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Coincidence — Mets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Volume 1
(Castle Records CR-002, 1976, LP+CD)

Coïncidence — Archives 1973-1974
(Castle Records CR-001, 1974, LP+CD)

Coïncidence — Mets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Volume 2
(Castle CR 003, 1979, LP + CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-11-15

Mets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Volume 1 Cover artArchives 1973-1974 Cover artMets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Volume 2 Cover art

By the end of the 60s the jazz-rock-fusion sound in the USA and Britain was in full swing, with dozens of bands and artists springing up like John McLaughlin and the late Larry Coryell, and artists that were previously jazz adherents like Miles Davis and Chick Corea now turning on the electricity to find their own comfortable slot between jazz and rock. Their influence was felt throughout Europe and worldwide, as new ideas for creating this hybrid sound continued to evolve. By the early 70s it was fairly well established nearly everywhere, and in France, two brothers, Jean-Claude and his younger sibling Jean-Pierre Llabador were beginning to form the electric jazz-rock sound that would become the trademark of their band Coïncidence.

The band began in a very different place than they would be for their first self-titled LP just a few years later in late 1976 (released in '77), starting out as a quintet of Jean-Claude (electric guitar, keyboards, vocals), Jean-Pierre (electric guitar, vocals), Dominique Frasson-Cochet (flute, sax, vocals) and the rhythm section of bassist / vocalist André Simantirakis and drummer René Mirguet, with sound-man Gilles Claudin (whom we have to thank for these tapes’ mere existence) being an integral part of the group. Archives 1973-1974 is probably the earliest recording of Coïncidence that one is likely to ever hear; of course the tapes are ancient archaeology, but are there for anyone to hear that the band, even in its earliest incarnation, held so much promise, and they sound surprisingly good (restored by Guy Simon and Christophe Hénault), considering that these tapes were never intended for release. The centerpiece is the 42-plus minute epic “Glimpse” recorded live in Montpellier, France, an extended suite that is constantly evolving as it proceeds, so extended in fact that it exists here in two parts with a brief applause at the end of part one; the second part seems very different but equally exceptional. The vocals (in English) are effective and quite good when they appear, but even at this early stage with four singers on board, Coïncidence is primarily defining themselves as an instrumental powerhouse, with the players firing on all cylinders. Following the second half of “Glimpse,” there are two more tracks, the funky and brief two-minute “Astronaut / Juggernaut” followed by the openly pastoral “Suite,” a vocal piece that makes good use of the flute as lead instrument with dual guitars supporting.

The two remaining releases at hand are effectively reissues of the two Coïncidence studio albums from 1976 and 1979, though they have curiously been retitled. The self titled debut has become Mets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Volume 1 and Clef de Ciel has become (all that again) Volume 2, a rough traslation being “Put on your glasses and listen how it smells.” Fortunately the sound on these long overdue reissues comes across far better than the new title, though on the debut we only get six of the seven cuts that were on the original — “Il Pleut sur la Ville” for whatever reason could not be faithfully restored so it’s not here among the six survivors, and as a result the remaining cuts have a new running order. Now a lot can change in just a few years, and only the brothers Llabador remain from the earlier edition of the band, with Jacky Cataldo taking over the drum duties and Jean-Pierre Barreda now playing bass, a quartet formation with no vocals. Like the original vinyl, Volume 1 launches with “Berceuse Chinoise” (“Chinese Lullaby”), a percolating mix of funk and jazz informed by the fusion sounds of the day with plenty of powerful guitar soloing by JP, although one won’t hear anything remotely Chinese until you get to the four minute mark of its five-and-a-half minute trajectory. “Les Grenouilles” now occupies the number two spot, another funky groove with dual guitars leading the way, and the rhythm section here does an incredible job of delivering the goods. As beautiful as it is brief, “Soleils” is a stirring piece for both acoustic and electric guitars, standing out from all the others in the set. The three-part “Sequences” might be the most energized and powerful piece on the album, starting out in acoustic jazz territory and shifting to a beautiful melody on electric with keyboard backing a couple minutes in. It’s one of those songs that gets stuck in your memory for days, before finally shifting back to an acoustic sound.

The second of two Coïncidence studio albums, here retitled Mets Tes Lunettes et Écoute Comme Ça Sent Bon! Volume 2 is exactly the same as the original Clef de Ciel LP, with the same running order and no missing tracks. The band is now a quintet again with new drummer Joel Allouche and new bassist Michel Montoyat, with Jacky Cataldo staying on as second drummer / percussionist. Nowhere does the sound benefit more from a second percussionist than on “Miroir,” along with guest saxophonist Olivier Chabrol (who also contributes piano on other tracks on the album). It’s 1979 now, and In general, the passage of a few years since the debut has resulted a more technical sound, especially in the keyboard department, which is now powered by synthesizers, often in a leading role, though the compositions by les frères Llabador are as powerful and melodic as anything on the debut, as “Agawe” offers in abundance over its seven-plus minute duration. A funky groove mixed with splendid dual guitars and supporting synths returns on “Azigu” (Fantasy Land), recalling the power of many moments on the debut, while “Exile #1” opens with a beautiful acoustic guitar interlude that brings down the grace of the heavens, eventually evolving into a slow melodic dual electric guitar piece that could almost bring the listener to tears. The group doesn’t shy away from rocking on “Tu Parles,” though the jazz element within it is quite strong, combining unusual chords and the power of double percussion that might even offer a hint of Santana of an earlier vintage. So one might be wondering whatever happened to Coïncidence; at some point following the second album, Jean-Claude Llabador was killed in a car crash, effectively ending the band. In all the years since, Jean-Pierre Llabador has soldiered on as a solo artist, composing, and until recently (also due to a car accident) playing guitar, having released close to a dozen albums since 1984. These three Coïncidence albums are being released as LPs with CDs of each inside the sleeve, with Volume 1 being a 45 RPM 12-inch vinyl, the Archives and Volume 2 being standard 33 RPM long players, all three are being offered together as a package at the link below.

Filed under: Archives, 1976 releases, 1974 releases, 1979 releases

Related artist(s): Coïncidence

More info
http://www.castle-records.fr/produit/pack-exclusif-coincidence/

 

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