Lizzy Mercier Descloux ignored any boundaries in the pursuit of her art

If you’re like me, you may have known the name Lizzy Mercier Descloux for decades without hearing her. I seem to recall hearing a track of two on WPRK-FM during their fixation [thank goodness] with Ze Records, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything in the all important bins. Now, for the next few days, at least, Ze Records have released a free sampler DL to commemorate what would have been Descloux’s recent birthday. The peripatetic artist died 14 years ago of cancer but not before making waves in the music scenes of New York City, Paris, the Bahamas, and South Africa.

Ze Records | FR | DL | 2018

Lizzy Mercier Descloux: From Heaven With Love FR DL [2018]

1. One For The Soul
2. Jim On The Move
3. Wawa
4. Hard-Boiled Babe
5. Slipped Disc
6. Milk Shiek
7. Funky Stuff
8. L’Eclipse
9. Sun Jive
10. My Funny Valentine
11. Simply Beautiful
12. The Long Goodbye

The spiky tracks here range from soul jazz not unlike early Carmel, to jazzy punk-funk ala lablemate James Chance. Further excursions moved into township jive, jazz chanson, and disco-funk. Her cover of Kool + The Gang’s “Funky Stuff” was a deliciously affected movement into the leftfield disco zone that berthed the singular label.

If you would like to partake of this freebie, know that the DL will time out within a day or two. No guarantees, but click here for a chance to hear this Corsican polymath make some adventurous music that in many ways, defined the thematic scope of Ze Records over the decades. I now see that Light In The Attic have re-released DLX RMs of all five of Descloux’s albums and right now, the prices are right. CDs for $8 with shipping. I need to dive in with “Mambo Nassau” first since I just can’t get enough of the Compass Point All stars like Wally Badrou and Steven Stanley. What can one say about an album where Kool + The Gang and Nino Rota are covered? Other than, yes, please?

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