Jazz micmac press

Jazz Micmac
Press

December 1994, January, February 1995

A fine performance which, bordering on negligence, advances to a smoothed perfection. The generous and castling voice of Franka Winn, Albert Nkibi and Jean-Pierre Ngampika-Mperet, the balafon of Samson Nyebel Chaudgars, the beautiful percussion of Auguste Tsa, the trumpet of master Serge Adam, Benoît Delbecq equal to himself on the synthesizer, the electric bass of André Nkouaga and the drums of the accomplished Emile Biayenda. by Jean Loup Pivin

Eighteen pieces including two as a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, or a post card witnessing the tour in central Africa of Serge Adam and Benoit Delbecq, accompanied for the occasion by the Camerounese André Nkouaga and the Congolese Emile Biayenda. In other words, the encounter between two worlds of different expressions. Antagonisms that, other than vanishing as in the case of world music, contribute to the interest of the procedure. The film by Olivier Lichen, retracing their travels, recently shown at the Passage du Nord-Ouest, is the illustration with the same title as the music played here. In fact, while Benoit Delbecq cites Gilles Deleuze and speaks of ear attitudes, Emile Biayenda shows how the sky and the earth are tied together, using the cymbals and the bass drum. Such a constant and intriguing shift between the sometimes almost intelectual discourse and more instinctive, even physical of others. Two ways, under the immediate circumstances, to treat polyphony. by Xavier Matthyssens

Jazz Magazine

April 1995

Reflets DNA

N° 421, January 4-10, 1995

Astonishing mic-mac! A group of four happy ________, that’s Jazz MicMac. The encounter of two lovers of African music: Serge Adam, trumpet, Benoit Delbecq, pianist and two other African musicians. André Nkouaga on bass and Emile Biayenda on drums.With jazz in the leading role, the African rhythms feed the compositions. Recorded on tour, the album plunges us in the heart of Central Africa through Gabon, Guinee, Cameroun, Angola, Namibie. Like quotation marks, the interludes added by Yves Huet, distill sounds and noises from Bangui, Yaoundé and Malabo. “Teh-Teh” from the group Lihongo or the traditional Aka of the Pigmees reinforce this very successful blend. Rather than flying towards the African continent, listen to these four jazzmen making a surprising mic-mac. ND

Guess who’s playing Friday night at the French Cultural Center? Jazz MicMac!!! A group of four jolly chaps who met by happenstance. At first there were two of them: the trumpet player Serge Adam and the pianist Benoît Delbecq (France), accomplices for nearly ten years and both lovers of African music. These two protaganists asked themselves the following question: “What space is there left for music created by young heirs of African and European jazz, funk and world music that’s not simply a mix of all three?” Decidedly, they’re there to resolve the problem with two African musicians, André Nkouaga (Cameroun) on bass and Emile Biayenda (Congo) on drums. Together they’ll trail eight countries of Central Africa with a different “traditional guest” at each concert. The goal of the group experience is to construct common musical material typical of each type to create a new musical genre. All four musicians surely have their own hopes during this encounter. Each one knows the traps: exchange only with African rhythms against European harmony, trading written knowlege for an intuitive ear, otherwise, opposing pure sense against warm “feeling”! The encounters, personal before musical, will also be the material of the exchange, and the ultimate condition of the success of the experience. The rules are set, jazz is the first rendez-vous, the hour is struck, be we don’t yet know what will happen. One must improvise, and a good sense of humor is needed for this to work. A film is in preparation and it’s through the eyes of Yves Huet (sound engineer) and Olivier Lichen (video director) that the travel journal of this human and musical adventure will happen. A CD is also foreseen. Rendez-vous at the French Cultural Center Friday night at 7:00. Price 1000 and 5000 francs CFA.

L’Union
Gabon

March 2, 1995

Recorded live during a tour in Central Africa, this album is the result of the encounter between two African musicians, Emile Biayenda (drums), André Nkouaga (bass) and two French musicians, Benoit Delbecq (synthesizer) and the trumpet player Serge Adam who shows a deep admiration for Miles Davis. The proof is constantly administered by waves of the synthesizer that, like the flow and tide, punctuate a funky rhythm open to all genres (traditional Pygmee chants). A great success, warm and inviting. by F. Bruckert

Le Progrès

February 12, 1995.
Jazz from France and Elsewhere

Jornal de Angola

March 29, 1994

Serge Adam's quartet will offer this evening at 7:30 p.m. at the Avenida Theater in Luanda a jazz concert, framing an international program of the Alliance Française in Angola. The quartet is made up of two Frenchmen, Serge Adam, trumpeter, composer and director, Benoît Delbecq, pianist, also composer and arranger, a Congolese, Emile Biayenda, percussionist and arranger and finally bassist André Nkouaga of Cameroonian nationality. Serge Adam, classically trained, studied at the Conservatory of Caen - a city in northern France, created and led a big band which performed 60 concerts between 1983 and 1993. He works with jazz groups such as Archimusic and Les Standardistes . Benoit Delbecq, also classically trained, also studied electro-acoustic techniques. Since 1985 he has worked for theatre, television and particularly in the orchestra of Alan Silva and the Del Fierra Fuego Sextet. As for Emile Biayenda, he participated in the creation of the Tambours de Brazzaville group, of which he was artistic director and conductor, from which comes his inspiration for classical (Swing Be-Bop) and modern (Free-Afro Rock) jazz. ). He also participated in the creation of a few jazz groups such as Zao and Les Tambours de la République de Congo. André Nkouaga, a professional musician for a long time, has been playing since 1986 with the group Jazzolina, created especially for him. He has performed various concerts in the Douala cabaret, accompanied by jazz pianist Emmanuel Bex and accordionist Christophe Iborra, supervised by the Cultural Affairs of the Alliance Française. Let us remember that, like La Comédie, Dupla Inconstancia and Ars Antigua de Paris, the international program of the Alliance includes the concert tonight which is part of the film made from their tour in different countries of Central Africa. From this tour will be made a documentary film showing spectacular images but also a phonographic work. by J. Lwyanna

Jazz Mic-Mac is the name of a fascinating mix of four first-class musicians from two different continents. Renowned trumpeter and manager Serge Adam will take his group Jazz Mic-Mac through a series of avant-garde pieces, combining musical influences from Africa with his own style closer to home. Unfortunately, Jazz Mic-Mac has a very busy schedule, so they will only play one gig in Namibia. n/a

The Namibian
25 mars,1994

Liberté Hebdo November 4, 1994

The meeting of four young talented French and African musicians, recorded during a tour in Central Africa last March and April. Music mixed in the best sense of the word, a truely original encounter taking count of the personalities and cultures of each one of them.The perfect example of true “world music”, perfectly alive and creative. by Gérard Rouy