Label: Evasion Disques – LP E 109
Series: Living Now - 1
Format: Vinyl, LP / Country: Switzerland – Press in France / Released: 1970
Style: Free Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Free Improvisation
Recorded on the 3rd of April 1970.
Layout – Studiopizz
Photography By – Alain Ogheri
Engineer – Stephen Sulke
Producer – Gaston Schaefer
A1 - Ndi'funa'imali ................................................................... 2:40
A2 - Noma'khephu .................................................................. 8:20
A3 - In Bubwe.......................................................................... 6:25
B - Nolilanga........................................................................ 18:40
Léon Francioli – double bass, conductor
Alan Skidmore – tenor sax and soprano sax
Pierre Cullaz – guitar
Pierre Favre – drums, percussion
Alain Petitmermet – drums, percussion
Léon Francioli (1946 to 2016) was a Swiss double bass player, was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, on May 22nd 1946. After studying piano and double bass at the Conservatory of Lausanne, he worked sessions in studios for mainly 'rock' and classical artists (he was also an accomplished cellist). As a founding member and lead guitarist of the instrumental group 'Les Aiglons', from 1963 to 1965 he recorded several LP-s with them for the record label 'Golf Drouot de Barclay'. In 1970 however, Francioli released his first solo record, under his name but with assistance from Alain Petitmermet, Pierre Favre, Pierre Cullaz and Alan Skidmore. Michel Portal played with him during concerts in Nantes and at the Châteauvallon Festival in 1972, the both of them assisted by Favre, plus Beb Guerin and Bernard Vitet. He then went on to play as a duet with Favre, and this continued until 1980...
... He later recorded and toured with artists such as Johm Tchicai, Albert Mangelsdorff (in 'Triple Entente'), Don Cherry, Radu Malfatti (in 'Humanimal'), and sometimes just solo. In 1982, Francioli co-founded the 'jazz' ensemble 'BBFC' (along with J F Bovard on trombone, Daniel Bourquin on reed instruments and Olivier Clerc on drums). In 1984, he played once more with Pierre Favre, and also collaborated with composer Stan Tracey on the film music for the movies "Les Petites Fugues" and "Le Bus...", as well as playing with various dance bands. In 1995, he won the "Grand Prix de la Fondation Vaudoise pour la Culture", and since 1991 had helped create music for many musical shows, including "Border Line", "Le Cirque", "Une Saison en Enfer", "Amnésie Internationale" and "Délices des Jardins...". He later formed a group along with Daniel Bourquin, called 'Les Nouveaux Monstres'. Léon Francioli died in Lausanne on March 9th 2016. He was 69.
"Nolilanga", his first album as a leader, one of his few recordings where is in completely gave himself and showed what is actually a master of the instrument. But even more is its intuitiveness and its disconcerting but liberating power at all consider a purely playful angle that will push him to exceed the limits imposed by the shackles of too strict education. The playground is the music itself in time as malleable material which everything can be said. The abstraction of "Ndi'Fuma'Imali" opening is a good example: the bass is not content to play the strings, he played the instrument himself ... playing companions are, it must be say, extremely well chosen too: two drummers, Alain Petitmermet and painfully exciting Pierre Favre, guitarist Pierre Cullaz and finally the brilliant British saxophonist Alan Skidmore who is known for his solo work and participation in many UK jazz fusion/prog groups, i.e; Soft Machine, Keith Tippett's Centipede, The Nice, Elton Dean's Ninesense, etc... "Noma'Khepu" holds the long beach where you can hear that on balance is a philosophy of life be put into practice collectively. Tumultuous and energetic, "Nolilanga" faithful representative of a current to the envied but not always understood precepts, tends to prove that harmony can also be born from chaos...
If you find it, buy this album!