Doing The Cha Tach Ka Slide

Bernard Estardy: Cha Tatch Ka and La Gigouille
From: La Formule Du Baron [CBS, 1967]

I was flicking through my stash at my planned posts here and realised that 99% of it was either a) Deep fried jazz or b) Soul/funk groups so decided that it was time to mix things up. It is by this logic that I lead on from J.'s post with some more French goodness.

Sometimes you hear a track and it's so far ahead of it's time it's heard to believe that it isn't some canny modern musician selling his work as some lost classic. Bernard Estardy's work certainly falls into this category. A sound engineer by day, compositional genius by night, Estardy put together the album as more of a sideline project than anything else, which partly explains the wonderfully diverse themes and ideas that ricochet round the album. From jazz, to funk, to synthesised library sounds to easy listening grooves.

You can read a recent, damn fine, interview with the man himself over at the French Attack website. Probably even better in the original french but it's a long time since I was taught it at school.

So what about the music then? Cha Tatch Ka is like some crazy proto Neptune's record with staccato drums accompanied by what seems to be a baby beatboxing over the top before the vocal melodics build and build harmonising the bass and tenor vocals. Um, I'm not selling this well am I? Just download it and hear for yourself, by the time the warping synths come in you'll be nodding your head in uncontrollable spasms to this gem.

La Gigouille is a more straightforward funk number with a big brass section, reverberating bassline and tinkling pianos. When Estardy add Hammond organ to the mix you wouldn't feel too shamed if you were fooled into believing that this was some experimental Bar-Kays 45 - no mean feat by any means.

There you have it, something different to treat your ears to. Back to the soul, jazz and rap later in the week but for now I'm rocking it with La Baron......