The Katia Labeque Band
Unspoken

"Occasionally, a touch of jazz, or a Schumannesque reminiscence, granted me a moment of relief, allowing me a temporary identification that however vanished in the soundscape that followed. It was a tenacious riddle, mocking my comprehension ability and leaving me suspended in a nameless fascination." Alessandro Baricco

A spontaneous and realistic reflection, in the liner notes of the cultured Baricco to attempt to give a comprehensible definition to what skillfully eludes being defined and delimited. Katia Labeque, a classical performer who made her mark on the piano scene in the '80s with her sister Marielle, makes decisive steps towards alternative musical cultures thanks to her personal and professional partnership with John McLaughlin, precisely in the '80s, when the English guitarist moved to France, forming a French band.
Later, towards the end of the decade, she publishes a short series of duets with McLaughlin which appear in "Mediterranean". Labeque had already come into contact with the universe of Davis to the point that the "Divine" dedicated a piece to her on his "Under Arrest" in '85. Then, classical adventures and jazz approaches were explored with Marielle ("Colors") up until this 2003 gem.

It is objectively difficult and unlikely to attempt to categorize what Dave Maric, Marque Gilmore (brother of David, guitarist with Trilok Gurtu) and La Labeque describe with "Unspoken". The format with piano, electronics, and percussion is also unusual. What emerges in this rocket for the future is that the cultural melting pot, ideas, sensibility, and historical sense of what is meant to be represented is achieved in a precarious, risky but brilliant balance due to the insights it contains and the opportunities it can generate.
Baricco hints at a rebus, and in a certain sense, it is. Indeed, substantial preparation is necessary to face such complex atmospheres. The notable instrumental technique is finally in service of goals that are (finally) not merely aesthetic.

A round of applause for this still young and attractive French pianist who declared on a well-known late-night television show that "Dave Maric is a fantastic composer, he is a genius". Katia lives in Italy, and her fingers, like her heart, run fast.....