The second chapter of one of the most obscure set recordings by this amazing duo – singers Brigitte Fontaine and Areski, who you might know best from their work on the legendary Saravah Records at the start of the 70s! The work here isn't musical theater, but was instead recorded for French radio in 1973 – and is maybe even more experimental than some of the duo's other albums of the time – still this amazing blend of poetic lyrics, matched-up voices, and light acoustic instrumentation – but sometimes less song-based than at other points – with Fontaine really bringing a lot of subtle drama into her performance! The whole thing is beautiful – a much-needed addition to the small catalog of this legendary duo. Titles on this volume include "Les Murailles", "Apres La Guerre", "L'Ete L'Ete", "Il Pleut Sur La Gare", "Ragalia", "Les Borias", "Le Six Septembre", and "Les Petits Chevaux". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure recordings by this amazing duo – singers Brigitte Fontaine and Areski, who you might know best from their work on the legendary Saravah Records at the start of the 70s! The work here isn't musical theater, but was instead recorded for French radio in 1973 – and is maybe even more experimental than some of the duo's other albums of the time – still this amazing blend of poetic lyrics, matched-up voices, and light acoustic instrumentation – but sometimes less song-based than at other points – with Fontaine really bringing a lot of subtle drama into her performance! The whole thing is beautiful – a much-needed addition to the small catalog of this legendary duo – on titles that include "Le Silence", "Intermede Theatral Part 1", "Nous Avons Tant Parle", "Bali", "Le Dragon", "Six Septembre", "Eros", and "La Renarde Et Le Belier Touffu". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest albums ever recorded – a legendary meeting between the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and inventive French singer Brigitte Fontaine! The set was recorded at the end of the 60s in Paris, and it perfectly sums up all of the incredible energy bubbling out of the post-68 years – an openness to new music, new ideas, and new forms of expression – presented here in an open, honest way that only the Saravah label could muster! Fontaine's vocals are wonderful – soft-sung and spoken, with a style that's like that of a more artful and poetic Jane Birkin – and the backings from the Art Ensemble are some of their most sensitive ever – very balanced and conscious of sound, in ways that make us wish they'd recorded a lot more like this. There's never a dull moment on the record, and the set is honestly one of the reasons we first got into this business in the first place – the kind of life-changing record that's a real honor for us to stock. Frequent Fontaine partner Areski joins in on a few tracks, and titles include "Comme A La Radio", "L'Ete L'Ete", "Le Brouillard", "Tanka II", "Leo", and "Les Petits Chevaux". CD

One of the coolest albums ever recorded – a legendary meeting between the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and inventive French singer Brigitte Fontaine! The set was recorded at the end of the 60s in Paris, and it perfectly sums up all of the incredible energy bubbling out of the post-68 years – an openness to new music, new ideas, and new forms of expression – presented here in an open, honest way that only the Saravah label could muster! Fontaine's vocals are wonderful – soft-sung and spoken, with a style that's like that of a more artful and poetic Jane Birkin – and the backings from the Art Ensemble are some of their most sensitive ever – very balanced and conscious of sound, in ways that make us wish they'd recorded a lot more like this. There's never a dull moment on the record, and the set is honestly one of the reasons we first got into this business in the first place – the kind of life-changing record that's a real honor for us to stock. Frequent Fontaine partner Areski joins in on a few tracks, and titles include "Comme A La Radio", "L'Ete L'Ete", "Le Brouillard", "Tanka II", "Leo", and "Les Petits Chevaux". LP, Vinyl record album

A very unusual album from reedman Darius Jones – a special project dedicated to the legendary French vocalist Brigitte Fontaine, with vocals that definitely recall the singer at some of her most adventurous moments! Fontaine's no stranger to the racks at Dusty Groove – as we've loved her music for years – both under her own name, and collaborations with Areski and the Art Ensemble Of Chicago! This album's most like Brigitte's recording with the latter – as it features strongly expressive jazz passages from a group led by Jones on alto, with Matt Mitchell on piano, Sean Conly on bass, and Ches Smith on drums and percussion – fronted by French vocalist Emilie Lesbros, who really gets at the sort of poetry that Fontaine brought to her recordings, a style that's way more than jazz – and which interacts with the instrumentation both at a verbal and musical level. Titles include "Two Worlds One Soul", "Chanteuse In Blue", "Universal Translator", "Beneath The Skin", and "I Can't Keep From Weeping". CD

For those of you who've always loved the French pop side of Stereolab's electronic musings, this is a great single that has the band fronted by French pop legend Brigitte Fontaine (best know to DGA customers for her legendary recordings with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and Areski). The single features one track that has Fontaine singing with the group, and it's a haunting little ditty, with a great lilting feel that captures some of the slight funkiness that you'd find in classic French pop arrangements. The great Sean O'Hagan handled the brass arrangements for the track, with his usual genius pop flair! The flipside, "Cache Cache", features vocals and playing by Laetitia of the group – with assistance by Tim & Mary – and it's almost as great as the first track! CD

A really great collection of work from the legendary BYG/Actuel label – home not just to the famous avant jazz recordings that have made the company a legend, but also a host of other unusual sounds that don't often get the exposure they deserve! This collection finally gives that full range of BYG sounds their due – as it mixes some of the avant classics from Paris at the end of the 60s with other freely creative work from the French scene – including some great contributions from British artists who were as unbridled at BYG as the American musicians were with their jazz material! The set features tracks from the key years of the catalog – titles that include "Le Nouveau Monde" by Alice, "Terrestrial Beings" by Don Cherry, "Ancient Ethiopia" by Sun Ra, "Ragalia" by Areski & Brigitte Fontaine, "Le Cocotier (part 2)" by Coeur Magique, "Dexterity" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Time Of Your Life" by Daevid Allen, "Change The World" by Gong, and "Willing To Fight" by Aynsley Dunbar. LP, Vinyl record album

A far reaching collection of funk rock, experimental pop, jazz, psychedelia and spacey grooves from France's BYG label, compiled by the global underground purveyors at Finders Keepers – late 60s and early 70s material from Gong, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Alice, Brigitte Fontaine and Areski and many more! The the cultural fabric in flux after the '68 student riots, BYG put out some really tremendous and stylistically sprawling music, from free jazz laced with funk, to gritty French pop and rock and so much more. This set from Finders Keepers pulls together some real gems, and the liner notes provide some essential knowledge. A surefire keeper from Finders Keepers! 22 tracks in all: "Que Pouvons-Nous Faire Ensemble" by Alice, "L'Automne" by Francois Wertheimer, "Ca Va Faire Un Hit" by Brigitte Fontaine and Areski, "Mademoiselle Marie" by Coeur Magique, "Astral Abuse" by Alpha Beta, "Rock Out" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Stuffed Tomato" by Vangelis, "Bloody Rockers" by Joachim and Rolf Kuhn, "Mother Long Shanks (Oh Mother I Am Your Fantasy)" by Gong and more. CD

One of our favorite record labels of all time finally gets its due – in a wonderful package that not only brings together some of the coolest cuts from the legendary French imprint Saravah Records, but also tells the story behind the company and it's groundbreaking approach to music! Saravah was born from the fame of Francis Lai's soundtrack for A Man & A Woman (Un Homme Et Une Femme), and from the lyrical contributions of Pierre Barouh – but immediately after, the company began pursuing a musical path like no other – taking on strands of jazz, world music, and the hippest styles in France – and creating new music that was unlike anything that had ever been recorded! Some of the best moments from the legendary label are here – including tracks that have the Art Ensemble of Chicago working with singers – Marva Broome on "Mystifying Mama", Alfred Panou on "Je Suis Un Sauvage", and Brigitte Fontaine on "Comme A La Radio" – plus more titles that include "Monsieur Chimpanze" by Michel Roques, "Sicilienne" by Maurice Vander, "Delhi Daily" by Baroque Jazz Trio, "Le Bruit Et Le Bruit" by Beatrice Arnac, "EDF Power" by EDF, "Trane's Call" by Georges Arvanitas, "Saudade" by Pierre Barouh & Baden Powell, "Je Jouais Le Piano" by Jacques Higelin, "Desert Angel" by Cohelmec Ensemble, and "80 AB" by Areski. CD

One of our favorite record labels of all time finally gets its due – in a wonderful package that not only brings together some of the coolest cuts from the legendary French imprint Saravah Records, but also tells the story behind the company and it's groundbreaking approach to music! Saravah was born from the fame of Francis Lai's soundtrack for A Man & A Woman (Un Homme Et Une Femme), and from the lyrical contributions of Pierre Barouh – but immediately after, the company began pursuing a musical path like no other – taking on strands of jazz, world music, and the hippest styles in France – and creating new music that was unlike anything that had ever been recorded! Some of the best moments from the legendary label are here – including tracks that have the Art Ensemble of Chicago working with singers – Marva Broome on "Mystifying Mama", Alfred Panou on "Je Suis Un Sauvage", and Brigitte Fontaine on "Comme A La Radio" – plus more titles that include "Monsieur Chimpanze" by Michel Roques, "Sicilienne" by Maurice Vander, "Delhi Daily" by Baroque Jazz Trio, "Le Bruit Et Le Bruit" by Beatrice Arnac, "EDF Power" by EDF, "Trane's Call" by Georges Arvanitas, "Saudade" by Pierre Barouh & Baden Powell, "Je Jouais Le Piano" by Jacques Higelin, "Desert Angel" by Cohelmec Ensemble, and "80 AB" by Areski. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of work from the legendary BYG/Actuel label – home not just to the famous avant jazz recordings that have made the company a legend, but also a host of other unusual sounds that don't often get the exposure they deserve! This collection finally gives that full range of BYG sounds their due – as it mixes some of the avant classics from Paris at the end of the 60s with other freely creative work from the French scene – including some great contributions from British artists who were as unbridled at BYG as the American musicians were with their jazz material! The set features 15 tracks from the key years of the catalog – titles that include "Le Nouveau Monde" by Alice, "Terrestrial Beings" by Don Cherry, "Seventh Time Key" by Ame Son, "Duke" by Jacques Coursil, "Enchanted Wood" by Freedom, "Ancient Ethiopia" by Sun Ra, "Ragalia" by Areski & Brigitte Fontaine, "Le Cocotier (part 2)" by Coeur Magique, "Dexterity" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Sound Pool (part 1)" by MEV, "Time Of Your Life" by Daevid Allen, "Pan African Festival" by Clifford Thornton, and "Willing To Fight" by Aynsley Dunbar. CD

One of our favorite record labels of all time finally gets its due – in a wonderful package that not only brings together some of the coolest cuts from the legendary French imprint Saravah Records, but also tells the story behind the company and it's groundbreaking approach to music! Saravah was born from the fame of Francis Lai's soundtrack for A Man & A Woman (Un Homme Et Une Femme), and from the lyrical contributions of Pierre Barouh – but immediately after, the company began pursuing a musical path like no other – taking on strands of jazz, world music, and the hippest styles in France – and creating new music that was unlike anything that had ever been recorded! Some of the best moments from the legendary label are here – including tracks that have the Art Ensemble of Chicago working with singers – Marva Broome on "Mystifying Mama", Alfred Panou on "Je Suis Un Sauvage", and Brigitte Fontaine on "Comme A La Radio" – plus more titles that include "Monsieur Chimpanze" by Michel Roques, "Sicilienne" by Maurice Vander, "Delhi Daily" by Baroque Jazz Trio, "Le Bruit Et Le Bruit" by Beatrice Arnac, "EDF Power" by EDF, "Trane's Call" by Georges Arvanitas, "Saudade" by Pierre Barouh & Baden Powell, "Je Jouais Le Piano" by Jacques Higelin, "Desert Angel" by Cohelmec Ensemble, and "80 AB" by Areski. CD