{"id":2589,"date":"2019-03-22T14:28:19","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T14:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shindig-magazine.com\/?p=2589"},"modified":"2019-03-22T14:28:19","modified_gmt":"2019-03-22T14:28:19","slug":"the-french-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shindig-magazine.com\/?p=2589","title":{"rendered":"The French Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

MARK GOODALL follows the 30-year journey of Essex guitarist IAN JELFS, who left these shores to expand musical boundaries in France<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"Readers of Shindig!\u00a0<\/em>are naturally well versed in the British and American experimental rock music of the late \u201960s and early \u201970s. Perhaps less familiar is the wealth of music mining similar territories (and often beyond) from just across the English Channel; namely the French rock and pop scene of the same era.<\/p>\n

Brit music fans may actually be surprised to hear out how “out there” French music of this period could be. Listen, for example, to Igor Wakhevitch\u2019s epic \u2018Danse Sacrale\u2019, L\u2019Origine\u2019s eponymous single from 1969 or Jacques Filh\u2019s mind-bending \u2018Wraaaach!!!\u2019. French artists such as P\u00f4le, Semool and Fille Qui Mousse appeared on the infamous Nurse With Wound “list”. And if you think Bill Nelson\u2019s Red Noise are weird try the French version led by Patrick Vian (son of Boris). The catalogue of the BYG label, recently hailed with a superb Andy Votel\/Finders Keepers compilation, holds many treasures.<\/p>\n

The French scene is definitely worthy of serious attention and a rare and fascinating bridge between these linguistically distinct yet equally diverse music scenes can be found the work and career of the British guitarist and composer Ian Jelfs.<\/p>\n

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Jelfs was born in Barking, Essex in \u201949. Still only 14, he joined The Cutaways, a rhythm \u2019n’ blues outfit from Godalming, Surrey, where an unlikely beat scene was developing. The cutaways began to win plaudits and prizes, including a touring slot at the Crazy Horse in Germany, which Ian was unfortunately too young to take up.<\/p>\n

In nearby Guildford, keyboardist and songwriter Philip Goodhand-Tait had formed The Stormsville Shakers, now highly regarded as a cult British R&B combo. They eventually joined Parlophone and publisher Dick James signed Goodhand-Tait as a composer.<\/p>\n

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Jelfs joined the Shakers along with sax player Mel Collins in \u201965. Goodhand- Tait remembers Jelfs\u2019 guitar playing as \u201cprecise and jazz-based, in contrast to the Clapton-esque indulgence or \u2018speed licks\u2019 played by other guitarists at the time\u201d. It is this innovation and eclecticism that would make Jelf\u2019s music so distinctive and varied. A gig at Parisian club La Locomotive led to a sizeable Gallic following, and on their return trip to France, an EP was recorded for Odeon under the supervision of legendary French arranger Claude Bolling. One particular track from the EP, Goodhand-Tait\u2019s \u2018The Number One\u2019, with its urgent, driving sound (developed no doubt from the band\u2019s residency backing Larry Williams) has become a freakbeat DJ staple.<\/p>\n