Pellegrino Zodyaco
Quimere

C-L-A-S-S-I-C library breaks and beats set of super-heavyweight espionage-funk.One of two Be With forays into the archives of revered British library institution Conroy, we present one of our favourites on the label - the super in-demand Background Action from Sammy Burdson, originally released in 1975. Rare and sought-after for many years now, this is one of those cult library LPs that rarely turns up on even the deepest dig.

True concept albums are actually few and far between.While it can be said that The Who’s Tommy and Quadrophenia, Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Lou Reed and John Cale’s Songs For Drella were designed from the ground up, that’s not necessarily the case for equally mythical, yet composite, albums such as Bowie’s The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and Diamond Dogs, or Lou Reed’s Berlin. In France, the genre established its pedigree in the 1970s with Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson and L’homme à tête de chou, then in the early 1980s with Léo Ferré’s L’Opéra du pauvre. Mélanie Chédeville’s Cri d’amour adds to this list of albums that tell a story through characters.Cri D’Amour was produced by Rico The Wizard in a seaside setting, which may explain its flowing, organic character – and the fact that it deviates from electronic music in spite of its title’s homophony with Guy-Manuel De Homem Christo (of Daft Punk fame) and Rico The Wizard aka Éric Chédeville’s foundational French Touch label Crydamoure. This fact might not be so fortuitous since the name was, among other things, about the deep friendship between the two boys – and its brutal end, which was not without repercussions. Repercussions on the couple, then on Mélanie’s decision to make it on her own artistically.Because it is all by herself that the violinist-by-training composed, wrote and arranged this collection of string-drenched songs that recall Jean-Claude Vannier’s work for Serge Gainsbourg. The latter would undoubtedly have been impressed by Mélanie’s fine-cut lyrics and melodies that are as raw as they are sophisticated, vocalized in a sprechgesang recalling his own. The deliberately retro palette, up to the bass sound so typical of 1960s English rock, betrays an artist indebted to the creator of Bonnie & Clyde and Initials B.B. through a sensual, clear tonality. Yet, polyrhythms borrowed from the late afro-beat legend Tony Allen, and the touches of guitar, piano, percussion and synthesizers distilled here and there by Éric and Mélanie, end up giving the whole affair a resolutely atemporal color.“I am a fairly modest person,” she explains. “I wanted the songs on this album to be heard in different ways, according to each person’s sensitivity. I wrote this album during a period of great solitude and existential questioning. It tells the story of a couple in crisis, one that anyone could relate to. But it does not respect the chronology of events and mixes dream with reality.”Some may find this album old-fashioned, which, far from being a flaw, is a credit to the fine musician that Mélanie is. Others will call it a charming album, which is not a bad way to describe it, provided that it is a powerfully relentless charm.

EABS in search of Slavic melancholyAfter the very well received, both by the audience and critics, debut album Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda), focusing on the lesser-known works of the legendary Polish composer, the Wrocław-based EABS decided to further expand this lead and released two more vinyl records, "live" and "on tape", which crowned the "Komeda triptych". The astounding reception of the band's debut whet listeners' appetite for completely new recordings. It took 2 years for the new album to materialise, this time, however, it is filled with 100% original material.

Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals Ryo Fukui as a miraculously brilliant self-taught pianist fusing modal, bop, and cool jazz influences for a very personal, dexterous and game-changing take on classic standards made famous by Bing Crosby and John Coltrane among others. From "It Could Happen To You" and its serene and calm intro which magically flows into a jubilant and upbeat piece, to the out-of-this-world piano solo of "Early Summer", or the incredible teamwork of "Autumn Leaves" where Fukui leads Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) into groove heaven, every single note on the album oozes precision, confidence and flair and every single section slides seamlessly into one another, creating a supreme and elegant blend of jazz. Often compared to McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, Ryo Fukui was a genius in his own right, a true master of his craft whose perfectionism gave birth to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Scenery is his magnum opus and an absolute must-have.

Don Blackman is a truly iconic, cult artist. A pianist, songwriter, producer, and vocalist from New York he is a mystical figure for record collectors, one of those artists where if you found an old dusty record with Don's name on it, you'd buy it on sight. Hip-hop heads, jazz, funk, disco, rare groove, and soul fans all share a love for his music, it seems to possess a quality that resonates with a wide spectrum of music lovers. Don is best known for his 1982 magnum-opus, the eponymous album released on Arista GRP. It featured the all-time classics 'Heart's Desire' and 'Holding You, Loving You', and is consistently remarkable throughout. He also collaborated with other greats such as Bernard Wright, Weldon Irvine, Roy Ayers, and Lenny White.