snobb Tchangodei is a mystic figure on French jazz scene, self-taught pianist who was born in former French colony of Dahomey but moved to France in early age. Since that, he released more than fifteen albums as leader (predominantly on his own Volcanic label, established in 1981), became an owner of tiny jazz club in Lyon and established himself as painting artist.

Never an active member of French domestic jazz community, he collaborated mostly with brightest American ex-expatriates, based in France, including Archie Shepp, Steve Lacy, Mal Waldron, recorded with France-based Japanese trumpeter Itaru Oki.

"Three For Freedom" is one such album - recorded on Tchangodei's Volcanic label unorthodox trio of two pianists and sax player. Where second pianist's role takes Mal Waldron and the reedist is true - Archie Shepp. Five compositions are all bluesy and smokey, but differently from let say some Archie Shepp's recordings of that time, this album is hardly oriented on hard-bopish ballads fan.

Album's longest track (over ten minutes long) is "The Seagulls Of Kristiansund"(titled here "The Seagulls Of Kristian") - excellent Mal Waldron composition, recorded by him more than once. On original vinyl release it's placed on side B, but it smartly opens CD reissue edition. Tchangodei quite minimalist this song's version contains renown Waldron piano drones instead of regular bass/drums section, Tchangodei's lite dancing staccato melody and Shepp's rich smokey sax soloing all the way, bluesy but quite free (as for late 80s).

"Space Blues" is album's shortest composition, marching optimistic hymn with Archie filling all the space with his tenor."Africa Struggle" sounds quite as Waldron song, with Shepp's soloing going high octave. "Driftin' Blues", the standard, is played mid-tempo, with Shepp demonstrating so-rare distortion sax soloing.

"Ma Mission",album's closer is another hymn-like song,which opens with long piano duo and contains adding African vocalize just to turn on to two pianists fast and angular dueling on a second part. Shepp's sax is missed on this track.

In all -true obscurity, unorthodox trio's album is less conformist than both Waldron and Shepp own works of the time. Being bluesy and really accessible , it demonstrates that creative side of early free jazz which has been almost missed already in late 80s. Give it a chance if you'll find one.

snobb Pianist Tchangodei is a mysterious figure on French jazz scene. Born in former French colony of Dahomey (now-Benin) in late 50s,he emigrated to France.Self-taught piano player for decades, he is almost totally ignored by domestic jazz community, but regularly played with France-based expatriates like Archie Shepp,Steve Lacy,Mal Waldron or Japanese trumpeter Itaru Oki.

His playing techniques is intuitive minimalism based on some repetitive drones (closest example could be a renown Waldron "drones") and fast short separate passages. Probably such ignorance of any roots (doesn't matter is it jazz techniques or so influential in Europe classic background) led to Tchangodei almost underground status in France - there are a very few local artists who ever played with him together (Louis Sclavis and Henry Texier are two names and I can hardly recall any more).

Tchangodei lived (and probably still lives) in Lyon where he ran small bar (where he played every night himself) and releasing his recorded music predominantly on his own Volcanic label. All obscurities,his albums contains piano solo music and Tchangodei collaborative musicianship with Louis Sclavis,Archie Shepp,Steve Lacy and Mal Waldron,among others.

"The Wasp" is one of such recordings - live recorded Tchangodei Steve Lacy (on soprano) duo playing behind small but enthusiastic auditory, most probably at Tchangodei's bar in Lyon. There are no credits, but most probably at least part of compositions are Lacy's. Generally music sounds as not much correlated gig of saxist and pianist. Lacy (less explosive and dynamic than usual) plays his trademark vibrato-less soprano solos without paying much attention on what happens around. Tchangodei piano is busy but produces mostly series of very short passages. Sometimes sax and piano sounds mystically click together, more often all music remind quite chaotic soloing of two musicians where each of them doesn't care much about what happens around. Still Lacy doesn't dominate here and altogether it works not so terrible as it looks on paper.At least even experienced listener can hardly remember if he ever heard such a strange duo.

Unfortunately many earlier Tchangodei recordings have been never reissued on CDs (and original vinyl versions are obscure) so it's not an easy job to find them to listen. Starting from mid 90's his new music is released on CDs,so as rule is more accessible. Not of star level, Tchangodei is an interesting example of "non-systemic" improvising pianist with his own musical face.