Christine Wodrascka at Cafe OTO

French pianist Christine Wodrascka makes a welcome return to Cafe Oto for two nights in the company of bassist Guillaume Viltard and a selection of the UK's finest improvisers. While Wodrascka's playing has a spikiness and speed to it that invites comparisons with American free-jazz players, there's another sensibility at work here as well, more European and abstract, which makes for a compelling combination of attack and restraint. Repetition plays an important part in Wodracka's work, and she's more comfortable than most improvisers in using it to build up sustained musical structures, a quality that makes the prospect of an encounter with Evan Parker particularly interesting...

read more

French pianist Christine Wodrascka makes a welcome return to Cafe Oto for two nights in the company of bassist Guillaume Viltard and a selection of the UK's finest improvisers. While Wodrascka's playing has a spikiness and speed to it that invites comparisons with American free-jazz players, there's another sensibility at work here as well, more European and abstract, which makes for a compelling combination of attack and restraint. Repetition plays an important part in Wodracka's work, and she's more comfortable than most improvisers in using it to build up sustained musical structures, a quality that makes the prospect of an encounter with Evan Parker particularly interesting. Over the years she's worked with Fred Frith, Joelle Leandre, Fred Van Hove, Paul Lovens, Sophie Agnel, Xavier Charles and Gerry Hemingway as well as participating in memorable sessions with Tony Marsh, Eddie Prevost and John Butcher on recent visits to London..

show less