Bloom

Legend has it that, in the late 60s, Daevid Allen found Didier Malherbe playing a flute and living in a cave in Deya, Majorca (though they'd met before in Paris in 1967). No matter: Malherbe spent the next decade playing wind instruments with Gong, eventually parting ways after an album into Gong's so-called Pierre Moerlen era. Back in Paris in the late 70s, Malherbe—or rather "Bloomdido Bad de Grass," as he was known in Gong—formed a band of his own, and recorded an album named after his moniker, Bloom, for Tapioca Records. After a few opening honks, "Bateau-vole" ("Flying boat") leaps off the groove, revealing a most capable fusion band. If you thought Gong's Gazeuse! was a jam, look no further than this record for more. Anchored by Jano Padovani on drums and Winston Berkeley on bass, soloists Malherbe, guitarist Yan Emeric Vagh and keyboardist Mico Nissim all deliver perfectly-executed performances. "Whiskers," featuring Peter Kimberley on bass, presents a more formal structure, but one similarly electric and very melodic; these are rich, complex ensemble arrangements that never get fussy. Malherbe and Kimberly both offer vocals on "Give A Chance To To-Morrow;" the song and its lyrics veer toward the Gong canon, offering a not-so-serious take on some seriously good music. Emeric's "Dan Dan" is the lone non-Malherbe composition, and chiefly features his stellar guitar playing. Malherbe's epic "Suite a tout de suite" closes: an eclectic mix of acoustic guitar, sax and electric piano. Bloom is a phenomenal album, offering yet another look at the remarkable talent that was Gong. Malherbe would next record an album with Emeric in 1981, though it would only see limited release on the GAS/Ottersongs label. He would then team up with ex-Zao (and former Magma) keyboardist François Cahen in Faton Bloom during the mid-80s.