January 12, 2010

For fans of the musically unusual, the weekly “Open Ears” series at the Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street is valued addition to the New Orleans scene. Every Tuesday night, it hosts a concert of “interesting music” featuring artists ranging from the local to the international. On January 12 it was the former, as cellist and OffBeat February cover subject Helen Gillet and Friends hit the stage with a concert that certainly fit the bill.

The set opened with a duet with Freddie Brinks’ gong, which crashed and shimmered alongside Gillet’s droning melodies. The contrast between these two instruments could hardly be more stark, and was intensified in this case by the serenity of the one and the relative violence of the other. The result was intensely atmospheric. Another frequent collaborator was Travis Blotsky on electronics; alongside his rapid synthesized bleepings, Gillet’s playing became increasingly frenetic, replete with irregular rhythms.

Gillet’s style relies heavily on extended techniques such as the rapid, percussive slapping of the strings or the body of the cello. Also common in her playing is the use of harmonics, a technique in which partially depressing a string raises its tone and creates a glassy, shimmering sound, a bit like a flute. She glides in and out of this effect with great facility, and to considerable expressive effect.

Look for Gillet in upcoming shows with Wazozo, a group that specializes in French chansons.