JOUE SA MUSIQUE

BdB's sole release dates from 06, but was recorded in 79 and 81 in Strasbourg by a bunch of musicologist students. By some kind of miracle, Bertrand Gueffier's most exquisite label Musea managed to unearth this absolute masterpiece of Chamber Rock, gracing it with aerial artwork.

As a trio, Bise De Buse was really a chamber rock or chamber jazz group and as such, their music is among the best of the genre, even if their line-up does not allow all the freedom that their previous quintet line-up had given them. This is quite obvious with the two tracks where Gong's Didier Malherbe and violinist Louis Merlet appear as guests, and the group's possibilities are simply exploding. Not that the rest of the tracks are far behind, quite the contrary. If you are a fan of the cello instrument, you can only be overjoyed, because you get plenty of it, along with some delicious baritone sax, throughout the album. Throughout the album, you'll recognise some lesser-unknown themes, such as Steve Miller's (UK, not US) Chocolate Fields. The group develops some very entertaining chamber music, most notably the heart-stopping Gambang and its predecessor the cute Sax-Cello.

Comes as a first bonus track, another take of Valse A Cinq Temps, dispensable maybe, but far enough time-wise from the other take not to sound double. The rest of the bonus tracks are maybe the most interesting of this release: they date from 79 when the group was a quintet, and if sonically not perfect (these were basement recordings), they are highly enjoyable, especially the Soft Machine's K&Q and Gong's very own You Can't Kill Me. Immediately the electric bass picks the group on flying carpet, and Dosdat's Fripp/Pinhas-ian guitar mixed with Michel's winds are stealing the show from Spielmann's Fender Rhodes, giving Tex a Nucleus feel. Indeed, the group's discovery of Canterbury bands and other prog acts of those days, where influencing them beyond reasonable limits: K&Q is not only a homage, but e reverence to their inspirational heroes. The following almost 9-min Errance (iffy on some passages sound-wise) is a fantastic jazz-rock tune that could come from early 70's England. The closing instrumental version is a great wink to GonG.

Although Bise De Buse's sole album is not exactly essential music, even in the RIO/Avant field, I am not the least concerned with my four star rating, because if you are a fan of the genre, this is an highly enjoyable disc, even if the better moments are not impeccable sound quality. .