| April 2002 |  |
News, infos and CD reviews by Peter Böhi - your host and fellow smooth jazz aficionado |
| April 6, 2002 | |||||||||||||
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Paris Combo
Potzi - Guitar, (banjo) David Lewis - Trumpet, flugelhorn, piano, (string arrangements) Mano Razanajato - Bass, vocals François-François - Drums, percussion, vocals, diverse whistling Production : David Lewis-Paris Combo-Alain Cluzeau Paris Combo began performing regularly in Paris in 1995, playing in cafes, clubs and even barges on the river Seine. Belle du Berry, Potzi and François had already collaborated on a number of projects, mainly dedicated to music from the 30's and 40's and with the arrival of Australian-born David Lewis and Mano Razanajato, born in Madagascar, the band took on its present form. It is this eclectic line-up of global participants with varied musical and artistic influences that fuel the popular five-piece. Very few musical stones are left unturned when it comes to Paris Combo. True, the music of French gypsy guitar-legend, Django Reinhardt is an influence, especially in Potzi's playing, but varied sources of inspiration can be found in jazz, latin-music, 30's chanson, odd-meter rhythms from Eastern-Europe and more recent influences that merge to create a sound which is truly unique and contemporary.
Musically, Paris Combo is as creative as the lyrics they edify their listeners with. Be it an up-tempo toe-tapper or a moving heartfelt ballad, Paris Combo rely on some deft players to round out this winning combination. True to their jazz roots, Lewis, Potzi, FranÁois-FranÁois and Razanajato rely heavily on improvisation - being open to extemporaneous ideas provides a solid base from which to work. Nevertheless, their fusion of musical styles is not entirely jazz per se, and different cultures hear their music in different ways - for instance, in Paris you would find their music in the "Pop" section of your local record store, and in America or Australia it might be under "World Music". Paris Combo has attained a large following since forming in the mid-nineties. Releasing their eponymous first CD in 1997, Paris Combo established their popularity with constant touring of their homeland - in less than two years they played over 100 dates. By 1999, their follow-up release, Living-Room, allowed Paris Combo to expand their popularity in France, with a gold-record (over 120,000 copies sold) and in North America, with 4 extensive tours mixing festival, club and theater dates. Today, Paris Combo has taken their fusion of sounds as far-afield as Australia and to Asia, with performances in Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.
Lyrically Attraction is equal parts comical, surreal, love-songs, and occasionally even biting commentary. "Mais Que Fait la NASA", with it's ironic view of a world targeted by heavenly bodies, swings in an irreverant and hip-shaking way. "Trois Petits Points" talks about history repeating itself endlessly with an almost Philip Glass-like repetition. Humorously, du Berry tackles the pollution in Paris in "Lettre P... ", while "Danse des Esprits" allows space for bass, trumpet and guitar to breathe effortlessly in a seamless netherworld of phantoms. Du Berry further contemplates how life leaves traces on your soul the way hieroglyphics leave traces of existence on the walls of a cave ("Traits de Caractère") Truly contemplation has never sounded so sweet. A more appropriate title for Paris Combo's latest release would be impossible to create. For after just a few listens, their Attraction will be yours. Paris Combo will support the release of Attraction with a brief tour beginning April 23 in New York and will wrap up in Seattle on May 7. This will be the 5th time the group has been to the United States and fans are eagerly waiting their return. The Cleveland Free Times raves, “Though the lyrics, all penned by du Berry, were in French, her captivating performance broke down all language barriers.” They went on to say, “For the encore, the audience was on their feet, clapping, dancing, and singing along.” Tour dates are as follows: April 23 New York, NY Makor Order Attraction at CDnow or listen to sound samples. |
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| April 6, 2002 | |
| The search for our smooth jazz mystery songs continues. Please check out the list of songs to help identify the tracks Don taped over 10 years ago on the radio. A true challenge for any smooth jazz aficionado! |
