• Image of Alain Bellaïche - Sea Fluorescent (FFL063CD)

First ever reissue of highly sought after french jazz funk fusion nugget from Alain Bellaïche featuring, Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra), John Hicks (Strata-East) & Fabiano (Fabiano Orchestra).
Remastered from the master tapes.
Restored artwork + 12 page booklet & Obi Strip
Kirlian Effect EP bonus tracks exclusive to the CD version.

A Frenchman who is returning (but who we seem to discover!) from the USA is something unusual. Everything seemed to start out well for Alain Bellaïche: Born in Tunis, childhood in Cannes, studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, his first folk concerts folk in youngsters’ houses and clubs where everyone was well behaved …

Then, in 1973, he left for the States. Bellaïche would settled for around ten years, with, as a soundtrack, the two albums that he would record there. Metropolitain, which was the fruit of his collaboration with the Heldon guitarist Alain Renaud, and Sea Fluorescent. In the catalogue of Asylum, David Geffen’s first label, Bellaïche’s music was listed alongside that of the Byrds, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan.

In a Rock & Folk interview, Bellaïche expressed his regrets as to the prudence of French musicians: “I never had a group… perhaps the guys here are not motivated to play this kind of music”. We should note that the influences of our expatriate were, for example, Led Zeppelin, John McLaughlin, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, The Spencer Davis Group…

Bellaïche, a multi-faceted and iconoclastic musician, composed Sea Fluorescent just following his desires: from a cosmic ballad (St Andrea), to West Coast funk (California), dreamlike Spanish influences (Spanish Roots), optimistic blues (Foolin’ Myself), a solar track (I’m Angry, Sun Blues) … And the Frenchman was in good company: Jean-François Fabiano (from Fabiano Orchestra) on drums and percussions, Jerry Mahavishnu Goodman on violin on Got My Place In That Country, Wornell Jones on bass or John Hicks whose cascades of notes bring Reggae & Western closer to the ‘reassembled’ jazz that the pianist was playing at the time…

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Un Français qui nous revient (et même nous arrive !) des Etats-Unis, c’est quand même quelque chose. Tout avait pourtant bien commencé pour Alain Bellaïche : naissance à Tunis, enfance à Cannes, études à l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris, premiers concerts folk donnés dans des maisons des jeunes et des clubs où l’on sait se tenir…
Et puis, en 1973, c’est le départ pour « les Etats » : Bellaïche y habitera une dizaine d’années avec en guise de bande-son les chansons de deux albums qu’il enregistre là-bas : Metropolitain, né de sa collaboration avec le guitariste heldonien Alain Renaud, et Sea Fluorescent. Au catalogue d’Asylum, le premier label de David Geffen, la musique de Bellaïche côtoie celle des Byrds, de Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan…
Dans Rock & Folk, Bellaïche regrettera la frilosité des musiciens made in France : « Je n’ai jamais eu de groupe… peut-être que les mecs ici ne sont pas assez motivés pour jouer ce genre de musique… » C’est que les influences de l’expatrié ont pour noms Led Zeppelin, John McLaughlin, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, The Spencer Davis Group…
Musicien touche-à-tout et iconoclaste, Bellaïche compose Sea Fluorescent au gré de ses envies : ballade cosmique (St Andrea), funk West Coast (California), rêverie espagnole (Spanish Roots), blues optimiste (Foolin’ Myself), morceaux de soleil (I’m Angry, Sun Blues) … Et avec le Français, il y a du beau monde : Jean-François Fabiano (Fabiano Orchestra) à la batterie et aux percussions, Jerry Mahavishnu Goodman au violon sur Got My Place In That Country, Wornell Jones à la basse ou John Hicks dont les notes en cascade rapprochent Reggae & Western du jazz « remonté » que le pianiste joue à l’époque…

.Compact Disc.

souffle continu records · 09. Sea Fluorescent
souffle continu records · 04. Got My Place In The Country

©2020 SouffleContinu Records
Licenced from Alain Bellaïche
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