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Lewian View Drop Down
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    Posted: February 19 2023 at 03:58
Didier Malherbe turned 80 in January. This thread is meant as a celebration, also triggered by this find, a 2021 live video with him in it; and how good it is (although he is arguably not the main man there)!
Namely this:
Other than that, not sure how many people have followed him outside Gong, but he has done a lot of very interesting jazzy and progressive music. I may post a few more.

I also think his first solo album (Bloom, 1980) is very underappreciated. It's five stars for me.
In any case he is probably my favourite sax/flute man; he has a very characteristic and poetic way of playing and contributed to Gong big time.

Any music and thoughts welcome!


Edited by Lewian - February 19 2023 at 03:59
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moshkito View Drop Down
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Points: 17524 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 19 2023 at 07:14
Hi,

I always thought that the majority of GONG folks were not exactly average musicians, and that their work was special and really well played. To see it at his age, still doing this, beautifully, just shows how well suited he was to GONG, and just about anywhere he plays! Shows his abilities more than anything else.   ... ENDLESS!


Edited by moshkito - February 19 2023 at 08:03
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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cstack3 View Drop Down
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Points: 7272 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 19 2023 at 09:47
Thanks for posting!  I really enjoyed Bloomdido with Gong (esp. "You") and must explore his music further! 

I saw Gong in Chicago on two consecutive evenings at a smallish club, they were outstanding!!  Steffie Sharpstrings on guitar, Mike Howlett on bass, Allen & Babaloni Yoni etc.!! 
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Lewian View Drop Down
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Points: 14753 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 19 2023 at 10:17
Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to see Gong with Bloomdido. The shows in the seventies must have been great. I saw then in the nineties with Daevid Allen and Pierre Moerlen without woodwind at the time, and in 2022 fronted by Kavus Torabi with Ian East on sax and flute, who was very good and a worthy successor of Didier. The current lineup does a good job holding up the spirit really. Also Pierre Moerlen's Gong whom I liked a lot, but it was a quite different thing. I enjoyed all of these big time, but still it probably wasn't quite as surprising and fresh as they must have been in teh early days.


Edited by Lewian - February 19 2023 at 10:20
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Mirakaze View Drop Down
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Points: 4071 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mirakaze Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 20 2023 at 13:55
Those two songs are great! Good to see that the good count Bad de Grasse is still going strong (at least as of two years ago)
Freelance composer, accepting commissions | Bandcamp page
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Lewian View Drop Down
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Points: 14753 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 20 2023 at 14:09
Lots of nice stuff on yt from Didier's Hadouk Trio, several full gigs, all a joy. Here's one. Put on yt in 2017, but I don't actually know when this was recorded. They started around 1995. By the way their albums are listed here on Didier's page.
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Lewian View Drop Down
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Points: 14753 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 20 2023 at 14:13
Here's a June 2022 interview. "I had a problem with my mouth, so I changed instruments." He doesn't play sax anymore. Ermm But otherwise he seems just fine, quite some distance from end of the road. "I play every day." And quite a bit during the interview.



Edited by Lewian - February 20 2023 at 14:20
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Jacob Schoolcraft View Drop Down
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Points: 1073 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jacob Schoolcraft Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2023 at 22:13
Thanks for posting this. I've always enjoyed his playing ! The first time I heard him play was in 1973 and I was amazed. Not only is he a virtuoso type of player, but his sound was very important to GONG.
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moshkito View Drop Down
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Points: 17524 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2023 at 07:08
Hi,

It's really hard to put into words how neat and interesting this man is, and how he gets into the music and how he explains, even the simplest things about Gong, and Daevid.

Wonderful interview.
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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Jacob Schoolcraft View Drop Down
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Points: 1073 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jacob Schoolcraft Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2023 at 17:15
He has such a timeless tone!! It's amazing when he plays fast because the notes are like a waterfall. You can feel every note and it's just amazing how deep and pentetrating his playing is. He's incredibly skilled...yet so universal sounding. His phrasing is universal.
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