Un Certaine Malaise

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I've been aware of the self-taught French improv guitarist for some time now - among other things, appearances on the European label Winter and Winter have revealed a guitar player of considerable originality, dexterity and imagination - but I haven't heard him quite as showcased as here. Un Certaine Malaise brings together live solo performances recorded during 1997 in Lausanne and Paris. There's a lot of electric guitar here, for sure, and unadulterated solo guitar at that. But there's so much going on in Ducret's highly versatile (and often highly FXed) playing that the set can handle this, as he veers from Hendrix blues screaming to scratchy Derek Bailey - inspired improv to odd ambient soundscapes - all performed on the hoof. Impressive stuff, and a must for anyone interested in the further reaches of the world's most (over)played instrument.