Migan, Jazz with a West indian Soul – Louis Xavier & Ladja, 1981

In 1981, bassist Louis Xavier released Migan, under his own name and that of his band Ladja, named after the choreographed martial art originating in Martinique. The recipe for this Migan is unbeatable: a melting pot of Creole jazz with Latin and funk accents. It features several members of his other band, Synchro Rhythmic Eclectic Language – with whom he accompanied Franck Valmont – Guinean saxophonist Jo Maka, and St-Yves Dolphin on percussion and drums. However, in a slight departure from Georges-Edouard Nouel, Alain Jean-Marie and Jean-Louis Bucchi are on piano and keyboards. The cast also includes Gérard Curbillon, José Ultet, Alain Delos and others. The album is now impossible to find and prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, it was reissued by Rebirth On Wax in 2018, making Jazz with a West Indian Soul available to us once again!