A recording of a live performance on May 13, 1980, Live Aux Bain Douches is the single best James Chance live album available, eclipsing ROIR's White Cannibal and Soul Exorcism releases. The recording is far superior to any of the other live material I've heard, and the band seem to be fully engaged with the material, delivering an energetic set to a wildly appreciate audience.. Opening with a unexpectedly searing version of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough," Chance and the band expertly tear through a set comprised equally of raucous funk, sophisticated hard bop and adrenaline-pumped dance music. The creeping forward momentum of "I Danced With A Zombie" is an opportunity for Chance and his horn section to showcase their talent for blistering improv, creating interwoven threads of smoldering brilliance. On a pair of James Brown covers ‹ "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "King Heroin" ‹ Chance displays his unique perspective on the material; on the former, he adds a level of snarling rockabilly attitude to the perennial Brown favorite; on the latter, he slows down and extends the song into a tortured, emotive blues that pierces straight to the heart with gut-wrenching power. Switching back into fast tempo for the final one-two punch of "Put Me Back In My Cage"...

[ more ]