Didier Malherbe

Didier Malherbe

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MUSIC > LIVE A FIP

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Hadouk Trio | Live à FiP

Recorded live Studio 105
Radio France - Paris
October 9, 2003

CD1
Vol de nuit | 1
Alma Celesta
| 2
Poeme du Shamanimal
| 3
Shamanimal
| 4
Nacarat
| 5
Salsa Movar
| 6
Barca Solaris
| 7
Dragon de lune
| 8

CD2
1| Gopi
2
| Bille en tête
3
| Loukoumotive
4
| O'Shehan drum
5
| Moussa
6
| Dame des sables
7
| Peau de banane

Guests:
Wasis Diop: Vocals
(Shamanimal)
Peter Herbert: Double bass
(Barca Solaris - Dragon de lune)
Jean-Philippe Rykiel: Saî-Saî
(Bille en tête - Loukoumotive)

CD



. MP3:
Alma Celesta 1'19''
Dragon de Lune 1'19''

February 2004 : Sélection FIP
 

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Jonny Greene's comments - www.planetgong.co.uk

Totally superb, near faultless live double CD

I can't rate this release highly enough, the playing, recording and artwork are all near perfect. It was recorded in Paris at Radio France on 9th October '03 for a live radio broadcast. Such 'pressure' sometimes makes a band freeze a little and the resulting recording is clean, but stiff. However shear depth of musical experience and excellence in Hadouk is so immense that they rose to the occasion quite magnificently from the very first notes.

The playing is fluid and sinuous - we all know how good Didier's flute playing is, but his Doudouk playing! When it's not soulfully mysterious and deep is positively sexy, can there be a better non-Armenian practitioner of that unique instrument? Steve Shehan's percussion breaths effortless life through the CDs, he's got to be one of the very best around. And Loy Erlhich's sensitive expertise on all the stringed instruments is a wonder. All three of them takes turns to shine individually - and collectively they just flow telepathically. Each of the three guests enhance the tracks they appear on, which is not always the case with guests when a gig is going so obviously well, but they all bring something good to the feast.

The perfection of the recording and playing is carried through to the triple-fold didgi-pak cover which is exceedingly elegant. This could be the ultimate Hadouk CD. Quite, stunning - totally cosmic in places, track 7 on the first CD, 'Barca Solaris' - wow!

From the warmth of the audience reception you can tell they knew they were at a very special concert indeed. Highly recommended.

Jim Saxon's comments - www.sixmoons.com

My favorite music release of 2004 was a gift from friend Remi who, being French, knows the merits of French recordings, especially those recorded live at FIP, site of Radio France's cozy studios....I am referring to the kinder, gentler music of the Hadouk Trio's double album Live à FIP [Melodie-Celluloid 2004-02], a beguiling example of accessible world music played on exotic acoustic instruments including the hajouj (an African three-stringed bass) and the doudouk (an Armenian double-reed instrument) from which the group's name is derived. The trio's leader is Didier Malherbe who can play any wind instrument extant and probably owns them all, too, since he's been collecting exotic flutes and horns for decades. His Trio partners, Loy Ehrlich (hajouj, kora and keyboards) and Steve Shehan (percussion and sound effects), combine on various cuts with Wasis Diop on vocals, Peter Herbert on contrabass and Jean-Philippe Rykiel on sai-sai (whatever that is). The resulting French/North African musical creativity is stunningly recorded in sonic 3-D.

How good does the CD sound? When a HiFi manufacturer recently asked me to recommend a demo disc for the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, the first title I came up with was Live à FIP, which was not well received. I can only guess it's because Diana Krall does not play on the gig. If you wish to try a taste of this musical couscous, may I suggest a visit to the Hadouk Trio's Live à FIP website where several tracks are available for audition.

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