FAFASIFA

MARTIAL SOLAL

FAFASIFA               CBS, France, 1967

No need to present Martial Solal I assume. 

However this album is rather unusual.  Tracks A1 to A6 and B1 are “standard” Martial Solal Trio (as far as one could call Solal’s music “standard”). B2 is solo Solal.  What to say?  The man is probably the greatest European contribution to jazz piano.  A truly original musician.

The unusual tracks are B3 to B6 where Solal plays harpsichord (B3,5,6) or both organ and piano (B4)

Tracklist

A1          Fafasifa                            2:17

A2          Reflets Mobiles               2:58

A3          Indianapolis                     2:40

A4          Atmosphère                    3:07

A5          Aquaplane                      2:33

A6          Henri's                            3:00

B1          Musique En Cinq Sets    3:15

B2          Faux Fuyants                  2:59

B3          Volez, Balles                   2:56

B4          A Pas De Loup-Garou    3:13

B5          Virevoltant                      3:06

B6          Billes De Joie                 1:25

Credits

A1-6, B1 :            Martial Solal, piano

                             Gilbert Rovere, contrebasse

                             Charles Bellonzi, percussion

B.2:                      Martial Solal, piano solo

B3,5:                    Martial Solal, harpsichord

                             Gilbert Rovere, contrebasse

                             Charles Bellonzi, percussion

B4:                       Martial Solal, electric organ and piano

B6:                       Martial Solal, harpsichord solo

These unusual tracks on side B should be of interest to collectors of Library Music.
Production M.P.I. Also released as different 10" on the French library label Musique Pour L'Image.

To the best of my knowledge and after some research on the Web, it seems that this album has not been re-issued on CD.  Correct me if I’m wrong.

(Covers taken from Discogs)

RARE, GROOVY AND SO TYPICALLY EUROPEAN!

COLOURS IN JAZZ

FRANCIS COPPIETERS SELECTION

featuring: Rolf Roemer – tenor sax, flute / Klaus Osterloh – flugelhorn / Francis Coppieters: piano & percussion /  Jean Warland: bass / Klaus Weiss: drums / Koenraad Ellegiers: violin / Gustav Kedves: French Horn

LP Intersound                                  GERMANY, 1986

If you’re into the MPS / Eurojazz sound, the names of Francis Coppieters and Jean Warland should not be totally unknown to you.  Both are Belgians who made a career working in the German studios and big radio bands.  You’ve probably seen their names credited on several MPS / SABA albums.

Jean Warland is probably the better known of the two due to his participation in the Clarke-Boland Big Band and Peter Herbolzheimer Brass & Rhythm Combination, among many other sessions.

Francis Coppieters‘ career goes back to the mid-forties in Belgium.  In 1949 he became a member of the Hazy Osterwald Orchestra, then of the Kurt Edelhagen Big Band and finally became a studio musician for MPS.

Although they both recorded prolifically as sidemen, they did not record much as leaders which may explain why they remain largely unknown outside a small circle of collectors and aficionados. 

Francis Coppieters is highly regarded among Libray music collectors for his album “Piano Viberations” (1975) issued on the KPM Music Library label.  It features Claudio Szenkar (b),  Jean Warland (bass) and Charly Antolini (drs) - according to Pernet's discography. The names of Fats Sadi (vibes), Roger Vanhaverbeke (bass) and Freddy Rottier (drs) were mentioned also but it does not appear they took part in this session. 

According to the discographies there is another library album by Coppieters – KTS-5 (Koln, 1980)  with an astounding lineup: the van Rooyen brothers, Jon Eardley, Otto Bredl, Peter Herbolzheimer, Wilton Gaynar, Karlheinz Wiberny ... just to name a few – but I’ve never heard or even seen it.

Colours in Jazz recorded in 1986 is a jazz / library jazz /soul jazz album.

If you like the music of Charlie Antolini and Roland Kovac, you’ll like this album.  Groovy  with a typical European feel!  Don’t miss it. I don’t think it has ever been posted elsewhere in the blogworld.

Tracklist

A1                   Mobile            3:03

A2                   Blue Magic     5:22

A3                   Shuffle Bubble           4:52

A4                   Blue Greens    4:14

A5                   Aquarelle        4:40

B1                   Voyage           3:22

B2                   Aroma 3:36

B3                   Sir Francis Drums      3:28

B4                   Easy Going     4:25

B5                   Ritmo Pizzicato         4:45

Credits

Flugelhorn – Klaus Osterloh

Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Rolf Röhmer

Piano, Percussion, Composed By, Arranged By – Francis Coppieters

Bass – Jean Warland

Drums – Klaus Weiss

French Horn – Gustav Kedves

Violin – Koenraad Ellegiers

Francis Coppieters

Notes

Recorded March 1986 at Cornet Sudio, Cologne

(n.b.: scans of  sleeve sourced from Discogs).    

LINK UPDATED 18/07/17

PS: I have re-posted Fats Sadi Combo (Rarity #11)

A TOUT CASSER !

JACQUES DENJEAN & SON ORCHESTRE

UN DISQUE A TOUT CASSER (aka THE TOUGH TOUCH)

Surf, Hully Gully, Mashed Potatoes avec Jacques Denjean & son Orchestre

LP Polydor, France, 1963 (or 1964 as The Tough Touch ).

I continue with the (re)-posting of various LP I own but I haven't got the time to rip. I take the easy way by re-cycling rips downloaded from the net, mostly from now defunct blogs.

I found the LP here in Rabat a couple of years ago.  Pretty lucky I was as it is an album well sought after by collectors of sixties instrumentals.

Jacques Denjean is a French composer, arranger and band leader, active in the 1960s and 1970s. 

Two years ago I had posted a rare 25 cm (10”) of his Grand Orchestre de Jazz (see Rarity #10) dating from 1962.  The album I post today was recorded about one year later but could not be more different.  While the 25cm is straight big band jazz, this LP is typical sixties pop soul instrumentals.  Denjean – who was a pianist/organist – had listened to the American instrumental soul combos such as Booker T & the MGS and the Mar Keys.

Soul rock rhythms, groovy organs, a bit of percussion à la Mongo Santamaria (Watermelon Man), funky horns arrangements, all that played by seasoned jazz players and – so sixties! – the occasional wordless vocals.  Very enjoyable, a must for any retro party!

Two of the tracks were used as theme songs for French Radio programmes in 1963 («La Route» on France Inter and « Dans le vent» on Europe 1).

At the same period, the Belgian Radio was using tracks by Andre Brasseur who had his own organ combo.

As "The Tough touch" outside of France

With thanks to the original ripper.

The fisrt four tracks were release as a 45 rpm EP, highly collectable also.

ONE FOR THE GROWING BIN!

JEAN BLAUTE – HELLO YOUNG LOVERS
Vinyl LP album, Philips - 6468 067, Belgium – 1981

First of all, this is NOT a jazz album.  Actually it is the kind of album one would expect to find on the Growing Bin blog.  So it’s quite simple:

(i) If you usually like what Basso, Cesare & all post on the Growing Bin, give this album a try, you’ll like it too,

(ii) If you don’t know the Growing Bin or do not like what’s posted there, don’t bother to download this album.

You’ve been warned.

That being said, it is a sad testimony to Belgium’s cultural apartheid when a man of many talents such as Jean Blaute, a Flemish musician, composer, producer and TV personality, remains largely unknown on the other side of the “taal grens” (the linguistic border that separate the Dutch-speaking North from the French-speaking South).

I have been fortunate to grow up on the border with one foot on each side.  In the early seventies, I was introduced by my Flemish friends to a thriving musical scene that remained largely ignored by the French-speaking side.  There was a traditional folk revival going on (with bands such as Rum, De Snaar, De Kadullen …), blues was still going strong with Roland & his Bluesworkhop, Karel Bogaerd Blues Band, Big Bill, there was prog-folk with Kandahar, pop/rock with Raymond Van het Groenewoud and a whole set of talented singers-songwriters (“kleinkunst” was popular in the early seventies).

Musical centipede Jean Blaute was in the late 1970s/early 1980s not only the smallest centimeter in Raymond Van het Groenewoud's backing band, he is also a great musician, record producer and songwriter. His collaboration with Roland, Urbanus, Nieuwe Snaar, K's Choice and the already cited Raymond resulted in many jewels in the Flemish pop history.  Jean is also something of a TV personality, just think of his hilarious contribution to the "Urbanus movies", his interventions in the popular "De 3 Wijzen"/"The 3 Wise Men" and recently his quest a side Ray Cokes for the taste of beer in "Tournée Générale".

In 1981 Jean delivered with the instrumental solo album "Hello Young Lovers" a sample of his musical ability. Some of the songs were used as tune in Flemish TV programs. Anyone have a clue for which this beautiful "Mama Linda" was used? (Adapted from: HERE)

If you can read Dutch, there is an extensive interview with Jean Blaute HERE.

I found this album years ago on a brocante and was attracted at first by its artwork, a drawing by famous cartoonist Ever Meulen.  Then I had a look at the credits and saw a whole roster of famous names - well, famous mostly in (the North of) Belgium -  jazzmen such as John Ruocco and Bruno Castellucci, former Placebo bassplayer, Yvan de Souter, Flemish blues legend Roland, members of rock bands TC Matic (Jean Marie Aerts) and Raymond Van het Groenewoud’s backing band (Stoy Stoffelen).   I became curious to hear the music.

So what about the music? It is an instrumental album and a pure product of the Eighties - not my favourite decade musically speaking. The music covers a whole spectrum of genres, from Westcoast Disco (Diploma) to Organ-led Soul Jazz/ Funk (Billy’s Bag) by way of jazz fusion (Colonel Spannee), some almost Larry Corryelesque acoustic guitar (Mama Linda), electro-funk-pop à la TC Matic (Johnny Muzak, Madagascar) and everything in between.

Tracklist
A1 Diploma Written-By – J. Blaute 3:05
A2 That Haunting Melody (Elfstedentocht) Written-By – Drs. P 5:27
A3 Colonel Spannee Written-By – J. Blaute 3:18
A4 Mama Linda Written-By – J. Blaute 2:35
A5 Madagascar Written-By – J. Blaute, J.M. Aerts, S. Stoffelen 2:59
B1 Harnanas Written-By – J. Blaute 3:00
B2 Warffum Written-By – J. Blaute 4:15
B3 Billy's Bag Written-By – B. Preston 3:28
B4 Simpel Written-By – I. De Souter 5:45
B5 Johnny Muzak Written-By – J. Blaute 3:30

Credits
Backing Vocals [Ray Connif Singers] – Raymond van het Groenewoud (tracks: A2)
Bass – Evert Verhees (tracks: A1, A2, A3,B1,B2,B3,B5), Mich Verbelen (tracks: A4), Ivan De Souter (Ketje) (tracks: B4)
Bass, Synthesizer [Roland Guitar] – Jean-Marie Aerts (tracks: A5)
Clarinet – John Ruocco (tracks: A2)
Drums – Bruno Castellucci (tracks: A1,A2,A3,B1,B2,B3,B5)
Guitar [Acoustic] – Roland Van Campenhout (tracks: A4)
Harmonica – Roland Van Campenhout (tracks: A3)
Percussion – Chris Joris (tracks: A1 to A4, B4), Firmin Timmermans (tracks: B1,B3,B5)
Percussion, Drums – Stoy Stoffelen (tracks: A5)
Saxophone [Tenor] – John Ruocco (tracks: A1,A3, B5)
Synthesizer [Jupiter 8, Programmed By] – Tars Lootens (tracks: A1,A2,B1,B5)
Synthesizer, Piano, Guitar [Acoustic & Electric], Organ, Accordion – Jean Blaute

Notes
Recorded at I.C.P. Studio, Brussels, Belgium 
Mastering done at Translab, Paris, France 
LP cover : Ever Meulen 

MILES INSPIRATIONS

QUARTET JANOT MORALES – MILES INSPIRATIONS 
Selection Records LP S 5135, BELGIUM, 1974

 A Miles Davis inspired LP by Belgian trompetist JANOT MORALES.  However, do not expect seventies Miles type of Funk Jazz, the music Janot Morales is inspired by is the “classic” Miles in the Ascenseur pour l’Echafaud style.

This album may be considered a rarity outside of Belgium but it still turns up occasionally in second-hand records stores in Belgium and on the web.  I actually bought an original copy last spring for less than 10 €, in a well-known second-hand records & bookshop, Rue du Midi, not far from the Grand Place.

I am quoting extensively from Janot Morales biography on Les Lundi d’Hortense.  It’s a bit of a names dropping exercise but you will realize that Janot Morales was no second-fiddle.  How many musicians do you know who played and recorded with a.o. Django Reinhardt, Albert Mangelsdorf, an Afro Rock Band (Black Blood) and a funk disco band (SSO)?

 Janot Morales (1919-1981), born and raised in a circus family, has made a long career in jazz music in Belgium.  In 1941 he joins the band of Fud Candrix.  Around and after WW II, he can be heard with Jeff De Boeck and his Metro Band, the big bands of Charlie Calmeyn, Bobby Naret, Stan Brenders, Gus Clark, Jean Omer, the Belgian All Stars Big band, etc...

In 1943, he joins the popular Ernst Van't Hoff band and in 1945 "The Internationals" (Jeff De Boeck).

In 1950, he joins the French band of Jacques Hélian (in which Sadi, Jean Warland, Kenny Clarke, Ernie Royal have participated).

Back in Belgium, he presents a quartet with Francis Coppieters (p), Jean Warland (b) and singer Mary Kay.  In 1956, he forms a big band, which plays at the Casino of Knokke and at the "Lido du Palace" in Brussels.

 He played all over Europe, and recorded a.o. with Django Reinhardt, Sadi, Hazy Osterwald Jetset, Scott Bradford (p), Jack Van Poll, Etienne Verschueren and Francy Boland.

He was a member of the big bands of Henri Seghers, Francis Bay and later joined Etienne Verschueren and the BRT Jazzorkest, where he stayed until the end. With that band, he played with numerous US and European solists, and for numerous composers and arrangers (Francy Boland, Bert Joris, Bob Porter, Freddy Sunder, Etienne Verschueren, Sadi, Michel Herr, to name just some Belgian names).  In 1976, he appears on 3 LPs (now reissued as a double cd) with the Francy Boland Orchestra : "Francy Boland-The Orchestra-Blue Flame-Red hot-White heat"(MPS 0602517643888).

He appears on Gasty Meyer's album "Changing Moods" with the Belgian All Stars Big Band featuring Benny Bailey & Toots Thielemans.   He appears on several tv shows and albums recorded by Sadi.

Janot Morales also recorded with the JJ Band (soul rock), Black Blood (Afro Rock), Johan Verminnen (Flemish rock), SSO (Funk Disco).

As a leader, he released only two albums

- Janot Morales et son orchestre" (Victory 11041, 1956)  (10’’)

- a quartet album titled "Miles Inspirations with Gus Decock, Paul Dubois, Garcia Morales (his son), an album I am pleased to post today.  

Some interesting trivia about this album:

The sleeve notes were written by the late Robert Pernet, discographer and drummer (Babs Robert Quartet, Raphael, Cos ,…).

The album was issued on the obscure Selection label, produced by Pierre Pletinckx who also produced legendary albums by Solis Lacus, Raphael and Mad Unity to name a few.  And it was re-issued in France on the legendary Montparnasse Label (of Janko Nilovic fame)

I told you it would be a names-dropping exercise.  Just reading these names should get your mouth watering …

Front cover for the French version on Montparnasse

Enjoy!  With thanks for the superb sound quality and sleeves scan to Wizard Paul D.

Tracks

A1 Crowded Traffic 4:06

A2 Trixie 4:32

A3 Pulsations 4:17

A4 Pick Me Up 4:30

B1 Prettily 4:56

B2 Strange Country 5:54

B3 Wawa-Kiri 5:35

Credits: 

JANOT MORALES :   TRUMPET / FLUGELHORN

GUS DECOCK            PIANO

PAUL DUBOIS            BASS

GARCIA MORALES   DRUMS