Barney Wilen ~ Moshi 2xLP [Saravah, 1972] 320 kbps

SH 10028.10029

A1. Moshi 17:00
A2. Guilde's Song To Binkirri 2:55

B1. Gardenia Devil 6:00
B2. 14 Temps 4:50
B3. Bamako Koulikaro 3:50
B4. Afrika Freak Out 6:20

C1. Zombizar 7:20
C2. El Hadji 0:24
C3. Chechaoun 12:00

D1. Tindi Abalessa 10:25
D2. El Hadji 1:00
D3. Balandji In Bobo 3:06
D4. Sannu Ne Gheinyo 5:20
D5. El Hadji 0:20



Barney Wilen - tenor sax
Michel Graillier - electric piano
Pierre Chaze - guitar
Simon Christian Tritsch - electric bass
Micheline Pelzer - drums
Didier Leon - takamba - oud
Caroline de Bendern, Marva Broome, Babeth Lamy, Laurence - vox
Composer - Barney Wilen [trx: B1, B4, C1, D4], Caroline De Bendern [trx: B1, C1, D4]
Producer - Pierre Barouh
Recorded By - Daniel Vallancien

Gatefold cover. Recorded in Studio Saravah. "Gardenia Devil" is taken from a poem of the chinese people. All other uncredited composed by tracks based on traditional folk songs.

'In 1970 Barney Wilen assembled a team of filmmakers, technicians and musicians to travel to Africa for the purpose of recording the music of the native pygmy tribes. Upon returning to Paris two years later, he created Moshi, a dark, eccentric effort fusing avant jazz sensibilities with African rhythms, ambient sound effects and melodies rooted in American blues traditions. Cut with French & African players including guitarist Pierre Chaze, pianist Michel Graillier and percussionist Didier Leon, this is music with few precedents or followers, spanning from extraterrestrial dissonance to earthbound, streetlegal funk.Wilen pays little heed to conventional structure, assembling tracks like 'Afrika Freak Out' & 'Zombizar' from spare parts of indeterminate origins' ~ amg

'A wild and groundbreaking record recorded by the great French tenor player Barney Wilen! Although he got his start as a bebopper in the 50's, Wilen sort of dropped out of sight by the end of the 60's and only emerged from time to time to cut strangely experimental sides. This record is unlike anything he ever made, and features a wild mix of African rhythms, ambient sound, and Wilen's deep deep tenor. By this point, Wilen had been absorbing a lot of different influences, from Coltrane, to Pharoah Sanders, to some of the European free players, and his sound is a weird mish mash of styles that weaves in and out of all the stuff on the record. It's a haunting bit of afro jazz & funky noise, with some cuts that are spacey, and others that are nice and funky.' ~ dusty

lately when i make a new jazz discovery, assimilate the sounds & decide i might wanna spread the gospel to you good peeps, a quick search in the engine reveals many a classique joint was owlready ushered into interwebular consciousness by one of several seminal jazz blawgs, whose illuminating arkhives will spread yer awareness like a fan. unfortunately, i seem to be about 3 years too late on some of the links when i trawl thru the backpages, but occasionally stumble upon a few rips in a roundabout way. thus, i am excited to bring you yet another pearl from the essential orgy in rhythm dustbin, on the groundbreaking saravah imprint. bacoso sez: 'Completely bonkers mash up of afro to free jazz with field recordings and vocal harmonies - out there and all the better for it. Recommended.' & eyed hafta humbly concur with that assessment. dear professor leary from a few years earlier comes highly recommended as well. 320 remerciements à la révélateur d'origine. further

Baroque Jazz Trio LP + 7" [Saravah, 1970]

SH 10 004 LP
A1 Delhi Daily
A2 Terre Brulée
A3 Chandigardh
A4 Latin Baroque
B1 Zoma
B2 Cesar Go Back Home

SH 40006 7", 45 RPM
A Orientasie
B Largo

Cello [Violoncello] - Jean-Charles Capon
Drums - Philippe Combelle
Harpsichord - Georges Rabol



'Beautiful stuff – and one of the most stunning jazz albums ever recorded – a blinding mix of harpsichord, cello, and Indian percussion – with a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of! The album was the brainchild of the cross-culturally fertile Saravah records at the end of the 60s – home to experimental work by Brigitte Fontaine, Barney Wilen, The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and others. From the start, the group wanted to work in a boundary-less territory that really pushed the limits of jazz – drawing in inspiration from world music, and working in a style they called "baroque", to emphasize the bizarreness of their project. Given the heavy use of tabla on the set, the album's got a really driving rhythmic component – making for some funky numbers that have been sought-after jazz-dance tracks for years. And the role of the harpsichord is surprisingly strong – played in almost modal lines, but with a hesitating, lilting groove that's quite different to similar use of the piano at the time.' - crusty groove hype

seen this one kickin around the interwebs of yore, but couldn't find an active link anywheres & since i'm on a saravah kick, it seemed appropriate that this one ought live here as well. don't need justification for being piratical, but honour must exist even amongst thieves. we try not to post albums easily available elsewhere unless we can somehow improve upon em, as life's too short to be redundant & there remains plenty with zero representation in the greater grokosphere. harpsichord, violincello, traps, tablas & even a bit o' jazz flute fire :) 320 remerciements à the og artists, label & uploada

VA ~ La Cave Saravah: Une Compilation D'Oeuvres Rares Et Inedites [1966 to 1980] Par Love Poulbot

01. Intro ~ Pierre Barouh
02. La Nuit De Mon Amour ~ Pierre Barouh
03. La Maison Du Café ~ Brigitte Fontaine
04. Ode To Maffen ~ Chic Street Man
05. Ntçe Ngani ~ Pierre Akendengue
06. Le Moral Nécessaire ~ Alfred Panou
07. For All We Know ~ Marva Broome
08. Colompin' ~ Cohelmec Ensemble
09. Le Tango ~ Jacques Higelin
10. Ooh La La ~ Champion Jack Dupree
11. Berimbau ~ Trio Camera
12. Pause Café ~ Jean-Charles Capon
13. Le Temps ~ Michel Roques
14. 80 A.B. ~ Areski
15. Musique Pour Publicité ~ Olivier Bloch Lainé
16. Killy ~ Nicole Croisille
17. E.D.F. Power ~ Electronic Distorsions Of France
18. Piège ~ Jean-Philippe Goud
19. Un Homme Qui Me Plaît ~ Francis Lai
20. Sur Un Banc, Sous La Pluie ~ Dominique Barouh
21. Fille Du Soleil ~ Francis Lai
22. Solstice ~ Catharsis
23. Cyclothimie ~ Daniel Vallancien
24. Outro ~ Pierre Barouh



'Some of the rarest work from one of the coolest labels of all time – the legendary Saravah Records, home to a groundbreaking array of jazz, African, folk, blues, and French pop material! The company was started back in the 60s by singer Pierre Barouh with monies made from his work on Un Homme Et Une Femme – & although the label never produced many records, it's continued a 40 year legacy of creative releases that still push the boundaries of modern music! We carry some of the classics in the Saravah catalog, and this unusual set is a great compliment to its more famous titles – as it features singles, side projects, and rare live recordings that further expand our understanding of the Saravah genius, all presented in one beautiful genre-jumping package!' ~ crusty groove hype

best cover art in the universe award? haha, there's no accounting for aesthetic taste sometimes. the tunes on the other hand are uniformly good & the sequencing makes for superior listening. much of this is olde news i guess as several of the entire albums have been previously 'blogged', but if you're a bit out of your depth when it comes to the wonderfully eclectique saravah imprint, this is a fabulous way to trace the source recordings from any artists you might find interesting. i've also thoughtfully linked some of the applicable albums to their respective uploads in the traquelist above. further

Brigitte Fontaine ~ Est... Folle LP [Saravah, 1968]

A1 Il Pleut 2:32
A2 Le Beau Cancer 1:59
A3 Il Se Passe Des Choses 3:34
A4 Une Fois Mais Pas Deux 2:45
A5 L'Homme Objet 1:30
A6 Éternelle 2:23

B1 Blanche Neige 3:30
B2 Comme Rimbaud 1:53
B3 Dommage Que Tu Sois Mort 2:25
B4 Je Suis Inadaptée 2:41
B5 Cet Enfant Que Je T'Avais Fait 4:25

Arranged By - Jean-Claude Vannier

i am rather enamored of this lady in general, but this particular lp is a recent discovery. together we'll find out if it stands the test of time & warrants repeated listening, but it's a pretty sexy slice off the top if you axe me. arranged by the same brother who orchestrated histoire la melodie nelson. the recording is over 40 years old & still sounds fresh to these ears, tho i was warned to ignore the last song & i must urge you, dear reader, to do likewise. apart from that tiny disclaimer, the arrangements are pretty innovative, the lyrics humorously bizarre & dear brigitte is in fine voice. 320 remerciements à solipse