Vintage Verckys

Vintage Verckys combines the lion's share of Orchestre Vévé's The Best Collection (Sonodisc France, 1990) and three of the 14 shorter tracks on Verckys & la Vévé, 1969-1971 (African/Sonodisc, 1998), the only CDs by the Congolese group led by saxophonist Verckys that were released internationally. Verckys led Franco's band from 1964-1969 before forming Vévé, and Vintage Verckys offers a refreshing jolt of sax-oriented early-'70s soukous. Soukous was well on its well to becoming a totally guitar-dominated sound, and Verckys' braying sax solos during the sebenes (rave-up sections) of tracks like "Baluti" counted as an innovation. But Vévé didn't cut entirely against the grain — the rhumba foundation of Congolese music is apparent in "Marcela Tozangana," exceptional guitar playing marks "Sakumuna," and Verckys' sax, the harmony vocals, and the guitar coalesce magnificently at the end of "Mama Djele." The sound quality is a bit ragged, but these tracks were recorded in Africa 30 years ago, when well-rehearsed musicians still ruled and the vitality of the music was all-important. The sense of fresh frontiers being discovered and old barriers broken down is readily apparent in "Vivita," as great horn arrangements and vocals ride over the loping rhythm section for nearly ten minutes. Great music from a formative era of African pop.