Seminal sounds from the Parisian jazz community of the early 70s – a scene that had as much late 60s revolutionary energy as the American one – and which steps forth here in a beautiful blend of righteous themes and really far-reaching styles! The politics of the set are obvious from the cover and title – but there's also a deeply spiritual feel, too – that same sense of searching in the post-Coltrane generation of the US, but played out in a host of very different ways that make the music a great new discovery! American musicians interacted heavily with French jazz players in the post-1968 scene – and you can definitely hear that influence at work, mixed with other creative European modes that really give the music a special cross-cultural feel. Some key elements of the post-colonial scene are at play as well – and titles include "De L'Orient A L'Orion" by RK Nagati, "Attention L'Armee" by Atarpop 73 & Le Collectif Le Temps Des Cerises, "Samba Miaou" by Full Moon Ensemble, "Le Cri" by Michel Roques, "Hey" by Chene Noir, "Athee Ou A Te" by Beatrice Arnac, "Nous Ouvrirons Les Casernes" by Mahjun, "Je Suis Un Sauvage" by Alfred Panou & Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and "Les Elephants" by Frederic Rufin & Raphael Lecomte. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

The debut album by a guitarist who might well go into the realm of the classics – as he plays here with a sense of care and balance of tone that's very much his own – handling a hollow-body electric with a sound that's simply stunning from the very first note! Hugo Lippi isn't one of those "too clean" guitarists from the vintage years – as he loves to get some richer sounds out of the guitar, while also never rasping the strings or pushing distortion at all either – always playing with a sense of clarity that's great, while also touching on the complexity of acoustic players with an effortless touch! Lippi handles his instrument with the skills of Baden Powell or Paco DeLucia – although he sounds nothing like either of them – while also using the electric side of the instrument to effortlessly create amazing colors throughout. Titles include "A Child Is Born", "Reflections In B", "Land Of Hope & Glory", "Girl", "La Ballade De Johnny Jane", "Be Yourself", "Choros No 1/Bossa Antigua", and a surprising medley of "Wuthering Heights/Babooshka". CD