Dominique Cravic & Les Primitifs du Futur
World Musette
Sketch Studio ([email protected])

Featuring Daniel Colin, Fabienne Donard and special guest Raul Barboza on accordions

The liner notes (all in French ­ get your dictionary!) belabor the difference between "amateurs" and "professional musicians." This band is the former: their most famous member is a comic book artist (underground legend Robert Crumb) and their repertoire is '20s dance tunes. Or that's what it sounds like: here are new tunes, dressed in old styles. Count 'em on "Fox Musette." The guitar chugs steadily like Django's Hot Club Quintet, Crumb does string-band moves on mandolin and a Hawaiian guitar. Lusty sax romps with dainty accordion, and there's some weathered scat that's straight out of the 'Thirties. It could be a joke but it's rarely corny; when the xylophone skitters you find yourself smiling. Professional? No. Amateurish? Decidedly not.

"Kid Chocolat"

"Est-ce que vous avez des disques 78 tours?" That's Crumb, searching for old records; a dealer hypes his wares, and a chanteuse sings his praises (Monique Hutter ­ she's a charmer!) "It's mint, my friend" the dealer says through a forest of crackles. Oud and derbuka start the exotic "C'est la Goutte," then in comes the sidewalk accordion, stirring a waltz the others join. A bandoneon joins for "Maldita Noche," a squeezebox for each speaker, and a musical saw; it's hokey but fun. The singer calls for the tango, which never comes, but romance is here in abundance.

"Scattin' the Blues" is all strings; the scat is Daniel Huck, and he goes wild. Many things roll by: xylophone novelties, misterioso bits, a bit of a rumba. "Kid Chocolat" has flutes, a Cuban boxer, a tale of woe, and lots of maracas. Marc Richard's trumpet is a plus, as are the lyrics. "Valse Chinoise" is vintage exotica, nice but overly sweet. The same applies to "Les Dernier Musette": accordions, musical saw and vibes are too much! Another blues wanders by, then we get "Desaccord Marroche," perhaps the album's best. Cravic's singing is suave, the band offers a solid jazz backing. The guitars walk slippery, and the bass bows vividly, Slam Stuart without the scatting. Here is the mood and here is the sound: a simple joy, from an era I thought had passed. Not yet it hasn't, for that I am glad. - John Barrett