On June 27th, 1969, Michel Portal pushed the door of the Pathé
Marconi studios. With him were drummers Jacques Thollot and
Aldo Romano, bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark and pianist
Joachim Kühn. They hadn"t rehearsed anything, as if entering
the studio to record an album without any plan was something
normal. The musicians were obviously very used to playing with
each other, as the five tracks on Our Meanings And Our
Feelings seem to flow perfectly without any hint of
improvisation. The zokra, an oriental clarinet that Michel Portal
plays on "Walking through the land" and "Dear old Morocco"
brings a singular touch to this album. This singularity is
transcended by Joachim Kühn"s ability to easily go from the
piano to the saxophone alto, from supporting to soloing, before
playing the bells, then the tambourine, opening the
soundscape. Our Meanings And Our Feelings may not be the
first French free jazz record - as it was preceded by the fantastic
Free Jazz by François Tusques, released in 1965 and on which
Michel Portal plays as well - but it remains one of the most
important. Its incredible outburst of sounds and melodies is
completely free yet never turns into cacophony. 44 years after
its release, it is still urgent to listen to Our Meanings And Our
Feelings and what these five talented musicians had to tell us.
TRACKLIST
1.1 For My Mother
1.2 Walking Through The Land
1.3 Dear Old Morocco
1.4 A Train In A Very Small Town
1.5 Our Meanings And Our Feelings