Recording of the Week, Henri Texier - An Indian's Life

Nobody was expecting a near-forgotten piece of global-inspired dance music by French jazzman Henri Texier to suddenly rise in popularity almost four decades on from its release, let alone the double-bass virtuoso himself. But that’s exactly what happened when the tune ‘Les Là-Bas’ from his cult-classic album Varech (1977) found its way onto the dancefloor several years ago. It was thanks to British DJ and producer, Bonobo, that an up-to-date remix of the track became the club-friendly sound of the summer, with many being introduced to Texier’s work for the first time. 

On occasions such as these when a hidden gem is retrieved from almost obscurity, the original artist behind it often remains shrouded behind a curtain like some ‘Wizard of Oz’ figure, with cohorts of contemporary fans grasping in vain to seek out any detail they can about the mystery performers and newfound heroes they’ve suddenly come to worship. But, thankfully, that’s not the case with Texier. In fact, the self-taught musician has been hiding in plain sight with one of the most impressively consistent track records in European jazz. Quietly carving out a solid discography under his own name since 1971, his host of weighty studio collaborations with such broad-ranging characters as Joe Lovano, Randy Weston, Phil Woods and Lee Konitz have also materialised along the way.

Judging from the eclectic nature of Texier’s early albums, which often fused jazz with Celtic, African, Indian and even Middle Eastern elements into an avant-garde statement greater than the sum of its parts, you’d come to expect nothing less from this master of self-styled tradition and form. Several decades down the line, the French maven has perfected an artistic voice that manages to borrow with respect from his list of worldly influences whilst remaining wholly unique to his own vision. Two vital components that have woven their way into his creative persona more than any others are the musical customs of North African and Native American people, and the rich aesthetic and cultural understanding they each bring with their practice. For Texier, what grew out of an infantile fantasy of 'Cowboys and Indians' has since flourished into an authentic empathy for the plight of others: “I linked the Native American genocide to the oppression of the Afro-Americans, and I identified with this wretched part of America through jazz music," he remarks in the liner notes of his latest album. And it’s here on An Indian’s Life (2023) that Texier once again expresses his solidarity with an indigenous people in the best way he knows. 

With the employment of his son Sebastien, who has been a sax-blowing staple of the Texier band since he was first called up for his father's Mosaïc Man (1998), this record restates the sociopolitical concerns that emerged with Texier’s nascent “Azur” Quartet during the early nineties with pensive grandeur. Resonating with personal feeling and goodwill, the current sextet here sounds tighter than ever, swinging hard with an unflagging rhythmic drive that still offers plenty of room to breathe. It’s an interesting tactic that the album sets off on opening-track ‘Apache Woman’ with the same ingredients that sparked the earworm success of ‘Les Là-Bas’ several years ago, with tribal drumming and wordless vocals melodies doubling the instruments in an act of sublime mimicry. Instantly recognisable, the power-chord propulsion of rhythmic bass has come to be the septuagenarian’s signature. Hey, if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it. 

The Americana reverie of An Indian's Life is one free from the mythological corruption of the Wild West. Entrenched in the awareness of the real-life tragedies scourging Native Americans, Texier sets out on his mission of creative support. As the Frenchman highlights above, he notices parallels between the historic expression of jazz as a statement against racial discrimination and the many cases of indigenous resistance that persist to this day. Nowhere does this sentiment manifest with more sophistication than on Fats Waller’s sobering blues number, ‘Black and Blue’, delivered here with the full grace it deserves by the exquisitely-poised Himiko Paganotti. With its rootsy deportment, ‘No Fear Song’ vamps along with an uncanny resemblance to Marc Johnson’s Bass Desires. ‘Mingus Love Call’ is another bellowing tribute to a terrific figure whose reputation for quarrelsomeness still precedes him, and closer ‘Steve and Carla’ salutes the recently-departed Carla Bley in an open-minded gesture of farewell. 

As he approaches his oaken celebrations (he’ll be turning 79 at the end of this month), it’s safe to say that Henri Texier is still going strong, resolutely carrying the same message of radical defiance through art on his sleeve. À ta santé, Henri!