly paying attention to the kind of fabric we want to create, working symbiotically to achieve that by complementing each other.

Tracklist

1.	The Tree Line	2:19

2.	Missing Blue Line	12:28

3.	Talking Woodwork	10:37

4.	Bowen Island	6:27

5.	A Bed of Leaves	6:36

Credits

released August 28, 2023

Recorded at PlushSpace/Bureau de Son Paris, June 3rd, 2023.
Mixed by Benoît Delbecq at Bureau de Son.
Mastered by François Houle at FMH Productions
Fox/Backun Basset Clarinet in Bb
Piano Steinway B, New York, 1879. Thanks to piano technician Bastien Herbin.
cover art by Nella Delbecq
Produced by François Houle and Benoît Delbecq.

To our magnificent and inspiring children, who teach us poise, wisdom, and new ways to look at the world; Félix and Nina Houle, Lucas, Pol and Nella Delbecq.

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