Mobilisation Generale

Protest And Spirit Jazz From France, 1970-1976

Born Bad

Another knockout compilation by Born Bad (though Souffle Continu has the matter in hand).

‘In 1969, the Art Ensemble of Chicago arrived at the Théâtre du Vieux Colombier in Paris and a new fuse was lit. Their multi-instrumentalism made use of a varied multiplicity of ‘little instruments’ (including bicycle bells, wind chimes, steel drums, vibraphone and djembe: they left no stone unturned), which they employed according to their inspirations. The group’s stage appearance shocked as well. They wore boubous (traditional African robes) and war paint to venerate the power of their free, hypnotic music, directly linked to their African roots. They were predestined to meet up with the Saravah record label (founded in 1965 by Pierre Barouh), already at the vanguard of as-yet unnamed world music. Brigitte Fontaine’s album Comme à la Radio, recorded in 1970 after a series of concerts at the Théâtre du Vieux Colombier, substantiated the union of this heiress to the poetic and politically committed chanson francaise (Magny, Ferré, Barbara) together with the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s voodoo jazz and the Arab tradition perpetuated by her companion Areski Belkacem…’

• Alfred Panou & Art Ensemble Of Chicago - Je Suis Un Sauvage
• Brigitte Fontaine & Areski Belkacem - C’est Normal
• ATARPOP 73 & Le Collectif Le Temps Des Cerises - Attention... L’Armee
• RK Nagati - De L’Orient A L’Orion
• Frederic Rufin & Rapha l Lecomte - Les Elephants
• Francois Tusques - Nous Allons Vous Conter... (Intercommunal Blues)
• Mahjun - Nous Ouvrirons Les Casernes
• Full Moon Ensemble - Samba Miaou
• Baroque Jazz Trio - Orientasie
• Michel Roques - Le Cri
• Chene Noir - Hey
• Beatrice Arnac - Athee