L-R: Patrice Meyer, Emmanuel Bex & Pip Pyle
As a follow-up to our well-received series on the first Pip Pyle’s Equip’Out tour, we are featuring yet another of Pip’s bands, but this one is quite special as it never produced an album, or even a live release. Pip and guitarist Patrice Meyer had first played together in 1985 in a trio alongside keyboard player Patrick Morgenthaler, which in 1986 morphed into a quartet with Hugh Hopper on bass (as documented on Patrice’s Dromadaire Viennois album). In 1994, Patrice joined L’Equip’Out, replacing pianist Francis Lockwood who himself had succeeded Sophia Domancich, and in September of that year Pip and Patrice also formed a trio with organist Emmanuel Bex, which as far as I’m aware lasted until late 1995. On a couple of occasions Didier Malherbe was added as special guest for half of the show, but to start off this is one gig that only featured the trio.
Like the other two we will be featuring, the Béthune concert took place in the last quarter of 1995 (thanks to Jean Darras for providing the exact date and venue). Along with three originals by Bex and the obligatory nod to Tony Williams’ Lifetime (a very obvious model for any ‘electric jazz’ guitar-organ-drums trio), this contains a few familiar Pyle and Meyer tunes and, more surprisingly, Pete Lemer’s “Big Dick” (a affectionate nod to saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith), as far as I’m aware pre-dating any version of it by In Cahoots. And this is only part of the trio’s repertoire – the next gig we’ll be uploading has no less than 5 tunes not played here!
This is sourced from the mixing desk and while there were no issues with the cassette, the mix leaves something to be desired, with the guitar too low in the mix and the bass drum too prominent. Nothing a future AI-assisted remix can’t solve, I guess. Any expert of this is welcome to give this a try!
1. Zouzou (Bex)
2. Mimine (Bex)
3. Where? (Williams)
4. Horny Brownie (Meyer)
5. Big Dick (Lemer)
6. Seven Sisters (Pyle)
7. Yes Yes (Bex)
8. Fa Si La Fatima (Meyer)
Patrice Meyer – guitar
Emmanuel Bex – organ
Pip Pyle – drums
Thank You. I don’t mind the balance being a bit off. Pip is in fine form here and its great to hear him up front. Its a nice clean recording. Great post
Thanks! You’ll surely enjoy the next uploads!