France, 1994, avant-folk / French folk / avant-garde jazz

Valentin Clastrier – Le bûcher des silences: Let’s not forget to mention Michel Godard, Jean-Louis Matiner, Michael Riessler, Carlo Rizzo, and Gerard Siracusa, because this wild, crazy, beautiful album couldn’t have been performed alone. Basically, this is folk-inspired jazz, and it’s got my seal of approval. Viele, tuba, accordion, clarinet, saxophone, hurdy gurdy, and serpent (yes, “serpent”) all spar and vie for primacy, resulting in a jarring dance of controlled and carefully-orchestrated chaos.