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JEAN-PIERRE LLABADOR |
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Unknown to many at the time, a few years later in the early mid-1980s, Jean-Pierre regained his musical footing by releasing his first solo album, fatefully entitled Coincidences. After five decades of music making and recording, Jean-Pierre Llabador is back in early 2025 with a new album called 3’33 Treasure Hunt. Surviving a car crash and several life-threatening health events in recent years, Jean-Pierre does not disappoint on 3’33 Treasure Hunt. Although his adverse health events have robbed him of his ability to physically play guitars on his own album, the compositional results are both astonishing and superb to say the least. Although the combined package 8-cut CD and 10” Lp clocks in just under a half hour, 3’33 Treasure Hunt contains a vast universe of styles and musical concepts befitting a musical legend like Jean-Pierre Llabador. The concept being that all the tracks here clock in at the desired time of 3 minutes and 33 seconds each is not lost on the listener with the music and arrangements getting right to point with very little time for improv and off the cuff moments. In light of, for the first time, not being able to play guitar himself on an album, on 3’33, Jean-Pierre has called on a wide range of his esteemed musical friends, in a sense by composing all the music and producing the musicians on hand as how to execute and define the musical maneuvers in his latest music. Although he’s best known for his jazz-fusion and pure jazz compositions, on 3’33 Treasure Hunt, Jean-Pierre begins the 2025 album with a track called “Roses In Rhodes” featuring Tania Margarit on vocals and clavinet, her brother Leo Margarit plays drums and Tania’s daughter Elea Schuhmann on backing vocals.
Three jazzy fusion instrumentals, displaying a wide range of guitarists and gifted musicians, follow with each track unveiling different sides of Jean-Pierre’s compositional savoir-faire. These three remaining instrumentals show a myriad of musical sides to Jean-Pierre’s compositional muse with “Big Deal” adding a nostalgic twist to Jean-Pierre’s fascination with the sounds of the Shadows that he grew up with in France. Played to perfection by guitarist Bernard Margarit, grandfather of Elea and father of Leo and Tania Maria, “Big Deal” never fails to enchant with its Marvin-esque moments True to form, Jean-Pierre adds in a kind of honorary track to his original hometown in his native Algeria. “Ghazaouet City” is a wild Worldbeat meets jazz-rock moment displaying a slice of sounds rarely heard on a Jean-Pierre Llabador album. Saving the best for last perhaps, “Blast” is the fusion pièce de résistance on 3’33 Treasure Hunt, evoking the elegance and straight to the point sound of the two now legendary Coincidence studio albums. Fans of progressive fusion from France will quickly fall under the spell of “Blast” and in fact if given half a chance, the entire 3’33 Treasure Hunt album. With 3’33 Treasure Hunt, guitar legend Jean-Pierre Llabador is back with a new and determined music classic that is right up there with his great musical accomplishments.
mwe3.com presents a 2025 interview with
Jean-Pierre Llabador: Thanks a lot Robert! I’m glad you like the music. I feel great to have some new sounds being released after this horrible period of five years of health problems. The compositions are, you are right, quite varied. I kind of wide opened all the windows with no consideration of styles, idioms, whatsoever over a period of about two months. I just and simply composed music and recorded it with the help of very good musicians who happen to be very good friends too. mwe3: 3’33 Treasure Hunt kind of gets back to your earlier days with Coincidence when you combined rock, jazz and fusion often in one song. Jean-Pierre Llabador: I began as a teenager to play the guitar with no musical education, it’s only later that I began to be willing to learn “properly”… At the time I just loved a lot of different sounds: pop music, rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm & blues, soul, adventurous music too and some jazz. I was, as a kid, a big fan, still am, of Django, influenced by my Dad. A lot of folk music too and in fact quite a lot of oriental music. Our house in Algeria was just in front of an Oriental kind of bar playing music all day long. I was influenced by this mixture of styles and cultures and tried to express my emotions with my guitar, thank God I wasn’t aware of the very, very long road ahead! I thought a lot about my bro’ when I composed the tunes of this album, that’s probably my coming back to the Coincidence days and this great period that I cherish deeply in my heart. Jean-Pierre Llabador: I know that I’ve been regarded for about the last 30 years as a purely jazz guitarist, but I’m not. People didn’t know about Coincidence nor about the years I’ve spent on the road or in the studio with some very well-known show business cats. You know what? I just love music, full stop. You’re right, I really think that this band was adventurous and a side of the mainstream jazz / rock sounds you could hear at the time, especially in France… mwe3: So tell us why you call the album 3’33 Treasure Hunt and why you’re not playing guitar on the album. As you said, all the tracks on or near 3 minutes and 33 seconds in length. I’m know you kept the tracks so short, per the concept, but they do work. Did you feel constrained by the time element? Jean-Pierre Llabador: First of all, I’m not playing guitar on the album ‘cos after my severe health problems, I just can’t play anymore… it’s as simple as that. I admit it took me quite a while to “swallow” it. But that’s how it is and God has been good to me, he decided it wasn’t my time to leave this life and planet, which could have easily happened. So not playing guitar anymore seems in fact a bit out of the landscape. But, I’m able to compose and arrange music and that’s what I do more than ever with a strong thirst doing it! Regarding the 3.33 number in the title; first 3 is the magic ultimate number and I have an obsessional quest; I’m looking for Light and Truth. Then I think that 3 minutes and 33 seconds is a perfect timing for a piece of music, it reminds me of the days when the songs were all about this timing.
Yes all the tracks are 3.33… that was a landmark for me right from the start. I love on the back cover of the LP the column with all the same timings all well aligned. It’s a sort of concept which in fact I will continue to explore ‘cos I’m already working on a new album which will be called 3.33: The Forgotten Tracks. mwe3: How did that accident prevent you from playing guitar on your new album 3’33 Treasure Hunt? Without prying can you further explain about that accident and how it changed your ability to play? You mean you can still play but not well enough these days? You must have some great guitars lying about. I did sell quite a lot of guitars and still do. But, of course I’m keeping like gold my babies like the white ‘68 Stratocaster which was my brother’s favorite, my Les Paul custom, a great Fender Jazzmaster, which is an instrument I discovered and that I consider as highly versatile sound-wise. I’m also preciously keeping some acoustic and electro-acoustic guitars made especially for me by a luthier who became a close friend; Gérard Beuzon. One of these guitars is named “model Llabazon”. It is unique and the model’s name is engraved on the head of the axe. I’m buying all sorts of vintage and odd instruments these days… mainly keyboards like harmonium and some 1960’s Italian stuff. I get great sound out of them through my Binson Echolette for instance. Again here I can’t resist to be quite adventurous… Playing jazz presents another kind of travel / voyage but the adventure is totally different altogether, the path presents many codes, rules and regulations. I feel at the moment like composing pieces of music one can’t really stamp or put in box with a name on it, I’m not helping the record shops to display 3.33 (Lol).
Jean-Pierre Llabador: Of course I remember that period and those guys quite clearly! Philippe Caillat is one of my best friends, not a single week without a phone call. He will be playing on my next album, we just talked about it lately. Without big money, it’s quite difficult to emerge from the vast ocean of music business, but we fight every day and are great believers. mwe3: The new album starts with a rousing track called “Roses In Rhodes” that features your music featuring the lead and backing vocals of Tania Margarit who also plays a mean-sounding clavinet. Also Leo Margarit plays drums. Didn’t you also make an album with Leo, who also played on your Voices album from a few years back. Maybe his Dad? The track also has the Heraulaz family on it? Jean-Pierre Llabador: YES! Tania and her bro’ Leo play both on this first track but maybe you didn’t know that the backing vocalist Eléa happens to be Tania’s daughter. In fact, three generations of the same family; Dad, daughter and son, granddaughter are professional musicians and very talented! I’ve been working with them all for years. Another family, the Heraulaz, is also featured on the tune. I met them through Tania. This song has been released in one of my last instrumental jazz albums Give Me Five as a duo guitar / trombone. I really love the vocals and the general mood of this version!
Jean-Pierre Llabador: Pascal is, in my opinion an excellent musician first and an excellent guitar player, full of taste, feeling, sensitivity, inventively with a great technique. I feel so glad to be his friend! I remember when we used to travel for a duo gig we could spend hours talking about music but also all kinds of different topics, issues, and first of all we spent a lot of time laughing our heads off and enjoying life as it came. Great memories! I’ve known J.P. Barreda for 50 years. He was the bass player on the first Coincidence album. This guy is quite competent, with the right opinion of what must be a bass player, solid as a rock, and a great human being. We did a lot of gigs together in France, Belgium, England… He is a faithful friend… He mainly uses a Fender precision bass, sometimes another bass that a luthier made. He also plays double bass, he’s a good jazz player, he plays with quite a lot of bands and big bands. I met Phillipe Arnaud a few months ago and have been convinced right from the start that he will be my man. I just love his timing, his overall sound on the instrument and the great sense of “just what it needs” musical attitude he displays. Arnaud also plays in different kinds of bands, his playing is very appreciated, No wonder! He was born in Algeria as I was, so we share a lot in common. He quickly became a very good friend.
Jean-Pierre Llabador: As far as Gerard is concerned, that’s a rather long story… I met him in 1962 at school, so 62 years ago… For quite a long time we lost track of each other, then music reunited us. Gerard is a great guitar player altogether, quite “complete” with a great technique. To be honest, I can’t precisely remember which guitar he uses… too bad ((laughing) The title “The Link” is to me the junction between jazz and funky music. I enjoyed composing this one nearly at the last minute. mwe3: “Long Beach” is a wonderful track. I remember your composition “San Diego” from your first solo album Coincidences. Does “Long Beach” kind of follow the vibes of “San Diego”. You must still miss California as I know you studied guitar out there after the Coincidence 1970s era was over. Seems like another wistful kind of melody with excellent piano work from Tania Margaret. Funny there is no guitar on that track? How did you approach writing the composition? Jean-Pierre Llabador: I particularly like this tune. It’s a simple and quiet melody. You’re entirely right when you mention and remember the track “San Diego” from my first “jazz” album. The mood is similar. I wanted to give Tania, whom I consider like a daughter, an opportunity to display all her talent and musicality on the piano. I didn’t want her to sing, and I didn’t want nor hear any guitar sound. This artist to my opinion definitely deserves a much wider exposure and notoriety. On top of that as a human being, she’s absolutely exceptional! I loved living in California, that was right after my brother had died and I really needed a break far from home. Apart from the music, I learned a lot there, I much enjoyed the weather, the nearly constant sun, the general pace of life, which reminded me my childhood in Algeria… Jean-Pierre Llabador: Composing “Betty” I had a “flash” about an imaginary girl walking down the boulevard. Franklin Avenue is where I used to live in L.A. I heard in my head some rhythm and blues mood. Elea is just perfect singing it! This young and talented young lady will, I’m sure about that , become in the coming years a very well-known artist, she’s got it all! I don’t have any “favorite“ guitar player at all. The ones featured in 3.33 are all my friends and again all excellent musicians. mwe3: I did comment on “Big Deal” which, next to “Blast” is my favorite track on 3’33. Once again Bernard Margarit returns to play on your album. Tell us about Bernard and what albums you made with him over the years. What inspired “Big Deal” or does the beautiful melody speak for itself? It kind of has a progressive vibe and a kind of Hank Marvin vibe a bit? I know you liked Hank when you were growing up right? Jean-Pierre Llabador: Bernard Margarit, “Margo”, is a brother. We met back in 1982. I had just left L.A., and we both joined, at the same time, the band that was created to be backing a very popular singer in France “Johnny Hallyday”. We did quite a lot of concerts with him as well as TV shows, studio sessions… We both keep great memories from that period… We’ve always kept in touch since, and over the years became intimate friends. We recorded back in 1992 a 2 track CD called “Friendship”. I invited him, as a guest, to play on many of my albums and he did the same! Margo and I have a lot in common musically, no doubt about that! He did a great guitar job on this tune, he completely “understood” what I was on about. I like this simple and genuine song which reminds me of my 1960’s days when I was learning the instrument…
Jean-Pierre Llabador: “Ghazaouet” is actually the Arabic name of my hometown in Algeria. I wanted to give people an idea of the general sound and atmosphere in a small town in that country. Gerard did a great job on guitars on it, some of the parts are a bit tricky. The bass player is Gerard Carbonell who’s also an old friend. He lives in Germany, I just loved too in his solo... how he mentioned James Bond. Jean-Pierre Llabador: “Blast” could have been on a Coincidence album. It’s a sort of back to the roots track. I first had in my head the “hypnotic” bass line which I felt would be efficient, the time signature is just right to my ears too. The bridge is present to give some breath in the tune. Gerard Pansanel is playing all the guitar arrangements and Pascal Corriu is the soloist, he did a super good job! The rhythm section is tight and solid too! I like how this tune is well functioning… Jean-Pierre Llabador: In fact, according to my bank account, I have in mind to release (25cm + CD) the best of my past CDs, it will be double and will be called “The Jazzy Years” . The cover will show a whole lot of pics from different times in different situations. This will cover 25 years of my life. But for the time being I’m concentrated, working on a new 3.33 project, I already wrote some music for it…! After that, only God knows what’s gonna happen (laughs)! mwe3: Any other thoughts to share with the readers? Did we leave anyone or anything out? Jean-Pierre Llabador: I couldn’t finish this interview without mentioning my old and close friend Guy Simon, this great sound genius! He’s always been there, backing me, helping me and encouraging me. Thanks so much buddy! I couldn’t finish either without mentioning you Robert, you’ve always been faithful, loyal… thanks for your interest and sincere friendship! Last but not least, as they say, I’d like to really thank my wife Annie, to still be here, alongside, ‘cos it takes a lot of courage, patience, devotion and above all, love to be able to put up with me. Be seeing you folks! Maybe on another planet. Hope you like some of my 3’33 trip…
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Sometime circa early 1979 I was lucky enough to purchase a black vinyl album by France’s then developing jazz-rock instrumental band Coincidence. That LP, the band’s second, entitled Clef De Ciel (Key Of The Sky), featured the music and multi-instrumental performance of guitarist / composer Jean-Pierre Llabador and his brother Jean-Claude Llabador. To my astonishment, after not hearing anything more for several years, I found out soon after the LP release that Jean-Claude had perished in a car crash sometime around early 1980, leaving a gaping hole in the music world and a tragedy that basically signaled the end of Coincidence. 
Side two of the 10 inch Lp, as well as starting with track five on the CD as mentioned above, is the urbanized uptown taste of “Betty On Franklin Avenue” a funky frolic with Ms. Schuhmann vocals and the electric guitars of Gerard Pansanel. “Betty On Franklin Avenue” flips the equation with Tania on backing vocals and her daughter Elea Schuhmann on lead vocals. 
mwe3: Your new 2025 album 3’33 Treasure Hunt is the most varied album you’ve released yet.
mwe3: As I did by the dawn of the 1980s, I always felt Coincidence pioneered state of art French fusion instrumental music.
As a composer you have to be concise, go directly to the point and try to ‘pearl’ the music… It’s not easy at all and it’s restrictive ‘cos you can’t kinda fuck around (Lol) everybody understands what I’m saying.
mwe3: You are also rep-ing some of these guitarists on your label Castle Records. Seems like a lot to do but they are all great guitarists. Are you planning to record these artists with new music or to distribute their catalogs? I know Philippe Caillat for example. I also remember the early 1980s days on JARO Records. Remember those guys?
mwe3: Pascal Corriu plays some excellent guitar on “Bowlywood”. Tell us about the name of the track and how you worked with Pascal on “Bowlywood”. Is it a play on the phrase Bollywood? Tell us about the rhythm section of Jean-Pierre Barreda and Philippe Arnaud. That rhythm sections plays on a number of 3’33 tracks.
mwe3: “The Link” features Gerard Pansanel on guitars. Tell us about Gerard and his guitar playing, how did you know him and what guitars is his playing? Any specific link you were thinking about for the title? It is a very funky, fun and upbeat track, sounds like you had a lot of fun making the track.
mwe3: “Betty On Franklin Avenue” is another upbeat vocal track, this time with vocals from Elea Schuhmann with backing vocals from Tania Margarit. What inspired “Betty” or is it a fictional track. It’s like R&B played with a Clapton-esque guitar sound from Gerard Pansanel. Is he your favorite go-to guitarist on 3’33? Sounds kind inspired by Sly & The Family Stone.
mwe3: Does “Ghazaouet City” hark back to your early years in Algeria? It has a very Global, Arabic beat to it. There’s also a neat allusion to James Bond on it with a “Goldfinger” twist inserted into the song. The percussion is wild and there are some cool world music vibes on it. Once again Gerard Pansanel performs some fine fretboard work on the album.
mwe3: So you’ve released 3 great archive albums from your first band Coincidence and now 3’33 with some of your excellent musician friends. And of course all the great solo albums you’ve made over the past 33 years. Did you think of a career retrospective of your solo albums or are you having too much fun with these new albums like 3’33 and will you create another album like this?