One of two albums recorded by Jean-Marc Foussat while Portuguese flutist Carlos Bechegas toured France in July 2003 (the other one is Open Frontiers, with Michel Edelin), Open Speech is a honest meeting of improvisers, but hardly more. Both Bechegas and Alexander von Schlippenbach get good showcase time, but their interaction is only skin deep. The pianist is in a mellow mood and, for most of this live set, he seems to be playing in autopilot mode. He lights up for a while in Speech II, delivering arousing fast-paced runs, but it doesn't last. Bechegas, on the other hand, clearly wants to blow some excitement into the music. He nibbles, picks, and urges the pianist on (to little effect), multiplying his high-speed flurries, spitting notes, and vocal effects. He steals the show, no doubt about it, but as a result the concert lacks teamwork. By the last piece, Speech V, the two musicians finally fall on the same communication frequency and things suddenly click. After von Schlippenbach's lengthy solo introduction, Bechegas enters energetically and sparks up the pianist. The resulting seven or eight minutes of dynamic exchanges conclude the disc on a considerably higher note. Followers of von Schlippenbach should get this release only to discover the wonderful flutist that is Bechegas. Those already accustomed to his work better invest their money in albums with Michel Edelin or Peter Kowald. ~ François Couture, Rovi