Please note this is an old page and Fly Global Music has now moved. Please follow this link and search for the entry in the new site.

Unfortunately, he was late and I had to go early but judging by the packed shop, one way to get noticed is to have a younger talented singer/songwriter to play on a few tracks on your latest album. I suspect the young female emo types (in stark contrast with the Graham Collier event in the same shop earlier this year) were here to just see Ed Harcourt. On piano, acoustic guitar and vocals, he was the show in the shop with support from Truffaz and bassist Marcello Giuliani.

I heard enough with this raw line-up to go and buy the CD (and a couple of LPs, definitely worth a look in Ray’s when in Charing Cross Road and get a cuppa in the cafe). Now I’ve had it at home a while, the Harcourt tracks still stand out, especially ‘Red Cloud’ as he brings a Radiohead type quality to proceedings.

He also appears on ‘Snake Charmer Man’ and ‘Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner’ and apparently Harcourt teamed up with Eliza Carthy on the Sunday this year at the Wychwood Festival 2007 and he’s also helped out with Howie Beck in the past.

The title track is a soft Miles shuffle to gentle Medeski, Martin and Wood (great Hammond by Patrick Muller) before ‘L’un dans l’autre’ takes the tempo right down.

Don’t despair, ‘Akiko’ is a fusion jazz ‘n’ bass dancer (hey Simone, Jazz it up!) and the album returns to the cinematic again for the last track which lulls you nicely into going ‘round again to ‘Miss Kaba’.

All I knew of Truffaz was his appearance on the DJ Cam Remix of Donald Byrd’s ‘The Emperor’ (Blue Note Revisited) so this is a bit of an ear opener for me but one I’m more than happy with. Thanks Erik, Ed & Ray.

Oh! Nearly forgot; Arkhangelsk is a town in Russia and the cover is photo of a building in a town in Quebec designed by experimental architect, Richard Greaves.

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Akiko’, ‘Red Cloud, ‘Arkhangelsk’, ‘Miss Kaba’, ‘Les Nuits de Monsieur Naj’

Reviewed: Erik Truffaz - Arkhangelsk (Blue Note) Cat. No. 0946 3881102 2 Release date: May 2007
Tracklisting:
1 Miss Kaba (5:47)
2 Red Cloud (5:46) featuring Ed Harcourt
3 Trippin’ The Lovelight Fantastic (4:41) Vocals Nya
4 Snake Charmer Man (5:19) featuring Ed Harcourt
5 Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner (3:11) featuring Ed Harcourt
6 Les Nuits De Monsieur Naj (6:10)
7 Arkhangelsk (3:39)
8 L’Un Dans L’Autre (5:49) vocals Christophe
9 Akiko (5:28)
10 Entre Le Ciel Et L’Eau (3:13)

Links:
www.eriktruffaz.com
www.myspace.com/truffaz
www.edharcourt.com
Ray’s Jazz www.myspace.com/raysjazz @ Folyes first floor, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0EB
Jazz Cafe Erik Truffaz & Ed Harcourt www.jazzcafelive.com
www.myspace.com/simonejazzitup
About Richard Graves
JAZZ IT UP !!! with Simone Vimercati is available weekly www.radiopellenera.com
Playlist #103 from Tuesday 22nd May 2007
1. Cordovan “Highway 10 Blues” (2007 Lunaticworks Jazz)
2. Erik Truffaz avec Ed Harcourt “Red Cloud” (2007 Foufino Productions/Blue Note)
3. The Cinematic Orchestra “Child Song” (2007 Ninja Tune)