Women

The wildly fecund jazz fusion of Guadeloupe, that archipelago of a dozen plus islands out where the northwest Caribbean meets the western Atlantic, was a latecomer to the international spotlight. Stellar contemporary musicians including NYC-based tenor saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart and France-residing percussionist Sonny Troupé have carved acclaimed careers by folding traditional rhythms such as zouk and drum-based gwoka (literally, ‘big drum’) into the anything-goes jazz template. The annual Creole Jazz Festival in Guadeloupe has been highlighting the region’s melting pot of genres for years. But way before all this, back in the analogue-wrapped 1970s and 80s, a largely undocumented free jazz live scene vibed across Guadeloupe. At its vanguard were bands such as Kassav, one of the few to garner international stardom, and the quintet Kat-Tet, who spliced their groove-based, US-influenced sounds with homegrown elements and tropical Latin vibes. This fabulous reissue, Kat-Tet’s solitary recording, is being variously hailed as timeless, compelling, a rediscovered gem. Comprising five tracks that showcase the compositional nouse of bandleader/pianist Patrick Jean-Marie, the deft interplay between the latter and band members including (St Lucian-born) Luther François on alto-sax and Charlie Chomereau Lamotte on a range of percussion, it’s a work of careful orchestration, mighty piano bridges and soaring, spacious solos, and one brought to light by crate-digger extraordinaire DJ Florence Mambo Chick. A rarity and a treasure.