France's
Hadouk Trio channeled musical elements from across the globe to create a uniquely mystical and evocative sound somewhere between jazz and world pop.
The Hadouk Trio was led by Paris-born multi-instrumentalist
Didier Malherbe, previously known for co-founding with
Soft Machine alum
Daevid Allen the famed psych-prog outfit
Gong.
Malherbe remained with
Gong for close to a decade, shepherding the band through myriad personnel and creative changes before exiting in 1978. Throughout his travels
Malherbe collected exotic instruments from the far corners of the earth, and after a series of short-lived experimental rock ensembles and a 1980 solo jazz-rock LP, Bloom, in 1994 he embraced world music by forming
Hadouk with multi-instrumentalist
Loy Ehrlich, a specialist in the hajouj, the African three-stringed bass that, along with the Armenian double-reed instrument the doudouk, gave the project its name.
Mahlerbe and
Ehrlich initially recorded and toured as a duo, issuing their self-titled debut LP in 1999. With the follow-up,
Shamanimal, their ranks swelled to a trio with the addition of American percussionist
Steve Shehan, a veteran with stints behind
Bob Dylan and
Paul Simon on his résumé.
Hadouk Now followed in 2002, and two years later the Hadouk Trio issued its first concert LP, Live at Fip. The 2006 release
Utopies includes three songs featuring the American trumpeter
Jon Hassell. ~ Jason Ankeny