Our Meanings and Our Feelings

"Our Meanings and Our Feelings," released in 1969, is a seminal work by French jazz innovator Michel Portal. This album is a captivating blend of French jazz, free jazz, and chamber music, showcasing Portal's versatility and mastery of multiple instruments, including the tenor saxophone, clarinet, and the unique zokra, an oriental clarinet that adds a distinctive touch to the record. Recorded in a single day at the Pathé Marconi studios in Paris, the album features an impressive ensemble including drummers Jacques Thollot and Aldo Romano, bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark, and pianist Joachim Kühn. Despite the lack of rehearsals, the musicians' chemistry is evident, resulting in a cohesive and spontaneous sound. The five tracks, ranging from the introspective "For My Mother" to the exotic "Dear Old Morocco," offer a rich sonic experience that highlights Portal's unique compositional style and improvisational prowess. This album is a testament to the creative energy and collaborative spirit of the French jazz scene in the late 1960s.