In Tokyo

Zao | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 4, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Musea
• ASIN: B000MGB7K4
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #762,766 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Free Folk

2. Atart

3. Shardaz

4. Natura

5. Sadie

6. Ronach

7. Isis

8. Zohar

Editorial Reviews

Created in 1973 by two former MAGMA musicians, Yochk'o SEFFER (Saxophone) and François "FATON" CAHEN (Keyboards), ZAO displays a music both intriguing and complex. The band offers an original mixture between Progressive rock, jazz, traditional Magyar influences and modern classical composers (BARTOK, STRAVINSKI...). Sophisticated meters are punctuated by wind instruments and piano, putting the stress on strange-sounding themes. "Live !" is a never-issued album, recorded at the famous French club A L'Ouest De La Grosne in 1976. Very uncommon, the band included then François "FATON" CAHEN (Keyboards), Gerard BERTRAM (Bass), Didier LOCKWOOD (Violin) and Jean-My TRUONG (Drums). Regarding Yochk'o SEFFER, his departure to pursue a solo career has just been announced... A document not to be missed, both for its historical value and its great musicianship ! Ten years after a first come-back, ZAO is there again in 2004 to go on tour in Japan. Yochk'o SEFFER and Francois "FATON" CAHEN invited their old mate Gerard PREVOST (Bass), who together with drummer François CAUSSE (GONG, OFFERING...) makes a perfect rhythmic section. As to Cynthia SAINT-VILLE, she stands for a modern incarnation of the original vocalist Mauricia PLATON. On site, the two leaders of the band recruited one of the best musicians of the country, the brilliant KBB violonist Akihisa TSUBOY. Published by the Musea label, "In Tokyo" is a testimony for two concerts performed in the Japanese capital on June 4th & 5th 2004. Over 73 minutes of music, eight classic tracks, amongst them "Free Folk", "Atart", "Isis" or "Shardaz". As to the performance in itself, no comment: simply outstanding ! For all those who had not the luck to be there on this historical moment, just rush to get the record ! Go !!!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, Live "Best of . . . ", so to speak, November 9, 2009

By 

Mark A. Snyder "Versoix" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In Tokyo (Audio CD)

Another very good recording by the French fusion Zeuhl band, still going strong after over 30 years. I didn't go and cross reference all the titles to their albums, but it seems to be a mix of old and new tunes (mostly older ones), with 4 veteran/original members and 2 recently added musicians. It is a good, long CD at 73:16. The recording is excellent. It features Zao founders Jeff "Yochk'o" Seffer (sop. sax), and Francois "Faton" Cohen (keys), early members Gerard Prevost (bass) and Francois Causse (drums), and new additions Cynthia Saint-Ville (singing) and Akihisa Tsuboy (violin). Cahen and Seffer were original members (and writers) of Magma, the source of Zeuhl music. After 3 years, they left to form Zao in 1971, mostly because they wanted to do more improvising than Christian Vander would allow in Magma. Zao has a much jazzier feel than Magma. Where Magma is almost a genre unto itself, Zao is definitely jazz fusion. They use odd time signatures, Middle Eastern and Eastern European melodies, (Seffer is Hungarian) and play snaky, sinuous, infectious and catchy riff-based fusion. Heavy on the fender rhodes, and now with a vocalist (usually wordless) and violinist, all the musicians are top notch. They rock! And this music is not all that easy to play. It is a lot of fun. Some of these tunes are from their first albums and they are still fresh. I've been a fan of Zao since 1974. If you are new to Zao, Zheul, or French fusion and want to find out what all the fuss was about, this would be a very good, if not the best place to start. [versoix]