Bleep

The collective methodology of the Workshop de Lyon led to the creation in 1977 of the ARFI (Association Researching An Imaginary Folklore). Inspired by the AACM, its mission was to ‘encourage improvisation, spread diverse musical styles and provide means of expression to others with similar ideas, nurture folklore…’

This third Workshop LP was released in 1978 on the ARFI label. Pianist Patrick Vollat had left, so this is a quartet: Louis Sclavis, Maurice Merle, Jean Bolcato and Christian Rollet. Sclavis fruitily to the fore, it’s the most rhythmic, low-down, silly-voiced and best fun of these three LP reissues — amongst the crown jewels of French free jazz — expertly produced as per by Souffle Continu. Nuts, howling-at-the-moon version of Nobody Knows You When You Are Down And Out has a touch of the Clangers.