Zaire and Congo music reviews

Franco et L'OK Jazz has many great records, but of all of them, the track that leads off this CD "Ah Senor" is my personal favorite (it would rank with Bobby Benson's "Taxi Driver", Bantous Jazz's "Watchi Wara" or Grand Kalle's "Makonzi Ya Mboka" as my favorite vintage African recordings). Between the soparno sax of his long time member Isaac Musekiwa (both in the intro and the excellent solo, that sounds a little like, of all things,a cross between Sidney Bechet and Jean Serge Essous), and the great vocal ensamble, Franco's perfect guitar playing (what a bueatiful tremolo on this number), and the subline groove all the way down to the coke bottle and scrapers, I cannot think of a record that puts me back in pre 1960 Africa better. It is a deceptivly simple recording, as are much of the other tracks, great dance music, and a nice transfer of the material from 78's (espically from Sonodisc, they can be very varied in their results). I could give a track by track idication of what is going on ( I like the chatty sound of the vocals on some of the quicker Lingala numbers, the languid "Rhythmo De Nostro Amor" that sounds like a jam continuation of "Ah Senor", or the wonderful horn section on Brazzo's "Canalo", very cha cha cha ala Rock A Mambo), suffice to say, it is both for people who want to hear Congo's music before Soukous is all about, as well as any one who likes good rumba. For world music fans of Kekele, Orchestra Baobob or Buena Vista Social Club,it will be very enjoyable in spite of the 45 year old recordings, Yves Francois