DUFRENE, Francois
(1930–1982)
DUFRENE, Francois (1930–12 December 1982). Initially an associate of Lettrism, he developed in the 1950s “cri-rhythmes,” as he called them. Though these word-based wails initially reflect Antonin Artaud , their style acoustically resembles the 1960s Expressionist jazz of Ornette Coleman and ALBERT AYLER . They were quite spectacular, whether performed live (say, at sound poetry festivals) or on a record. At times he overdubbed his voice, creating a level of declamatory intensity that, even…