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| The "Concerto Pour Une Flûte" album attributed to "Zébaron" is the work of flautist Jean-Claude Gozzo & guitarist Sergio Renucci. |
Zébaron – Concerto Pour Une Flûte (MFP) 1976
Over the years of visiting second-hand record shops, I've come across the mysterious Zébaron album from 1976 filed in classical, world, French language, easy listening, instrumental, lounge, and the bargain bin. The exotic looking sleeve doesn't give much away other than there is definitely some flute involved. But the recording is far from a snoozy solo flute recital. It's actually a lot closer in spirit to a French sound library stab at a breezy samba-jazz set you might get from Tele Music or Music Pour L'image only the tracks are longer and the performances have a touch more personality.
Zébaron seems to be the nom-du-disc of flautist Jean-Claude Gozzo and his guitar-playing pal Sergio Renucci who wrote the majority of the tunes together. What really elevates Concerto Pour Une Flûte from vanity project status, however, is the solid rhythm section of respected French jazz bassist Gilbert Rovère (Dexter Gordon, Duke Ellington, Cannonball Adderley, Martial Solal, René Thomas, etc) credited here as "Bibi Rover" and dependable drummer Fred "Junior" Desplan who approach the recording as they would any jazz ensemble session. While the album is clearly a showcase for J.C. Gozzo's flute flights as the title suggests, the propulsive play of Rovère and Desplan with guitarist Renucci keeps things moving. As you can hear on the tracks "Mélancolie" and "Le Baron" below, this Gozzo hombre can definitely play which makes you wonder whether it might be an alias for a credible artist on a money-making studio project since the name doesn't appear to be connected to any other recordings before or since. Perhaps only Sergio, Fred and Gilbert know for sure. Have a listen.
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