Just when we think we’ve seen or heard just about everything, there are labels that are still impressing the serious music lovers and the latest release from the We Release Jazz label comes one of our favorite bands, Placebo with a 1971 live recording pressed to wax. This marks the first ever live performance and recording by Marc Moulin’s sought-after jazz-funk band Placebo, captured at Casino Kursaal during the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1971 and never released before.
“June 17th, 1971, the Montreux Riviera, its delightful microclimate and postcard scenery, its fabled music history and the luscious wines of the region. A dream setting for Marc Moulin to lead his ensemble on a 26 minutes+ jazz adventure – Nick Kletchkovsky on bass, Freddy Rottier on drums, Johnny Dover on bass clarinet, Alex Scorier on soprano saxophone, and Richard Rousselet on flugelhorn. The magic of that night is dripping through Placebo’s sumptuous “Showbiz Suite”, a soulful piece in two parts in which every instrument gets enough room to shine, smoothly navigating between cozy cognac-by-the-fireplace funk and heartfelt grittiness, served with a pinch of Soft Machine vibes. It’s the night Placebo was born, when foundations were laid for three classic albums: Ball of Eyes (on which you can hear a shorter studio version of “Showbiz Suite”), 1973, and their final self-titled album.”