Monday 23 May 2016

Jean-Pierre Debarbat & Dolphin Orchestra's Prologue (FRA 1977)




A remarkable piece of French fusion along the lines of my old favourite Transit Express-- clearly not as good, but nonetheless interesting to hear.  Notice compositions are by many, but mostly Debarbat and guitarist Frédéric Sylvestre who accompanied him on the next release, in 1980, with the wonderful title of Debarbat Rencontre Raterron Et La Planète Carrée (N.B.- not as good).

For those like me who didn't know him before he is described on discogs as saxophonist/clarinetist, composer, video and graphic artist (born 4 May 1952 in Montluçon, France).  Notice he is still performing here.

The great classic track is the first one called Oreve which is actually a composition by colleague Sylvestre:





As usual for the classic fusional style note the minor second arpeggiated patterns a la Asia Minor, the building intensity, the surprising and unexpected descending chord changes that dramatically excite the sound, the scoring of multiple instruments to provide layers of sound, etc.  The only thing missing here, though it's hardly a true drawback, is a moog synthesizer and a thicker, fuzzier, punchier or more masculine electric guitar sound.

On our next sample saddled with the uncomfortable name of Paraphernalia - Phase (again by Sylvestre!) the buildup on acoustic piano sounds a great deal like the gorgeous French epic fusion album by Francis Moze which I mentioned before I love so much (still thankfully available here, I think):





But if you stay tuned to the end of that track, there is a sudden smashing gorgeous uplifting progressive link that made me drop everything to listen to again and again.  Check it out.  Too bad there isn't more material like that to flesh out this album.




10 comments:

  1. This has been in my wishlist forever and it didn´t disappoint, thank you.

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  2. Thanks Julian, did you get what I sent to you yesterday?

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    Replies
    1. Julian, I have been meaning to ask you if you have the album with Mina Mina.

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    2. which album is that one?

      thanks for the stuff, yes I had them from long ago, but it's nice to hear it all again

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    3. Piero Umiliani‎– Mah Nà Mah Nà looking at discogs there were two versions a 7" and album version put on a disc in 1997 don't know what the original album was.

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  3. new upload
    https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/mqkc9k

    ReplyDelete