ALLÉE DES TILLEULS

The debut album from my favorite French Jazz-Funksters.

1. "Rock & Roll" (3:40) a great funk opener. The rhythm section is tight, the rhythm guitar and bass playing off each other so well, and a lead guitar bursting into the fore briefly, surprising me, as the song forms. Then the group singing lyrics with Marius Lorenzini in the lead (multi-layered?). Jean-François Bouchet d'Angélis' drumming is rock solid and well recorded. More fiery lead guitar in the second half. I never knew when French studios came into the possession of multi-track recording panels but Édition Spéciale definitely had access to one. (9.25/10)

2. "Rêve, rêve" (5:56) two funk rockers in a row! The French lyrics are sung this time by Marius with some lines backed by the rest of the group or sung as a group ensemble. Great foundation, the lead melodies and vocal melodies don't exactly win one over. Decent synth solo in the fifth and sixth minutes while drummer Jean-François responds with some flash and sass. (8.875/10)

3. "Tomorrow Mourning" (4:25) singing in English, with great Broadway musical-like harmony deliveries and awesomely catchy chord progressions and melodies--sounding a bit like a MAMAS & THE PAPAS song. Definitely a more pop-oriented song but it's so great: it could've/should've been a hit in the US! Great performances from the musicians! (9.25/10)

4. "Un coup je te vois" (6:32) a multi-part song with a little-cheesy group vocals that make it sound like a song from an Off-Broadway musical like Godspell or Pippen. The second part show some skill in the way the band convincingly transitions and shifts into a funkier motif but, when they try to shift back to the original motif it feels less smooth, more forced and unnatural. Then there are a couple of odd interlude-like shifts in the very middle. Despite continued wonderful--sometimes amazing--musicianship, it's a song that seems to be struggling a little too hard for an identity. (8.75/10)

5. "Tu naîtras demain" (5:28) opens with a melodic VAN MORRISON-like jazz piano chord play over which Ann blesses us with her beautiful singing voice. So many cool little elements of this song that help offset the cheesy ones. (9/10)

6. "Marie qui te maries!" (4:25) a cool, complex-yet-simplified, fun funk-lite song with group vocals that make one smile (and even laugh). Great play with lots of subtleties from all of the musicians. Rated up for its fun-factor. (9.125/10)

7. "Mr Business" (2:58) more great funky melodic hypnotic Jazz-Rock Fusion funneled into the form of a pop song. (9/10)

8. "Allée des Tilleuls" (3:45) now here's the Jazz-Rock Fusion! A skillful, rollicking instrumental that offers a sneak preview of things to come! Great "underwater" bass solo from Josquin Turenne Des Prés in the fourth minute. From there out it speeds along like something from a Mahavihsnu or RTF album. (9/10)

Total Time 37:09

Though the music on this album shows a band with some very skilled musicians--and some definite jazzy/sophisticated arrangements--the album is totally oriented toward more radio-friendly audiences. Even so, and despite this not being a true Jazz-Rock Fusion album--I really, really like it! This is upbeat, happy-go-lucky music that I absolutely love to have in my life. I could listen to this album and band (and Ann Ballester's voice) all day long! And the album has the great sound production that one would expect of any American or German album coming out in 1976. My biggest (and pretty much only) complaint about the album--its weakness--is in the recording and sound presentation of the vocals. The musicians are so good--they have such a great grasp on what funk and rock blended together should sound like.

A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of high-quality pop-oriented Jazz-Rock Fusion. Despite some amazing whole-group instrumental skill and compositional acumen on display, I just can't award this album a full "masterpiece" status.

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