Sunday, October 23, 2016

LÉON FRANCIOLI – Nolilanga (LP-1970 / Evasion Disques – LP E 109)




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.

 Alan Skidmore – tenor sax and soprano sax


"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!

15 comments:

  1. LÉON FRANCIOLI – Nolilanga (LP-1970)
    Vinyl Rip/FLAC+Artwork

    1fichier:
    https://1fichier.com/?vroybtip8d

    ReplyDelete
  2. my first at Francioli...a beautiful blast...thank you kindly...

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  3. thanks for the Francioli albums! Do you have LE BRUIT COURT and/or JOURNAL INTIME? I'm searching for them for ages...

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  4. I have Léon Francioli / Pierre Favre - Le Bruit Court ... (L'Escargot - SC 367) LP from 1976. By the end of the month or the beginning of November I will set my post, or you leave a link for you in the comments. I'll see, I have not yet decided ...

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  5. Thank you! I Know Francioli because he have played with the songwriter Michel Bühler, but I'm curious to discover his solo works...

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  6. Me again, I'm not Pierrot! So, do you like the Michel Roques - Chorus LP?

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    Replies
    1. Really great album, thank you once again. When I find some time I will try to improve the sound, and I will then send to you a clean version to listen to. A little bit I've already tested a tonal quality, appears to be might turn out all right.
      Down, please, write some pseudonym, so that I can immediately recognize whose comment.
      Cheers!

      Delete
  7. Just in case...

    I'M also looking for 2 more LP, because the tracklisting is not the same has my cd...

    -Brigitte Fontaine, Comme à la radio (with free jazz band Art Ensemble of Chicago) the edition including rarity song Chanson pour sa mère

    https://img.discogs.com/m-ejxFgHYpIpLxJMkDgC3eg_ZHI=/fit-in/600x542/filters:strip_icc%28%29:format%28jpeg%29:mode_rgb%28%29:quality%2890%29/discogs-images/R-654952-1427562995-6740.jpeg.jpg

    -Keren Ann, La disparition (including La rose de Washington Square)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi,

    I don't know where do you came from, but I'm also looking for this one: https://www.discogs.com/fr/Jean-Charles-Capon-LUnivers-Solitude/release/2526904

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you, Vitko. Appreciate your rip :-)

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  10. When you have a spare moment would you mind posting a fresh link to this album? Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Could you please re-up this, Vitko?

    ReplyDelete