What with Steve Reid/Kieran Hebden Daxaar, Ben Lamdin’s Nostalgia 77 Octet and Impossible Ark Records (Examples Of Twelves, Max Grunhard) and even Build An Ark (2007 album of the year, Dawn there can’t be a better time to reissue two tracks that are 45 years apart?

You’ll recall Antoine Rajon’s Heavenly Sounds released a Anne Wirz version and a Four Tet (here’s the Hebdon link) remix of ‘Fable Of Guttenberg’ and the original has been on the ‘Must Have’ list ever since. Little chance of getting that (until now anyway) as Rajon tells us on the sleeve notes that Gilson originally released it as a 10” in 1962 with the a-side ‘Le Grand Bidou’ independently on his own label Spirit Jazz (taking a lead from Sun Ra here). It wasn’t only the punk DIY ethic he had in common with Sun Ra. With this free spirit, anything was possible and his band included electric and upright bass players with Lloyd Miller on a “home made” organ known as a balaphone.

Californian Miller travelled to Iran and Lebanon in the 50s before making his way to Europe and settling in Paris where he met Gilson. Between them they shaped this unusual mix of influences (for the time anyway). Restored from vinyl, even now it sounds fresh and vibrant; almost as cool as Ethiopiques cruising down the left bank of the Seine a la modal jazz.

The songs on side B are taken from Soul Of Africa, the album Jef Gilson did later with another American, Hal Singer and some Madagascan exiles. I’ll be getting my hands on that album as soon as I can, as on the strength of these two examples, it’s another masterpiece. It’s like all your birthday’s coming at once. Yeah baby, this is the brilliant Fly Global Music shit ‘Must Have’ of 2008!

Reviewed: Jef Gilson — Avec Lloyd Miller & Hal Singer (Kindred Spirits) Cat. No: KS RE 3-10 Format: Vinyl, 10” Limited Edition Release date: November 2007
Tracklisting:
A1 Jef Gilson Septet Avec Lloyd Miller — Le Grand Bidou (5:18)
A2 Jef Gilson Septet Avec Lloyd Miller — Fable Of Gutenberg (4:54)
B1 Jef Gilson Avec Hal Singer — Chant Inca (8:40)
B2 Jef Gilson Avec Hal Singer — Mother Africa (6:53)

Links:
www.kindred-spirits.nl
Gilles Peterson :: 11th October 2007 :: Moodymann takeover
Modern Jazz Gang — ‘Miles Before and After’ (Adventure)
Jay Electronica — ‘Voodoo Man’ (Test)
Jef Gilson Septet avec Lloyd Miller — ‘Fable of Gutenberg’ (Spirit > Jazz)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rive_Gauche
www.steve-reid.com
www.myspace.com/fourtetkieranhebden