Grant Green - Visions (1971)

Just one of my favorite jazz albums : soulful, mellow, intimist, groovy. It includes some standards as "We've Only Just Begun" and "Never Can Say Goodbye". And of course the sweet introspective and melancholic ballad "Maybe Tomorrow".

French writer Victor Hugo said : "Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad". And according to me, that's exactly what this tune deals with.

Musicians are :
Grant Green: guitar - Emanuel Riggins: electric piano - Chuck Rainey: electric bass - Billy Wooten: vibes - Harold Cardwell: drums & percussion - Idris Muhammed: drums - Ray Armando: conga.
Recorded on Blue Note label in 1971.

Maybe Tomorrow

Claude Thomain Et Son Orchestre Vol. 1 (1971)

Musicians as french Marcel Azzola or Richard Galliano gave the accordion a chance to have a place into jazz sphere, bringing a true nostalgia and authenticity proper to its sound. Such as Claude Thomain. This jazz accordion player was born in 1940 and played with many great french musicians of the 60's area. He recorded this LP on Epervier label. Maybe you already know the title "Un Soir De Blanco" recorded on "Dusty Fingers" compilations. This album brings you into a 60's detective movie atmosphere, sometimes dark, gloomy or passionate.
Antoher great mellow album.

Un Soir De Blanco


bass: A. Masselier - drums: A. Ceccarelli - guitar: M. Gesina - perscusion: M. Lorin - bass trombone: G. Vilain - trombones: B. Vasseur - C. Verstraete, F. Lusiez

A1 - Route Sans Tunnel
A2 - Flash Color
A3 - Un Soir De Blanco
A4 - Notes Vagabondes
A5 - Week-End Danse
A6 - Major Flash
B1 - Shaker Man
B2 - Deux Phares Dans La Nuit
B3 - Du Soleil A Gogo
B4 - Sorti De L'Ombre
B5 - La Caravane Rouge
B6 - Flirtissimo Blues

Martin Circus - Acte II (1971)

"Martin Circus" was a quite popular band in France during the 70s-80s for those who are today at least more than 35 or 40 years-old (not my case yet but not so far !). They were firstly known for their live performance album "En Direct Du Rock'n Roll Circus", released in the end of the 60s. After that they recorded some hits in the 70s and 80s as for example 'Je m'éclate Au Sénégal", "Marylène", "Tremblant De Fièvre", etc. that were largely broadcasted on radio stations.

Most of their work can be classified between some real progressive music (with a clear Franck Zappa's inspiration) and more pop songs that were more or less commercially-oriented. But the fact is that this band often tended to experiment new things and brought new sounds to the french rock scene of this period, particularly in the beginning of their carreer.
That is what this double Lp-album, "Acte II", released in 1971 for Vogue records, deals with. Despite of the demoded vocals (but funny too, in "Je m'éclate Au Sénégal" for example: "Je n'sais même plus où est ma copine de ch'val avec qui j'ai pris un bain de minuit, à poil sous la lune ..." well, french people will understand), this Lp is a mix of crazy vocals, nice progressive rock and pop arrangements and orchestrations ("Pourquoi Tous Ces Cris", "Poussières", "J'ai Perdu" - groovy wah wah guitar in the second part -) mixed with some bossa ("Le Tromblon Magique"), jazz and funk touch ("Hyznogod", "O' Secours Bob").
Anyway, a rich album and quite an overlooked one too.
And an opportunity to pay tribute to Gérard Blanc who died this year, on January 24, 2009.

Musicians :
Gérard Blanc: vocals, guitar, percussion - Bob Brault: bass, flute, percussion, vocals - René Guérin: drums, violin, percussion - Sylvain Pauchard: organ, piano, vibraphone, vocals, accordion - Alain Pewzner: guitar, organ, percussion, vocals - Gérard Pisani: buggle, saxophones, flute, clarinet, trombon, percussion

Je M'éclate Au Sénégal


Le Tromblon Magique


O' Secours Bob


Disc 1 :
1. Boudjateelack
2. Pourquoi Tous Ces Cris
3. Chevauchée Fantastique
4. Poème
5. Ti'Bill
6. Poussières
7. J'ai Perdu
8. J'Suis Une Groupie
9. Ouvrez Vos Mémoires

Disc 2 :
10. Je M'éclate Au Sénégal
11. Le Tromblon Magique
12. Hyznogod
13. Images
14. A Dada Sur Paranoïa
15. Façon De Parler
16. O'Secours Bob
17. J'aimerai Bien Te Faire Flipper Un P'Tit Peu
18. Ma Guitare

album is available here for example to get a cleaner copy. It was also reissued in CD format but is regularly out of stock.

The Franck Cunimondo Trio - Introducing Lynn Marino (1971)

Jazz gem recorded by pianist Franck Cunimondo Trio with singer Lynn Marino in 1971.
Including the classical "Feelin' Good" and some other good dreamy original compositions as "Love So Fine" or "Beyond The Clouds".

Musicians :
Lynn Marino : Vocals - Franck Cunimondo : Piano - Mike Taylor : Bass - Roger Humphries : Drums

Love So fine


1. Love So fine
2. Beyond The Clouds
3. A House Is Not A Home
4. Animal Cackers In My Soup
5. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
6. Feelin' Good
7. Until It's Time
8. Pretty Pretty
9. Soon It's Gonna Rain
10. We've Only Just Begun

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