Nyssa Musique - Comme Au Moulin

What a find! Originally self-released in 1985, Ici Bientot's reissue of the sole album by the Paris-based five piece ensemble led by John Boswell and composer Armand Amar stands as a totem to the rewards of collaboration, experimentation and a global perspective. Where this record stands in the context of 1985 is tricky to parse, standing at it does between traditions and styles. There are elements of the freedom jazz and improv, the discipline and virtuosity of the modern composition of Reich and Mkwaju Ensemble, the emotional instinct of traditional musics as diverse as klezmer and East Asian instrumentation, the radical spirit of Franco-Krautrock figures such as Pinhas and Comelade, and an overarching spiritual quality that recalls the Organic Music Society. If that suggests an overly dense set of compositions, don't be deterred - this is a masterfully arranged collection that doesn't let its brains confuse its heart, while clearly also speaking of Amar's history in ballet (there's an overarching sense of movement). There's a serious High Art quality to these recordings and you can't help but be awed by the vision, though its original self-release shifts it somewhat into NWW List territory, a cerebral oddity lost in the cosmos. A shame this is their only recording, a treat we have it at all. Essential listening.