Исполнитель: Transit Express
Откуда: France
Альбом: Priglacit
Год выхода: 1975
Жанр: Jazz Rock/Fusion
Формат: MP3 CBR 320
Размер архива: 103 МB
This group started as a back up of one of the most secretive but highly regarded singer of La Chanson Francaise, Yves Simon, but soon decided to form their own career in parallel to their monetary occupations. The standard prog quartet was lead by keyboardist Perathoner and they recorded in Herouville their first album, Priglacit, in 75 and released it through Y Simon’s label RCA Balance and they developed a good jazz-rock that’s somewhere between MAHAVISHNU and BRAND X. They were joined by US violinist David Rose for their second album the aptly titled Opus Progressif. By the time of their third album’s release Couleurs Naturelles in 77, their jazz-rock had veered more PONTY-esque (understandably so with the violin), but sadly this was to be their last (but excellent) album. All three albums were released on the French RCA label and all three albums have been re-issued in the CD format on the Piano Bass Music Label under Perathoner’s supervision. Perathoner also released later a solo album, which features its author solo on piano, but played as guest on many projects and albums. David Rose went on to Catherine RIBEIRO & ALPES. During one of the timeout in Yves Simon’s schedule, his backing band profited from the spare time to record their first album. Indeed this was quite quick (6 days in mid-May at Studio Davout), because they had had time to prepare it, and where even playing their own numbers at soundchecks of the singer’s tours. The standard prog quartet developed an excellent jazz-rock that was rivalling the classic-driven Mahavishnu Orchestra, where the songwriting was fairly evenly spread out between the four accomplished musicians, although I wouldn’t call them seasoned veterans. On a Spanish scale, you could place them between Fusioon’s first two albums and Iceberg’s jazzier opus like Coses Nostres. The artwork might induce you to think the group is very percussive, but the sound is very much balanced. 14 relatively short tracks (max 3’40») that meddle into one giant number. In some ways, you’d guess that the tracks written by drummer Bouvier are more rhythmic, but then once they morph into bassist Guselli- written ditties, they don’t necessarily become funky. As the short tracks keep speeding by, the listener is never bored, because they (tracks) are all very different and never repeat themselves. Their jazz-rock is still fairly academic, but complex, melodious and subtle finesse. An excellent but short debut album that did not go unnoticed in the French jazz scene, Priglacit (no idea as to what the title means) is probably the best introduction to Transit Express’ music, but you can’t go wrong by choosing anyone of their three opus. And when this is the case, it’s best to start chronologically.
Tracks:
01. Priglacit — 2:48
02. Drousia (I) — 1:41
03. Drousia (II) — 1:01
04. Contrat-Session — 2:25
05. Planerie — 2:20
06. Bahar — 2:17
07. Contradiction — 0:47
08. Ludion — 1:38
09. Wanda — 3:41
10. Vinitier — 1:45
11. Connection — 1:13
12. Flaure — 1:57
13. Coexistence — 3:37
14. «lLS» — 2:22
Personnel:
Christian Leroux — acoustic & electric guitars
Jean-Claude Guselli — electric bass
Serge Perathoner — keyboards, synthesizer
Dominique Bouvier — drums, percussion
