Tropic Woods – Raymond Winter, 1981

🎸🎷🥁🌴🎻 Saint-Claude-born guitarist Raymond Winter was noticed at an early age by pianist Roland Louis. He made his debut in the 60s with Les Mercenaires, led by his brother Alain and saxophonist Edouard Benoit. Biguine En Nous, their first single, made a lasting impression. Raymond left for the United States, working with John Scofield, before settling in Paris in the early 80s. This was a good time for numerous studio sessions. Raymond took advantage of this to record Tropic Woods under his own name, with no less than Sylvin Marc, Jean-My Truong and Francis Lockwood. The album features smooth, swaying jazz funk & fusion of the highest quality. What’s more, Tropic Woods boasts an unmistakable sound. Raymond Winter returned to Guadeloupe at the very end of the 90s, never to leave again. We’ve heard him with Pakatak – on record – or in concert, with the late Roland Louis, and under his own name, as at l’Artchipel in 2019. Today, he devotes much of his time to teaching.