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