Troc - 2011 - Troc 2011

Troc

2011

Troc 2011

01. Just One Moment And A Half 3:14

02. Where's The Freedom 4:28

03. Malou Eva 4:32

04. Feel The Spirit 5:20

05. Memphis Dude 3:40

06. Another Door 6:04

07. Give Me The Spirit 4:00

08. For SB 2:20

09. African Skies (Tribute To Michael Brecker) 3:28

10. Troc City 4:56

Drums – André Ceccarelli

Electric Bass – Jannick Top

Electric Piano, Grand Piano – Eric Legnini

Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – Stéphane Chausse (tracks: 8)

Guitar – Claude Engel

Saxophone – David El-Malek (tracks: 4, 6)

Vocals – Alex Ligertwood

Voice [« The Big Voice »] – Manu Guiot (tracks: 2)

Recorded 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 august 2010 at Studio De Meudon

Forty years ! Or almost. Who could have imagined that the ephemeral Troc , born in 1971 and put out of business the following year, not without having published an album which has now become a collector 's item and played its music on a few major European stages, would point to the tip of your nose again with this 2011 vintage? Cru which is a pleasant cuvée...

Barter, a hell of a story that begins at the end of the 60s: that of the mutual admiration between a drummer, André Ceccarelli and a singer, Alex Ligertwood , whose paths had crossed on the side of Rome. That, above all, of a formation with generous contours whose other pillars were named Henri Giordano (piano), Claude Engel or Jacky Giraudeau (guitar) and Jannick Top (bass). Troc was investing in a highly competitive and not without risk sector, that of a jazz rockwhose most emblematic figures were called Weather Report, Return To Forever or Mahavishnu Orchestra. An ambitious challenge that the group will be able to take up without ever indulging in the somewhat vain exercise of a soulless imitation - not at all the kind of Ceccarelli, a warm artist, who then found in Jannick Top an unparalleled rhythmic partner. , no more than Claude Engel, just landed from the planet Magma. Ligertwood, meanwhile, was imbued with soul or blues and knew how to infuse the group with this vital essence that delivers the right energy.

André Ceccarelli gives us his definition of Troc: “We had developed a complex and simple aesthetic at the same time: African-Cuban-Brazilian-rock with a resolutely jazz approach”. And as Jannick Top explains to us, the musicians had at that time, that of the last century, everything to create. Suffice to say that with such a credo, these children of the electric Miles could look to their future with confidence. During its all-too-brief existence, Troc managed to avoid the trap of blandness, often inherent in attempts to synthesize universes that are not easily reconcilable, and distinguished itself in the first part of big names like Soft Machine or the Mahavishnu Orchestra. His first disc (and therefore unique until this year) will build the elegant bridges that one could hope for from him between jazz and rock. Each musician seemed in top form and it was with bitter disappointment that many learned of the sudden end of their collaboration. Their future passed, it seems, by other paths. Spotted by Christian Vander, Jannick Top in turn rushes into the Magma cauldron [ 1] , before pushing his low frequencies a few years later alongside so-called “variety” singers. We know the career of André Ceccarelli, who became one of the master drummers of the European jazz scene; as for Alex Ligertwood, he distinguished himself with Brian Auger, Jeff Beck then Santana; in addition to several solo attempts, Claude Engel, too, will often take a turn on the side of French variety.

We must nevertheless believe that the barter gene was dormant in them... Not only because we will find a good part of the team in a solo album by André Ceccarelli in 1976, before it vanishes again, but also because this unique experience came to the surface of their minds during recent reunions, during rehearsals for a show around Francis Lai. Ceccarelli, Engel and Top are ready to scrap again and Ligertwood is quickly repatriated from Los Angeles to reunite with old friends; only Henri Giordano, whose health did not allow him to go on an adventure, is missing from the credits of the 2011 version but he finds in Eric Legnini, a "youngster" who was only two years old at the time, a replacement that everyone knows is capable of injecting into Troc's music all the funk and beat that illuminate his albums. Come to think of it, The Vox and the voice of Krystle Warren [ 2 ] are not that far away; you quickly perceive a family resemblance between the two worlds. Except that here, we don't forget to plug in the electricity and flex our muscles, because that's also the jazz rock of Troc: a matter of current flowing, and from the first take!

Forty years. Or, as the first title says: “Just One Moment And A Half”. And because Troc version XXIe siècle cannot be considered as an entity limited to its five research heads, the group invites illuminators such as Olivier Ker-Ourio , Stéphane Chausse and David El-Malek . Beautiful people for a shimmering record and music whose dosage of vitamins is one that ensures a good balance. Maturity, of course, but with all the freshness of the beginnings because, obviously, all these little people found themselves for the joy of playing and sharing the best they have to offer us. Pulse, groove and melody. So much for the cocktail recipe that could guarantee you a great winter.

Because Troc 2011 jumps happily in your face! From the first notes of "Just One Moment...", Top's bass, lower than ever, jumps like a wild animal on the drums of the accomplice Ceccarelli, as in the best days. We are also happy to find the guitar of Claude Engel who, let's face it, we still missed. Hoarse and telling of many adventures, the voice of Alex Ligertwood provides the whole with its share of authenticity inherited from the blues and days spent on the road. And what about Legnini, of whom one wonders if, after all, he wasn't already a bit of a member of Troc when he was a child… Perfectly integrated, the kid, to the point that his cover of “Memphis Dude” [ 3 ] seems to have been written for the occasion!

Everyone came with their composition, as one would bring a dish for a big family meal. Sometimes, friends wanted to join the party: Pierre Bertrand , Baptiste Trotignon or Olivier Ker Ourio also contributed to this invigorating feast. Beyond the smiling boil that wins the group over a good part of the compositions [ 4 ], we also appreciate that Troc knows how to lay down arms for beautiful ballads, such as this "Another Door" which highlights the collected sensuality of El Malek's saxophone, or even "For SB", on delicate arrangements by Pierre Bertrand. As for "African Skies", signed by and dedicated to Michael Brecker, we can take it for what this relaxed jazz rock can produce best: catchy theme, tonic riffs by Claude Engel and impulse of a united rhythm, all the ingredients of this in-between music are there.

The time of a disc, Troc makes a success of its return. Will it be able to exist a little longer than its first and fleeting version? We want to wish it to these gunslinging grandpas who obviously took great pleasure in playing together again. Also want to find this team on stage, just to make sure that the meeting was not only circumstantial, but rather the expression of a collective will. We may no longer be at the time when everything had to be created, but the months to come will also be for all of us those of a mobilization of many energies. In a difficult context, it is not bad for the elders to come and pat us on the back and suggest a path to follow.