L'ORCHESTRE SYMPATHIQUE - EN CONCERT A LA GRANDE PASSE - 1979

L'OS (as they are frequently known) is a group that has roots into such ancient bands as Lasting Weep (early 70's and where Maneige also originated) but for some reason never managed to secure a recording deal. So sick of this situation that they decided to produce their own album themselves by organizing a concert where the entrance fee gave you the right to a copy of the album once it was released. Their contempt for the recording industry is well shown by depicting the Grammophon label and the famous His Master's Voice spoof cover. And on the inside sleeve was marked all of the co- producers of the album, most namely the name of everyone that attended the concerts (4 in all)>> this was certainly an original way to get their album done.

And what an album this baby is!!! Clearly this debut album certainly rivals with Maneige's best works both in their early style of les porches and the later style of Libre Service. Citronnade (lemonade) is an amazing showcase for François Ricard's flute talents and Vanasse's superb Vibe playing. Houmalaya is the first part of their fabled Tibetan philosopher (you get plenty of far-eastern influences) and this track alone was worth the price of admission to the concert: grandiose!! Even the obligatory drum solo is good and certainly not overstaying its welcome. Their jazz-rock is always on the verge of classical, ethnic, jazz and rock music >> true fusion if I ever heard it.

The second wax slice side is more of that superb same and is a feast for your ears. Lacs is a scorching beauty, with Vanasse's vibes taking the cake with Richard's flute being the icing. Stolow's funky-jazz bass is also at the forefront on this track. At the halfway mark of the track, they suddenly drop a stunningly quiet interlude sounding like the Swiss quartet Circus on Movin' On's Dawn, before suddenly picking up again: awesome is the word. Vanasse's playing is reminiscent of Circus Fritz Hauser. Perpetual Balouba is a very moody track traveling up and down the chilled-out spine - this track will get a much harder treatment in their following album. The album is closing on the absolutely delightful Biplane.

Certainly one of the more stunning debut album in jazz-rock around that tilme, this album is simply a must, especially if you love Maneige's best works. This album got a recent released by the excellent label ProgQuebec and strongly deserves encouragement by you buying this incredible album.
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Only a couple years into their existence, one can hardly accuse ProgQuébec of only releasing folky French Canadian prog and nothing else. This nascent label has reissued plenty of great folk-prog, to be sure, but then along comes a wildcard like this one: a breezy jazz-fusion album with nary a proggy tendency in sight (although, as the ProgQuébec website points out, there are detectable affinities to early Maneige). L'Orchestre Sympathique had a particularly ingenious way of funding their albums: not being able to afford studio time, they simply recorded their live shows and offered concertgoers a copy of the recording after the concert, paid for by part of their entrance fee.

More jazz outfits should give this distribution system a shot, especially as it could result in stellar recordings like this one being preserved for posterity. En Concert à la Grande Passe is a first-rate performance, featuring a solid rhythm section backing very active and agile lead work performed on flute and marimba. This instrumentation gives L'Orchestre Sympathique a fairly pastoral feel, and even when things get loud and intense, you're probably not going to piss off any neighbors with this stuff. Still, that's not to say this is all sweetness and light; "Perpйtuel balouba" opens with a surprisingly dissonant section, and the captivating opener "Citronnade" (my favorite piece on the album) shifts regularly between an easily flowing melody and more aggressive, percussive sections whose rhythmic intensity wouldn't be out of place on a zeuhl album.

I lack the references to adequately describe this group's type of jazz or compare them to similar artists, but be reassured that while the tone, in general, may be light, the end product is not one that comes anywhere close to fuzak or smooth jazz. En Concert à la Grande Passe may wear its charms on its sleeve, but its accessibility does not come at the price of depth. Not an all-time classic, but a nice find by ProgQuébec and a worthy pickup for fans of upbeat jazz fusion.
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