Jayson Lindh - "Cous Cous" (1972)

In Sweden, he is known as Björn J:son Lindh, which is his real name. But internationally, he used the more Anglo-Saxon name Jayson, and since I live in Montreal, it's often the North American releases I find. It's a relatively new purchase. I play flute since a year, and the other week I told my teacher about Jayson Lindh, sure he would know who he was. But of course he didn't, so I sent him a link with some info, and he responded with a youtube link with the song Abdo. Really groovy song, so I was happy when I found Cous Cous a few days later in the local record store, where Abdo is the closing number. A good price too, they actually had two copies of the album, so Jayson Lindh isn't completely obscure here.

This is yet another confirmation that the early 70's was a cool place to be at, as this record spent a number of weeks on the top list in Sweden. Instrumental flute dominated music has a hard time making it to the lists today, People were more open-minded in the 70s. The album is an eclectic mix, some songs bordering to easy listening, almost cheezy songs, that would fit well into a soft porn movie from this decade (according to a friend who has watched such a movie once), but this is swiftly replaced by noisy fusion jazz, and in addition offers a few songs that today would be defined as world music. Middle East influenced tunes, where tablas, lute and congas are heard. It's a clear 70s sound, which we thank the flute for. I think it had its heyday in those years. I would like to see more of it in today's music. Take any song, Oops, I did it again with Britney Spears, and add a flute that grooves with the music and is given a one-minute solo. Voilà, you've got a song that's a killer.

This was Jayson Lindh's third solo album, and on the album, among others. you'll hear Janne Schaffer, a renowned Swedish guitarist. It was released outside Sweden in 1973. A good album that I think you could get, if you happen to stumble upon it. Thanks to its slightly wild mixture it becomes a quite varied experience. The before-mentioned song, Abdo, offers some singing, otherwise it's instrumental. Abdo is probably my favorite song from the album, in which the table creates a nice groove and the "normal" drum set more sets a frame around the music. Here, other musicians are given quite a lot of space, a 10-minute musical around-the-world trip. After having played the flute for a year, I think I'm soon on Jayson Lindh's level, just a little more practice. Then I'll make sure the flute returns to the arenas and into the top lists.


Tracklist

Side A
1 My Machine 4:02
2 Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues 2:56
3 Bobo 5:15
4 El Henna 2:49
5 Kiki 3:45

Side B
1 Elastic Springtime 3:28
2 The Booster Pump 3:19
3 Abdo 10:10