Brigitte Fontaine

Featuring: Art Ensemble of Chicago

Wewantsounds reissues Brigitte Fontaine's landmark 1970 Saravah album Comme à la Radio, recorded with Areski Belkacem, Wadada Leo Smith, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. This new edition pairs the original album with rare bonus material. The release is accompanied by a lavish 24-page bilingual booklet featuring an introduction by journalist Andy Beta, essays by Wadada Leo Smith, Brigitte Fontaine biographer Benoît Mouchart, and Benjamin Barouh, plus a recent interview with Brigitte Fontaine and the late Areski Belkacem. The booklet also includes complete lyrics and a selection of rare archival photographs by Jean-Pierre Leloir and Philippe Gras. Comme à la Radio was originally released in 1970 on Pierre Barouh's cult Saravah label, fusing Fontaine's radical lyricism with Areski Belkacem's minimalist compositions and the fearless improvisations of the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Wadada Leo Smith.

 Its title track has since become a cult classic in jazz and groove circles. The album has been newly remastered from the original tapes and is reissued featuring 11 bonus tracks. The original album is presented in restored clarity, while the bonus tracks gather rare non-album singles, English-language takes, alternate versions and previously unreleased instrumental recordings showcasing the Art Ensemble's artistry, including the elusive English version of Comme à la Radio, and a striking early version of "L'été L'été." Comme à la Radio stands as a visionary landmark of French music and a defining statement in Brigitte Fontaine's career. This expanded edition confirms its enduring influence more than fifty years after its original release. The reissue is announced alongside its companion Comme à la Radio On Air, a deluxe 2-LP set presenting previously unreleased ORTF live recordings and additional studio rarities.