Eddy Louiss

French national Louiss is well known in Europe as a premier organist. It's unlikely that anyone has attempted what he's done here, save for Fleetwood Mac and the U.S.C. Trojan Marching Band on "Tusk." He combines his trio with a 40 member horn band he calls Fanfare. Perhaps bizarre for those used to the standard organ combo set-up, nonetheless it is a stylistically unique sound and approach. There a whole lotta funk goin' on here, from slow and ponderous to cerebral and expansive. A trio only hit like "Enlaces" with its gentle samba gives sway to the larger band pieces. "Insomnie" echoes Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker and the James Brown Horns, "Celestin" has a New Orleans shuffle flavor and swings a little, "La Scorpionne" has a swelling, pure orchestral tack, while "Cahin-Caha" cops the clarion cry of marching elephants, horns and organ in unison. This one will be for specialized tastes or completist fans of Louiss. You have to give him credit for being bold enough to try this, and perhaps it is more stunning in concert. Until someone goes one-up on him, this is unquestionably a one-of-a-kind project. © Michael G. Nastos /TiVo

Ce chemin va á Paris so get your shaker and put on your smoking jacket because now you can fill in the gaps to your Eddy Louiss collection with Récit Proche. The French keyboardist and organist delivers a grand musical adventure filled with contentment and bien de l'inspiration from his amis, Jean-Marie Ecay on guitar, Paco Sery on batterie (drums), Julio Rakotonanahary on basse (bass), Daniel Huck on alto saxophone, and Xavier Cobo on tenor saxophone and flute. The nine compositions are all instrumentals and allow you to envelop your musical tastes in the ambiance of a gay Parisian night. Be prepared to feel exceptionally comfortable with the melodies from "Pour Toi," "Incertitudes," and "Marilyn & Bronsky." The title track, "Récit Proche," is a revelation for those unfamiliar with Eddy Louiss' excellent piano stylings and provides many new avenues to the beautiful musical ideas on this CD. No blazing bebop, or easy slidin' blues, just great French jazz delivered with deft lyricism. © Paula Edelstein /TiVo