Steve Lacy - One More Time

Steve Lacy doesn't write to fill dead air; he crafts moments that never repeat themselves in the same way twice. One More Time, released in March 2005 on Leo Records, is a recording of a concert given in July 2002 during a series of ten dates in Belgium. This album isn't a studio compilation; it's a raw document of a performance where each track is a unique trace, unreproducible.

One More Time: the manifesto of captured spontaneity on stage

The production prioritizes spontaneity and interaction between the soprano saxophone and bass, with no safety net or post-production polish.

Phone Message: the echo of an improvisation without a safety net

The final track on the album is Phone Message, which closes the record. This song isn't just an add-on; it functions as a melodic loop that wraps up the project in a melodic tension, where each note seems to both be born and cease to exist simultaneously. The total runtime of the album is 55 minutes and 48 seconds, distributed across four distinct tracks: One More Time 1, One More Time 2, One More Time 3 and Phone Message.

Léandre against Léandre: a saxophone/bass alchemy born of a Belgian night

Joëlle Léandre was chosen as the partner for this specific performance, among other invited musicians during the ten-date tour. Their chemistry results in an intimate duet where the saxophone and double bass converse without hierarchy or imposed sheet music. Every track is proof that this is not a solo followed by accompaniment, but a collective architecture where each instrument defies the studio's technical perfection.

Leo Records archive: preserving a fleeting moment

This is neither a return to roots nor a retrospective; it is a living archive of a unique performance. The label preserves a unique artifact, far from mainstream commercial logic, where every track is a trace of an improvisation that has never been played the same way twice.

Verdict: raw authenticity as the only value

One More Time does not claim technical perfection; it claims raw authenticity. Every track is proof that live concert offers a truth the studio can never capture. It is an album where every note is a decision made at T-minus zero, and where every improvisation defies repetition.

Technical details

- Release: March 2005 - Label: Leo Records - Tracks: 4 (55 min 48 s) - Opening / Closing: One More Time 1 / Phone Message