CRITIC'S CHOICE

L'Impossible Trio, Friday, April 29, at Ricketson Auditorium, is an unlikely Paris-based threesome most stateside listeners have never gotten an opportunity to hear. Guitarist Phillipe Deschepper, tuba player Michael Godard and percussionist Youval Micenmacher began working together in 1988; since then they have conceived original compositions that often combine Middle Eastern rhythms, folk stylings, ancient melodies, rock-guitar phrasing and jazzy improvisations. The results have gained for the Trio a reputation that's continuing to grow: In recent years, they've played prestigious festivals in Germany, Norway and Switzerland, and have successfully toured Morocco and Algeria. The acclaim is deserved, since the group redefines the limits of their instruments and of the trio format in general.

1994