The Platano Group - 1971 - Paris Soul

The Platano Group

1971

Paris Soul

01. Platano Split 4:40
02. Salute To Santa 2:54
03. Black Waders 3:13
04. Woluwe Strip 2:32
05. Cabaret 2:43
06. Paris Soul 4:00
07. Culzean 3:12
08. Castill Battle 2:47
09. Hang Out 2:19
10. Art Pino Pasta 3:55

Ben Ahmed Zoubert [Ben sa tumba et son orchestre]
Evaristo Nata [Roger Lecussant] — piano, arranger
J. Menez — guitar
Georges Arvanitas — organ
Platano Group — percussions

This is an oddity: a very, very good album recorded by the less auspicious band possible. Ben and the Platano Group were the arranger Evaristo Nata with the Lido band. What is the Lido ? A tourist trap of Paris, were Japanese tourists and executive are brought in to see topless and feathered dancers give them a poor idea of French eternal good taste. What is this album ? A monster jam which mix Afro Cuban Jazz, Jazz Rock, Hammond Organ,wah-wah in multi-layered arrangements. Shortly after this album Nata was interned in a mental hospital. Like if it has been to much to bear to play cheap easy listening when he was able to conceive such a masterpiece.

Recorded in 1970 and issued by Barclay in 1971, Paris Soul is an album that wears the test of time well. The steaming orchestral arrangements by Evaristo Nata's steaming orchestral arrangements blends some Afro-Cuban flavors (such as the Santana tribute "Salute to Santa," on which they bite a chunk from "Oye Como Va" and bend it into a near salsa jam), some Brazilian samba, Memphis soul, and post-bop jazz soloing to achieve a smoky, sexy, funky groove. There are 120 tunes here, and all of them are deep, fat, and greasy with groove. The band members, apart from their arranger, are anonymous, but it hardly matters; this isn't the kind of record you're going to put on to analyze what's happening musically. While it's complex and beautiful, you'll be throwing this on either at home or the party in order to move on the dance floor. Whether it's easy, shuffling, like "Black Waders," with its entwining organ and horn lines that sound like they could have come from some underground club version of the Alfie soundtrack, or the Brazilian-tinged "Culzean," with its flowering guitars and reeds turning through one another in a simple airy melody embossed by some serious polyrhythms, the result is the same: this is one of the finest recordings of pure groove music made on either side of the Atlantic during the early '70s. Try to picture the group War with Buddy Richs big band and you'll get the idea.

A mythical want by hard core funk collectors for many years now, the Ben & The Platano Group ‎– Paris Soul album is considered one of the strongest rare groove releases to come out of France in the 1970s. An all instrumental LP by a crew of nameless session musicians, the album touches on a myriad of styles including latin, funk / soul, rock, and jazz. Highlights include the Santana-esque Chicano low riders "Salute To Santa" and "Paris Soul", the punchy library-style euro hammond funker "Black Waders", the latin funk rocker "Culzean" (complete with sleazy flutes), and the percussive b-boy killers "Arte Pino Pasta" and "Platano Split". If you are strapped for cash (the album has changed hands for over $400) there are various reissues floating around that will keep you at bay.