Jan Francoys – Chez Bourgetel

I spent fives years searching for marginal Quebecois records and this is one of my favourites from that period. It’s a lounge LP recorded live at “Chez Bourgetel”, the storied Montreal club where in the 70s anybody who was anybody gathered for mirth and mayhem. The record is a mediocre exercise in the day’s lounge standards “Aquarius”, “Yellow Bird”, etc.) distinguished only by a left field and epic psychedelic exploration of “Oye Como Va”. My guess is that Jan would play this when Plume Latraverse and his gang showed up in the early hours of the morning. Regardless, it’s without question the best version of “Oye Como Va” ever. Doubters may submit their preferred versions to me so that I may reject them as inferior.