By chance I heard this eclectic group a couple of weeks ago and remembered I had an album of theirs: The Plot Thickens. I revisited it last week and it is superb. Where are they now I ask? The internet gives no information. To get us started:
Galliano was a London based acid jazz group, started up in 1988. The group was the first ever signing to Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson’s Acid Jazz Records. The original members were Rob Gallagher (vocals), Constatine Weir (vocals), and Crispin Robinson (percussion). Other important members include Valerie Etienne, who participated in the recording of all their CDs, along with other musicians such as Mick Talbot on keyboards and McKone Hernias on bass guitar.
The Plot Thickens:
From it's hard beat driven opening track with an almost samba background it has an arresting track opener called Was This The Time. Not rap but a talkover which is determined to keep your attention as it stops suddenly then we go into a track which flows because it's called Blood Lines, great jazz fusion and then perfectly executed funk with Rise and Fall.
Cold Wind Blowing has a strong lyrical message [our destiny for the next generation] with a blues guitar playing underneath; 'there's a cold wind blowing and we must make our mark'. It's one of the strongest tracks which changes pace half way through and launches into a clap hands and all join in affair. It's a 6 minute track which is great as it has a real groove which you get into.
Do You Hear goes into free fall jazz territory though I can't quite make out what the heck the instrument is which leads it, possible a trumpet.
Without lessening it in any way it has a 'performance' feel about it as if a young theatre group has put it together, it has that sort of energy. It also has lots of blends and flavours which make it all very intriguing and rich.
It's such a 'tight' sound with all the rhythm and harmonies just circling each other perfectly. The album is on Spotify so go listen.
