****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Upon "wish surfing" idly late one evening, I happened upon Cafe Jacques' "Round the Back." What a happy surprise!I picked up Cafe Jacques' other album, "International" twenty-odd years ago as a discount store 8-track tape, one of the "bargain bin" offerings. The nature of 8-track tapes in those days was to provide NO information on the artist(s) and, for years, I thought that Cafe Jacques was a just my private band, so to speak. Certainly, no one else I knew (in the USA) had ever heard of them. When the old 8-track was temporarily misplaced, some years ago, I even began to suspect that, somehow, I had made them up!Imagine my surprise then, twenty-odd years later, to find "Round the Back" by this wonderful group of expert musicians. What a treat!Each track on this collection has, as noted by contributing percussionist Phil Collins, its own identity. Like pictures at an exhibition, each work stands alone, has its own flavor. Each is a tightly woven tapestry of multiple parts; complex, yet, like fine wine, smooth, mellow and warm.The quality of the disc is very good, containing practically none of the annoying "noise" common on some re-masterings, but remaining clean and crisp, nonetheless.I truly hope that "International" will be released on CD at some time in the near future. Until then, "Round the Back" is a worthy addition to any music library and is heartily recommended. If you have never heard of Cafe Jacques, don't worry -- this recording will be a wonderful surprise gift to yourself!
