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SOLEIL 12
FORGAS BAND PHENOMEMA
2005 , FRANCE - EURO 16.00
Label: CUNEIFORM
ALBUM REVIEW
The Forgas Band Phenomena is led by composer and drummer Patrick Forgas, who has been hailed as "the French answer to the Canterbury scene" since he first burst upon the scene in 1977 with his "Cocktail" album, which featured members of Magma and Zao. Due to bad luck and bad circumstances, he fell out of the music scene for a great number of years, re-emerging with the very wonderful Forgas Band Phenomena about a decade ago. For their third album, and their first for Cuneiform, Patrick leads an 8 piece instrumental ensemble (dual saxes, trumpet, violin, guitar, keyboards, bass and drums) through epic-length, complex and melodic compositions that mix ambitious progressive structures and inspired soloing. In addition to the many Canterbury comparisons, I also hear a lot in common with the band that Frank Zappa led with George Duke & Jean-Luc Ponty; great tunes and arrangements in a fusion style with excellent 'jazz' soloing. Interestingly, two of the pieces are greatly re-arranged versions of the two works that Patrick had originally planned for the never-recorded follow up to Cocktail!
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