| Jazz moderne |
It is rare to hear the bass clarinet take center stage. You may have encountered it on Ilene Martinez’s most recent album, Plume, available HERE. Traditionally associated with classical music, the bass clarinet has, over the past few decades, quietly been embraced by jazz musicians in Europe and North America. Among the rising talents exploring its possibilities, Allison Burik stands out. Her playing, whether on alto saxophone or bass clarinet, moves seamlessly between instruments with equal sensitivity, energy, and drive. The result is both compelling and unforgettable.
This album is not for everyone. It makes no concessions to accessibility or easy listening. Yet for those who love complex music, who embrace discovery, and who carry a broad cultural curiosity, it offers a rare reward. As with all fully realized art, it requires a small effort to engage with its depth. But the payoff is immense: a rich and intricate musical world that captivated me from the first track to the last.
The influences are unmistakable. Contemporary classical music shapes much of the sound, alongside echoes of composers and bandleaders like Maria Schneider. This is serious music, music in which “composition” is not a decorative label but a guiding principle. Burik currently collaborates with the Montreal-based collective Bellbird, the experimental duo Umbrella Pine, and the Mali Obomsawin Sextet. Her forthcoming solo debut (scheduled for winter 2024) explores the sonic possibilities of wind instruments through electronics and contact microphones, creating soundscapes that are at once organic and otherworldly.
Burik has performed at festivals, residencies, and concerts across France, South Korea, Canada, and the United States. A native of Kansas City, she moved to Boston to earn a Bachelor’s degree in performance at Berklee College of Music (2016), followed by a Master’s in contemporary improvisation at the New England Conservatory (2020). Over the years, she has collaborated with an impressive roster of musicians, including George Garzone, Joe Morris, Tyshawn Sorey, Ingrid Laubrock, Ran Blake, Carla Kihlstedt, Anthony Coleman, Frank Tiberi, Bobby Watson, Jaleel Shaw, Shannon LeClaire, and Tia Fuller.
These are formidable references. I recently wrote about Ingrid Laubrock in connection with her album Purposing the Air, and the same superlatives apply to Bellbird, the group with which Allison Burik is deeply involved. One could argue she is the ensemble’s driving force: her playing elevates the collective, shaping its energy and focus. More broadly, the growing visibility of women asserting their artistic identity is a major boon to contemporary music.
Bellbird draws its name and sonic inspiration from the white bellbird, an avian species known for one of the loudest and most distinctive calls in the animal kingdom. Their second album, and first for Constellation, The Call, integrates this extreme cry into the music itself, particularly the striking title track. The ensemble explores interconnection, between musicians, genres, and the natural world, through a blend of improvisation and intricate composition.
The musicians on this recording are of the highest caliber, creating a near-perfect communion among Bellbird’s members. The result is music that feels both meticulously structured and vibrantly alive, a testament to the possibilities that emerge when technical skill, creativity, and daring imagination meet.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, January 30th 2026
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Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, January 30th 2026
Follow PARIS-MOVE on X
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Musicians :
Claire Devlin (saxophone ténor)
Allison Burik (saxophone alto, clarinette basse)
Eli Davidovici (basse)
Mili Hong (batterie)
Track Listing :
Firefly Pharology
Murmuration
Soft Animal
Blowing On Embers
Eternity Perspective
Phthalo Green
The Call
Mourning Dove
Recorded At Hotel2tango In Tiohtià: Ke/Montréal
Sylvaine Arnaud / Recording Engineer & Mixing
Shae Brossard / Assistant Recording Engineer
Jon Kaspy / Mastering
Yeşim Tosuner / Graphic Design
Marc-Étienne Mongrain / Band Photo
The music on this record is inspired by our interconnectedness as humans within the greater ecosystems of the earth, affirmed as a relationship of reciprocity.
“Blowing On Embers” is dedicated to a free Palestine.