Nirosta Steel
There's a Word

Born to a French mother and a Burkinabe-Senegalese father, Jennifer "Hawa" Zonou bathed from a young age into the world of the Afro-American music. Approaching its 20th anniversary, she shows a real talent as a singer and naturally begins his musical training with the best school, Gospel. She then entered the Soul-Hip-Hop scene from Lyon, multiplying gigs and collaborations.During a show in 2008, Hawa made the acquaintance of Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart (Metropolitan Jazz Affair, Uptown Funk Empire, Mr Day, Mr President) and in the same time of Pascal Rioux and Favorite Recordings label. Seduced by what he hears, Patchworks offered her his services and in 2009, Hawa revealed to the public with a remarkable cover of "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice, and fine appearances alongside Mr Day or Mr President.Naturally, the duo nourishes the common desire to embark further and in June 2011, Hawa presented her first solo album entitled My Little Green Box. Collecting first the support and praise from many French media (France Inter, FIP, Nova, Telerama, etc ...), the groove of the album will also trigger a long series of festivals & concerts throughout France. Hawa reveals herself with a genuine stage presence, spontaneity and ability to move, that will fulfill every audiences encountered, whether in Blues, Jazz, or Contemporary Music’ a stages, and whatever generations it was. This is also an opportunity for her and Patchworks, to surround them with a cohesive group, composed with the finest musicians of the Jazz and Soul scene from Lyon.With this positive environment around her, Hawa also starts writing her new album with exalted inspiration. Once again produced by Patchworks, Another Tree marks an important evolution for Hawa, both in sound and production, writing, or influences. Deliberately more live, the entire production is made both with analog equipment and tape recorder, and with the participation of the live band members.A perfect background to enhance Hawa’s songs, which are significantly looking towards Memphis, crossing the genres between Soul, Folk, or even Rockabilly. The sound of the album also permeates the footprint of artists like the Staple Singers, Isley Brothers, or Shirley Ann Lee, labels like Hi Records, Sun, or Stax, and finally great producers like Willy Mitchell, Jack Nitzsche, or Phil Spector. Hawa happens to be more direct and confident, but also more sensitive and more deep. And without a doubt, it makes her songs just more intense, original and elegant.

Favorite Recordings and Charles Maurice proudly present the 4th edition of the AOR Global Sounds compilations series: 14 rare and hidden tracks, produced between 1977 and 1986 in various parts of the world. Started in 2015, the AOR Global Sounds series was born from the will of Charles Maurice (aka Pascal Rioux) to share his longtime love for the AOR and WestCoast movement and highlight its influence for many artists in the late 70s and early 80s. In this 4th volume, he selected again highly forgotten productions, deeply infused with Disco and Soul flavors.Half of the compilation’s tracklist is naturally coming from the US, homeland of this music style, but the other half is made of productions from all over the globe, from France, Belgium, Italy, to Mexico. And for most of these beautiful songs, it came from artists and bands rather unknown and often released as private press.As an example, “Come Back” is the result of a music talent competition won by a student band named Parenthèse, gaining a full recording session in a professional studio and the production of a limited promotional 7inch vinyl, which still completely obscure til now. “Mellow Out” comes from the only album by Pacific Dreams, which was fully self-produced and released by its leader Tommy Sweet. Fernando Toussaint, however having quite a solid career and discography as a drummer and with his brother forming the Mexican Jazz-Funk band Sacbé, had solely one solo album released in very limited quantities on Discos Alebrije, a label directed by Alain Derbez. As for “Never Was Love” by Russ Long, despite becoming quite famous when recorded and sang by Judy Roberts, it’s still surprisingly undiscovered in its original version, taken from Russ’ beautiful album from 1982, Long On Jazz In Kansas City.And we could detail stories like this for each of the titles included in AOR Global Sounds Vol.4, but our guessing is the best way to learn more about all these gems is to listen to it, fully remastered from originals, and whether your preference is for vinyl or CD formats.

This is the debut album from the Nancy-based quartet NCY Milky Band.The four musicians deliver unique jazz experiments at the crossroads of 70's french groove and modern electronica. The album covers a wide range of moods, switching from cheerful anthems with goofy synths to slow jams in which the saxophone breezes a deep feeling of nostalgia. With Burn’IN, NCY Milky Band are bringing a refreshing and original touch to the upcoming french jazz scene.

After NEF's album in 2019, Ici Bientôt is happy to present today the reissue of "Comme Au Moulin" by Nyssa Musique. Paris 1985... ‘Extra-European’ Traditions meet Jazz and Minimal Music. An unusual array of instruments turn music into a dialogue. For a unique record ... vivid, full of texture, somewhere between Midori Takada, Don Cherry and Jon Hassell.Beginning of the eighties, 5 musicians rehearse in a contemporary dance class hall, upstairs from the ‘’New Morning", renowned Music venue in Paris. Nyssa Musique is born. Passionate for a long time about traditional music, like those of the Middle East, India and East Asia, but also about African traditions, they throw a bridge between Jazz and ‘Extra-European’ traditions, resulting in what would be called "Spiritual Jazz" today, a little bit in the style of Don Cherry's Organic Music or Pharoah Sanders. With the notable difference, however, that their creations are strongly infused by contemporary classical and repetitive music, notably Steve Reich's work with whom they share a great interest for the traditional cultures of Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and its gamelans.In the original group we have Armand Amar, Ballet Music composer and John Boswell. Both specialists of traditional hand percussion which they had been studying for a long time in India and the Middle East, they are also very fond of synthesizers. Three other talented musicians quickly join them: Jean-François Roger, percussionist, marimba and vibraphone specialist, Henri Tournier, multi-flutist and Renaud Garcia-Fons, double bass player, who has a passion for the Middle East and has developed a virtuosic play of the bow, reminding that of Cecil Mc Bee.Each of them enriches the ensemble with their personality, originality and musical generosity. The rehearsal hall is rapidly invaded by the phenomenal instrumentarium put together by Armand Amar. A great opportunity for the musicians, for the dancers, to have access to an endless choice of instruments, offering infinite possibilities for mixing different colors and timbres. Their sense for being a group and their great capacity for improvising culminates, in 1986, in the composition of their first and only album Comme au Moulin (« As by the windmill"), testimony of years of creating without hidden agenda.Authentic, free and vibrant, still today, this album has no real equivalent. Even though it recalls the Fourth World current by its combination of traditional instruments with a subtle use of synthesizers, Comme au moulin gives more space to improvisation. It may also recall those of Midori Takada, less the New Age esthetics. An album that should delight as well lovers of "Love Supreme" by John Coltrane, of "Vernal Equinox" by Jon Hassell, as those of Moondog, an artist who, like them, invented a music based on the use of untypical percussions, at the confluence of 'Extra-European' traditions, Jazz and Classical, all together complex and hypnotic.

Born to a French mother and a Burkinabe-Senegalese father, Jennifer "Hawa" Zonou bathed from a young age into the world of the Afro-American music. Approaching its 20th anniversary, she shows a real talent as a singer and naturally begins his musical training with the best school, Gospel. She then entered the Soul-Hip-Hop scene from Lyon, multiplying gigs and collaborations.During a show in 2008, Hawa made the acquaintance of Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart (Metropolitan Jazz Affair, Uptown Funk Empire, Mr Day, Mr President) and in the same time of Pascal Rioux and Favorite Recordings label. Seduced by what he hears, Patchworks offered her his services and in 2009, Hawa revealed to the public with a remarkable cover of "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice, and fine appearances alongside Mr Day or Mr President.Naturally, the duo nourishes the common desire to embark further and in June 2011, Hawa presented her first solo album entitled My Little Green Box. Collecting first the support and praise from many French media (France Inter, FIP, Nova, Telerama, etc ...), the groove of the album will also trigger a long series of festivals & concerts throughout France. Hawa reveals herself with a genuine stage presence, spontaneity and ability to move, that will fulfill every audiences encountered, whether in Blues, Jazz, or Contemporary Music’ a stages, and whatever generations it was. This is also an opportunity for her and Patchworks, to surround them with a cohesive group, composed with the finest musicians of the Jazz and Soul scene from Lyon.With this positive environment around her, Hawa also starts writing her new album with exalted inspiration. Once again produced by Patchworks, Another Tree marks an important evolution for Hawa, both in sound and production, writing, or influences. Deliberately more live, the entire production is made both with analog equipment and tape recorder, and with the participation of the live band members.A perfect background to enhance Hawa’s songs, which are significantly looking towards Memphis, crossing the genres between Soul, Folk, or even Rockabilly. The sound of the album also permeates the footprint of artists like the Staple Singers, Isley Brothers, or Shirley Ann Lee, labels like Hi Records, Sun, or Stax, and finally great producers like Willy Mitchell, Jack Nitzsche, or Phil Spector. Hawa happens to be more direct and confident, but also more sensitive and more deep. And without a doubt, it makes her songs just more intense, original and elegant.

The album follows the release last year of their acclaimed Kevin Parker (of Tame Impala fame) produced debut EP which showcased the multiple talents and obsessions of its leader: psychedelism, glam rock, world music and experimental pop.The 10-track album, Produced and mixed by Nicolas Vernhes (Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, and Deerhunter), also features Melody’s Echo Chamber (for whom he played guitar during her previous tour), Didier Malherbe (Gong), Riff Cohen and his own father, cult jazz saxophone player Jean-Marc Padovani.Filled with unorthodox scales and asymmetric time signatures, yet remaining highly musical and fluid, it incorporates oriental instruments and melodies into more classic pop arrangements - feeding analog synthesisers and off-kilter electric guitars through Leslie cabinets and echo chambers it falls somewhere between the melodies of Robert Wyatt and the dream-like psychedelia of Connan Mockasin.