Alba MusicaPascal Lefeuvre Compagnie : Zanzibar : Folk Rock D'Oc (F,rec.2008,pub.2009)***°
This new band by hurdy gurdy master Pascal Lefeuvre collected in this album, in their own words, some “small studies in dance forms”, and this is a whole bourrées or mixture indeed! Not only folk bourrées, rumba, a waltz and even a bit of folk-rock, but just take “Scottich Andalus” for instance, with the combination of oud, hurdy-gurdy and electric guitars and some dub rhythm too. Mostly the drumming and bass is rather straight rock, so it is especially the fast, clever and skills on hurdy-gurdy which steals the show, strengthened by some electric guitar or touches of oud and mandolin, from slower moodiness till happy feast music and style mixes. I think it is amazing when at times Pascal imitates any other instrument, like the electric guitar (on “Rumba Mihijaz”) revealing a rather progressive approach on the instrument (like on “L’Autre Mixer 1&2”), or is it just melodic and interpretative skills, but also together with the electric guitarists there are more remarkable swifts (like a flavour somewhere of jazz rock on 6). The Spanish “Buenas” is more performed at first like a happy and light polka, which is strange, but then it still concludes rather wildly after that. A mostly hurdy-gurdy led compilation, from a band which I think will be noticed live.