Live [Live, Import]

By this time the band has three albums to draw from - their self-titled debut, "Living Room" and "Attraction". Without having heard the third release, it is clearly well worth purchase if the newer songs here are anything to go by. The audience clearly knows the music well and claps along to some sections as well as applauding the soloists. The band, meanwhile, verges on the telepathic as each musician solos in unpredictable directions. Vocalist Belle du Berry, the focus of much of the studio work, seems content to take slightly more of a back seat on several tracks - although this is not to say that she is out of things, her vocal displays are as sublime as ever.

The concert opens with "Istanbul", beginning with a mournful moan from - it would appear - bassist Mano. The audience is appreciative of this, and the energy level picks up rapidly throughout the piece. The second offering, "Ubiquite", is clearly a fan favourite as Australian-born pianist David Lewis's intro draws considerable audience response.
"Mais Que Fait La Nasa?", coming in approximately the middle of the performance, features some interesting drumming from Fracois. It has been described as "dub" in other places, and while I wouldn't attach that label to it, it is certainly deserving of a listen.

"Sous La Lune" is another track of interest. On the "Living Room" album, David Lewis's performance here sounds simply muted and unenthusiastic. Performed live, it is easy to understand why - his trumpet is partially submerged in a bowl of water! This unconventional effect sets the song off beautifully and is given a well-deserved round of applause.

Potzi's work on "Senor" is also much more visible here than on the "Living Room" performance. As a guitarist, he is often likened to Django Reinhart, and it is easy to see why during his solo on this track.

The final three tracks - the title tracks from "Attraction" and "Living Room" and the monster hit of "Moie, Mon Ame Et Ma Conscience" - are perfect. "Attraction" serves as a great promotion for its own album, while "Living Room", with du Berry's playful vocals leading the band forward, gets the audience clapping along and stamping their feet. From a musical standpoint, Potzi's solo is stretched out here and proves a real centrepiece to the song.

It is the 7-minute long "Conscience" which provides reason to purchase this album if nothing else has. Ever band member is given a section to shine in, Belle and Mano add extra verses - Mano singing in his native Malagasy - while Fracois and Potzi deliver very intricate solos. It is trumpeter/pianist Lewis who steals the show, though. From the moment he begins improvising around his trumpet figure to introduce the song, the listener can sense that he's about the pull something special out of the bag - and he doesn't disappoint. His trumpet solo exists several registers above anything else he's yet recorded, and then he switches to piano. Not only does he acquit himself wonderfully on this instrument, he also uses it to play a transposed version of the trumpet figure to lead back to Belle's singing. Not surprisingly, when Belle calls out "David Lewis", the applause and cheers go on for quite some time.
As an added extra, in the middle of one of the songs, he plays trumpet and piano at the same time.

One of the problems with live albums is that they often leave the listener - especially the dedicated fan - wanting more. Not in this case. Paris Combo leave the listener with a bemused smile on his face but certainly well and truly sated from the experience.

This album is a great companion piece to the studio albums, and is thus highly recommended for anyone who has ever heard any of the work by this incredible band. The beginning fan may be overwhelmed by the material, although the balance from the three albums ensures that there would be enough familiar music for anyone.

...if you have a few extra bucks and can navigate a French website, I'd suggest buying this album from Amazon.fr. The French version is two discs long and captures the entire concert. The energy builds in a natural and inescapable way, Potzi takes a nice little solo guitar intro to one song, and the show culminates in a fun and bizarre jam called "Instant T."

It's the type of CD you put on at a dinner party or cocktails and everyone loves it and asks who it is. I HIGHLY recommend it, and can't wait to catch them live here or in Paris!