RE-POST- modern big bands and a few other things

Some Big Band Re-posts:

- Jean-Loup Longnon 's CYCLADES (France).

- Upsalla Big Band (Sweden):

The KICKS BAND (US)

Ernest Wiehe 10-pieces jazz ensemble (Mauritius)

Full Faith & Credit Big Band (US)

NOJO   (Canada ... absolutely superb, don't miss it this time).

Fra Fra Big Band (NL + members from US, Uk, NL Antilles, Surinam, Mexico ...)

Etienne Verschueren & BRT Jazz Orkest (Belgium)

Other things ...

Brand New Orleans (NL)

CYCLONIC WOMAN

GLEN TERRY – CYCLONIC WOMAN (Mauritius, 1998)

In December last year, I posted an album by Mauritian saxophonist and band leader, Ernest Wiehe.

Today we’re revisiting Mauritius but this time for a blues / funk album.  The leader, Glen Terry, is originally from India (or is it Sri Lanka?) but he resided and worked in Mauritius during the late Nineties.  This album was recorded with the cream of Mauritian blues / funk musicians. Actually the rhythm section is a pure joy: Mike Armoogum on bass, Maurice “Momo” Manancourt on drums. Damien Elisa is on keyboards in all but two tracks where he is replaced by sega-jazz virtuoso Gaetan Alkoordoss.  These blokes are cookin’.  Just listen to the swingin’ instrumental “G.Raff”.

All these guys have gained their credentials playing with some of the biggest names in Mauritian music (a.o. Seggae  legend Kaya).  This is not a standard run-of-the-mill blues album., it swings!  And all the songs are originals.

A very passionate, soulful entertainer, Glen Terry (vocals/guitar) has entertained people around the world. A musical journey has taken Glen from his birthplace in India to five star hotels in Cairo, Egypt in the mid-eighties; blues festivals and tours to Tokyo, Japan in the nineties; and performances in Kenya, Mauritius, Thailand, Dubai, Sri Lanka to his adopted home in Australia where he settled in 1988 and became an Australian citizen.




Tracks:

1.      Like a rainbow

2.      All I need is you

3.      Cyclonic Woman

4.      Come back Darlin’

5.      Real Gone Cat

6.      Maurice

7.      Sugar Blues Express

8.      Dad,Dad,Dad (you’re no fun at all)

9.      G. Raff (Giraffe)

Credits:

Glen Terry                                          guitar / vocals

Mike Armoogum                                Bass

Damien Elisa                                      Keyboards

Gaetan Alkoordoss                            Keyboards (8-9)

Momo Manancourt                            drums & percussion

Atelier MOZART (Mauritius)

Jose Therese, saxophonist & educator

 If you’ve enjoyed the Ernest Wiehe 10-piece Jazz  Ensemble posted earlier on this blog, you may wish to learn some more about the Mauritian Jazz scene and especially about Atelier Mozart, a fantastic Jazz School founded some 15-years ago by saxophonist José Thérèse – with some assistance from the EU Delegation and other donors at the beginning,  to purchase instruments.  The project aims specifically at training young kids from underprivileged neighborhood in playing an instrument and becoming professional musician and jazz performers.

The result is absolutely amazing!

I’ve found a couple of videos on Youtube and this website from photographer Julien Girardot with superb photos (here).

I used to catch them playing live every Saturday at the Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis when I was living in Mauritius in the early '00s.

Here they are playing some funky stuff you'll easily recognize. 

According to Jose Therese, they are in dire need of sponsors!

If there ever was a development initiative worth suppporting, here it is.

There is an excellent interview of Jose Therese in French here 

A tribute to the late Ernest Wiehe, composer, arranger, saxophonist, pianist, educator, architect, painter and great Mauritian (1944-2010).

Ernest Wiehe (left) - Philip Thomas (right) (source: L'Express)

The name “Mauritius” usually conjures image of a tourist paradise with sandy tropical beaches, never ending fields of sugarcane, , sega dancers, rum cocktails, gateaux-piments, dhal puree and spicy curries. A multi-cultural country with a mixture of people originating from Asia, Africa and Europe … however, Mauritius is rarely associated with Jazz.  Being a “jazz” musician in Mauritius means most of the time playing Hotel California and other chestnuts to entertain hotel guests around the pool or the barbecue.  And don’t try to be inventive with those songs, play them straight, we don’t want our tourists to be unsettled by adventurous versions of familiar tunes.  Not the most exciting environment for a creative musician and it’s not surprising therefore that many Mauritian musicians choose to emigrate to UK, France, Australia or South Africa to try to make a career.

Despite this situation, there is a small group of dedicated jazzmen living in Mauritius.  They don’t make a living playing jazz, they do have other jobs:  they may teach, many work the hotel circuit but when they decide to get together and play jazz, they can really swing.  The catalyst of this small jazz scene was for a long time the saxophonist, composer, arranger, educator Ernest WIEHE (pronouced "Vee-Hay") who died on June 3, 2010 after a courageous battle with cancer. 

He was 66. Wiehe had performed with his quintet just weeks prior to his death.

After studying Architecture in South Africa, Ernest attended Berklee in Boston and graduated in ’73. After finishing his studies, he became a Berklee faculty member, founded the Boston Jazz Orchestra, and played freelance gigs with Cab Calloway, among others. In 1978 he returned to Mauritius and supported his musical endeavors by selling his impressionist paintings and working as an architect. He drew on the sounds of his Indian Ocean island country to create a musical style that integrated jazz with Indian, Creole, and European elements of the Mauritian culture. Additionally, Wiehe scored the film Benares; released several self-produced albums; and penned arrangements for the Cambridge, MA, ensemble Pocket Big Band and for Belgian saxophonist Steve Houben a.o. 

ERNEST WIEHE 10-PIECE JAZZ ENSEMBLE (MAURITIUS, 2002).

This album was recorded in 2002 and features an all-Mauritian jazz ensemble playing compositions by Ernest Wiehe and his arrangements of standards.

Didn’t say (Neto Masa 91082-2)

Ernest Wiehe 10-piece Jazz Ensemble : Philippe Thomas, Georges Reed (tp) Ernest Wiehe (ss,as) Jean-Noël Ladouce, Ludovic Matombé (ts) José Thérèse (bar) Belingo Fato (p-1) Noël Jean (p-2,synt-3) Ricardo Thélémaque (synt-4) Gino Chantoiseau (b) Christophe Bertin (d)

Recorded in Ernest’s home in Ferret-Mapou, Mauritius, between November 2001 & March 2002

Track lists

1.      Oliver’s dance

2.      Love is here to stay

3.      Triste

4.      Didn’t say

5.      Karlo’s bucks

6.      Stolen moments

7.      Thanks G.T.

8.      Workshop blues

9.      Sweet poison

10.  Unexpected feelings

11.  All the things you are

World-class exciting modern big band!  Very highly recommended and, to the best of my knowledge, not available anywhere else on the blogsphere.  Give it a listen!

Ernest Wiehe lance “Didn’t say” au Conservatoire François Mitterrand  

(15 Nov 2002)

Ambiance de tonnerre, en cette soirée du 14 novembre, au Conservatoire François Mitterrand, pour le lancement de “Didn’t say” du jazzman mauricien, Ernest Wiehe. Le groupe, composé uniquement de Mauriciens, a fait vibrer le public au rythme des “ten pieces” qu’il a proposés. En effet, la salle était pleine à craquer. L’organisation a même dû faire provision de chaises supplémentaires pour permettre aux fans de jazz de savourer de l’authentique musique. Accompagné du célèbre trompettiste Philip Thomas, que Wiehe qualifie “d’irremplacable”, et d’une brève mais remarquable apparition de Berlingo Faro, le pianiste le plus renommé de l’île,

I was very lucky to attend this memorable concert.

Ripped from my original CD.  Link in the comments (320 + cover scans) .