Zapping – d’Huy Brothers, 1997

🌴🎺🎹🎸🎵 In 1997 in Guadeloupe, the adventure of the Caraïbe Jazz Ensemble had been over for a few years. The brothers Philippe and Raymond d’Huy played regularly in the island’s clubs. The evenings were long and varied, in the middle of the sugar canes in Baie-Mahault, at the unmissable Autour de Minuit, the historic club run by Simone Paulin, or at Le Figuier Vert in Mare Gaillard. Philippe and Raymond are joined by Jocelyn Ménard, Christian Amour, Raymond Grego and the cream of the local jazz scene. The d’Huy Brothers are riding the wave, recording the only album under their two names, Zapping. Jazz fusion, Creole, Latin, rock, reggae, zouk, it’s their story they’re telling, and this eclecticism perfectly justifies the album’s title. The album opens with one of Raymond’s flagship compositions, Joker, with its deliciously nostalgic Creole groove, and further on Doberbass is another of the bassist’s classics. On two tracks, Somewhere and Samia, we are also lucky enough to hear Christian Amour’s piano on one of his very rare recordings (what a shame!). The percussionists are Alain Delos and Joby Julienne (ex Van Lévé), and along the way we meet José Vulbeau, Georges Juraver, Daniel Kissoun, Christian Yéyé, Raymond Grego, Rigobert Monpierre, Bruno Jofa… The vocals are by Georges Elliott, and the backing vocals by Dominique Lorte, Rodrigue Marcel and Nowliz. The album was produced by Henri Debs, and would be the duo’s only opus, closing with Sizé La, a track in which Philippe loudly proclaims his admiration for Carlos Santana! I should add that, almost ten years on, we still haven’t recovered from Philippe’s premature departure…