đčđ·đ„đŹđ”đ¶Â In the Jean-Marie family, everyone’s a musician, and above all, everyone’s talented. So, yes, Alain is the best-known brother, having traveled the world and played with all the big names in jazz for some sixty years (already!!!). But Patrick, the younger brother, is also an excellent pianist, who made a major contribution in Guadeloupe to the blossoming of gwoka and free jazz fusion, starting in the late 70s, in the wake of GĂ©rard Lockel’s work. His records are generally impossible to find, and sometimes his recordings have not even been burned. In 2023, diggin’ Mambo Chick had the bright idea of reissuing these treasures, on her own label Symbole Records, set up for the occasion. On Atika Live, Patrick Jean-Marie is accompanied by his brothers Toto and Daniel, for a live recording made by RFO in 1982. After Dual’s energetic opener, we plunge into deep soul jazz with De Bougie, led by Daniel Jean-Marie’s flute over Gaston AngĂšle’s swaying gwoka. The machine is revived with LibĂ©tĂ©, which gives space to Christian Mathurin and Jean-Louis FrĂ©cinat’s boulas, and Patrick’s luminous choruses. Behind them, the rhythm section features Toto Jean-Marie on bass, Jean-Pierre Sabine on percussion, and the inescapable Eric Danquin on drums. I’m partial to the deep groove of Die Soleil, which spans two-thirds of Side B, and is reminiscent of the spirit of GwakasonnĂ©’s AlgĂ©rie 62.
Atika Live – Patrick Jean-Marie, 1982
le Bananier bleu
