Benn loxo listener and friend, Rob, turned me on to Aldo Romano, Louise Sclavis and Henri Texier’s jazz project, Carnet de routes.

The music is inspired by the trio’s travels around central africa, led by Magnum photographer and African travel veteran, Guy Le Querrec.

I liked Carnet de routes enough that I picked-up their third Africa-inspired release, African Flashback. This album comes with a beautiful 50-plus page booklet of Le Querrec’s photos from about 1969 until the 90s. He has taken photos all around Africa, though the central African countries seem to have caught his eye the most. I find his shots of CAR in 1970, Algeria in 1969 and of women of Mauritania particularly stunning.

Romano, Sclavis and Texier each picked four photos featured in the booklet to inspire a composition. Flipping through the photos while listening makes for great interactive listening.

You can buy all three recordings in the series, Carnet de routes, Suite africaine and African Flashback

ps- I just noticed a post last year on African Flashback on Undomundo.

Aldo Romano, Louis Sclavis, Henri Texier - Les petits lits blancs
Aldo Romano, Louis Sclavis, Henri Texier - Harvest
Aldo Romano, Louis Sclavis, Henri Texier - Bororo Dance