-
« A fascinating release » by Blues & Rhythm
Catégories : Article de presse ( Article de presse )The sleeve of the ‘Africa In America’ release gets it just right – Josephine Baker in her famous banana costume representing exoticism and the ‘uncivilised’ (though Josephine is not on the album), juxtaposed with a dapper looking Dizzy Gillespie posing with a conga drum, in youch with his roots but able to move on. This set looks at the presence of both a real Africa and its stereotypical counterpart in the Carribean and North America. Thre are three versions of ‘Signifying Monkey’, by The Big Three Trio, Cab Calloway, and Oscar Brown Jr. ; there is Don Redman with ‘Shakin’ The African’ and plenty of ‘jungle sounds’ from the likes of Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, and Slim And Slam. Constrsting with this – on a collection that opens with the voice of activist Marcus Garvey – are a genuine South African recording by Salomon Linda & The evening Birds, ‘Mbube’, which was of course reprised by The Tolkens as ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ – also present here. Jazzwise, there are styles fro [...]
-
« It is indeed fascinating » by Blues & Rhythm
Catégories : Article de presse ( Article de presse )[…] Alto sax player Charlie’ (Yard)Bird’ Parker is one of the most influential jazzmen of all time, and in the timespan covered by the fifth volume in Frémeaux’s comprehensive (almost – the booklet gives good reasons for an occasional omission, though true completists may still have cause for complaint) he was firmly in bebop mode, though his blues playing – remember he honed his playing with Jay McShann’s Orchestra – is still in evidence on some tracks. With sideman such as trumpeters Miles Davis (most often), Fats Navarro, and Dizzy Gillepsie, pianists John Lawis and Lennie Tristano and regular Drummer Max Roach, among others, this is cerebral music – ‘modern progessive jazz’ as symphony Sid, the announcer of the Royal Roost radio Broadcast of Christmas Day 1948 calls it. However, there are also two titles recorded with Machito And His Afro-Cuban Orchestra, which are fine examples of ‘cubop’ though notable mainly for Bird’s contributions and the percussion section. Of course, an [...]
-
« La redécouverte du patrimoine antillais » par Le Monde
Catégories : Article de presse ( Article de presse )Le label Frémeaux & Associés a œuvré pour la redécouverte du patrimoine antillais, souvent méconnu, voire « mal entendu » sous nos tropismes. Parmi les nombreuses compilations, thématiques ou monographiques, celle-ci souligne la contribution essentielle des Guadeloupéens et Martiniquais au jazz des premières heures. Les zélés souffleurs Félix Valvert et Robert Mavouzy, le batteur Sam Castendet, Freddy Jumbo et son Orchestre, et surtout Al Lirvat, l’inventeur du wabap, une forme de bebop créolisé. LE MONDE
-
« Une pédagogie de l’écoute » par Nova Magazine
Catégories : Article de presse ( Article de presse )Car, au fond, on parle bien ici d’art, pas de science ou de bio-acoustique (l’étude de la communication sonore animale). Les soundtrackers ont beau tous être des écolos et des défenseurs de l’environnement, leur propos ne se résume nullement à l’apologie béate de la vie naturelle et sauvage. C’est bien à une pédagogie de l’écoute qu’ils nous invitent, à une véritable expérience sensorielle. Ecoutez bien les Forêts et lacs américains de Jean C. Roché, La Selva de Francisco Lopez ou, pourquoi pas, les Chaos and the Emergent Mind of the Pond de David Dunn, plongée mémorable dans la vie souterraine et inconnue de milliers d’insectes. Vous n’y percevrez aucune volonté de relaxation ou de spiritualité factice, mais tous simplement de la musique. Comme le dit si bien Jean C. Roché, vedette française en la matière : « Je ne suis pas un scientifique. Ce qui me passionne, ce sont les vibrations sonores. Je suis sensible aux oiseaux grâce à la musique qu’ils produisent. Mais au fond, c’est l [...]
-
« Those interested in New Orleans music will definitely enjoy » by Blues & Rhyth
Catégories : Article de presse ( Article de presse )The reinvigoration of the New Orleans brass band tradition was one of the big surprises of the ‘80s, with The Rebirth and The Dirty Dozen ushering in a sound farmly rooted in tradition but taking it off in new directions too – many of them very bluesy. The roots of the Tremé Brass Band reach back to the early ‘70s, and its membership includes former members of both of those illustrious pioneering outfits. I also recall seeing bass drummer Lionel Baptiste Sr. At a curiously low-key (not the music though) free Sunday afternoon event on London’s South Bank piazza in the late ‘80s, and nothing how seemed to be organising the whole event – he was also a major figure in the brass band revival (and has his photo on the front sleeve). This set was recorded live in the studio for the Sounds Of New Orleans label in 1992, and a lively affair it is too. On the streets, the vocals probably would not be audible (most likely not even attempted), but trombonist Eddie ‘Boh’ Paris’s and trumpeter K [...]
-
« Etonnant » par Sciences et Avenir
Catégories : Article de presse ( Article de presse )Cri fossile du dinosaure ou vibrato de la fourmi : aux côtés du traditionnel chant de la baleine, les enregistrements naturalistes offrent aujourd’hui un choix incroyable. Balade guidée dans une jungle sonore. Parmi les enregistrements, « Le monde des dinosaures, Jurassic Soundscapes » (Sittelle). Un disque à mi-distance entre fantastique et recherche de vraisemblance. Le projet utilise les dernières études scientifiques pour tenter d’approcher un univers sonore à jamais disparu. Le travail de Jean-Luc Hérelle, un essai de recréation, a consisté à n’utiliser que les chants et cris d’oiseaux - « descendants » supposés des dinosaures - ainsi que de grenouilles - le monde du jurassique étant peuplé d’amphibiens. Il a ensuite transformé ces sons naturalistes par des traitements numériques afin de les rendre le plus proches possible de ce que pouvait être le cri des dinosaures. Il s’est notamment inspiré des travaux de David Weishampel sur les Parasolaurophus, étranges créatures doté [...]
-
« Encuentro con Jean-Claude Roché » (Extracto) Blanco y Negro Cultural
Catégories : Article de presse ( Article de presse )Hice discos de Polonia, Grecia, Escandinavia, y también uno, llamado « Baladas andaluzas », resultado de un viaje a Andalucia, donde encontré ciertos ambientes sonoros muy bellos y muy particulares porque, aunque se trate de aves medirerràneas, son muy distintas a las de Francia. En España hay algùn tipo de alondras y otras aves que no existen en mi pais. Y en general, son muy hermosos les sonidos que se encuentran en los estanques y en las lagunas españolas.Juan Antonio LLORENTE – BLANCO Y NEGRO CULTURAL
-
“One of the founding fathers of modern jazz” par The New York City Jazz Record
Catégories : Article de presse ( Article de presse )“Even casual jazz fans know that alto saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker was one of the founding fathers of modern jazz, that his career was cut short and that most contemporary players are still working through things that he introduced to the music. Many would also be aware that he produced many of his most famous recordings during the late ‘40s. Several of these appear on this set, about half of which comes from Bird’s last three studio sessions for Savoy, one of the two fledgling indie labels that held “exclusive” deals with him at the time. Shortly after the last of these sessions, Parker signed with Mercury and producer Norman Granz, with whom he would remain until the end. And while he certainly recorded a lot of significant music for Granz, his legacy is defined by the Savoy and Dial work and the best of his live recordings. That brings us to the fact that this “complete” set really makes no pretense at being so, though it does aim to steer a sensible course through waters [...]