Strut Records founder Quinton Scott presents a four-hour special on the music legacy of the Nuits De La Fondation Maeght festival in 1970. Staged at the spectacular Fondation Maeght gallery in St Paul de Vence in the South of France since the mid-'60s, the 1970 concerts showcased American free jazz and minimalist composers with Sun Ra and his Arkestra performing their first gig outside the U.S. alongside Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, Terry Riley, La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela. Now resurrected by Gilles Peterson and Hotel Amour, the Impressions festival at the Fondation continues to champion the best in forward-thinking music. Ahead of this year's festival on 1st and 2nd August 2025, this show joins the musical dots with recordings from the original 1970s festival, tracks from U.S. jazz artists based in Paris, some stunning gems from the early '70s French jazz scene and some of the modern day artists carrying the torch forward and breaking new ground. The show also features interviews and memories from Pyramids bandleader Idris Ackamoor, writer Paul Griffiths, Jacqueline Caux (widow of 1970 festival curator Daniel Caux) and current Director of the Fondation Maeght, Nicolas Gitton.
Strut presents Fondation Maeght: A Jazz Legacy
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids – An Angel Fell (Strut)
Sahib Shihab & Gilson Unit – La Marche Dans Le Desert (Futura / SouffleContinu)
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Studie I (Deutsche Grammophon)
John Cage – In A Landscape (Catalyst)
Albert Ayler – Music is The Healing Force Of The Universe (Impulse!)
Albert Ayler – Spiritual Reunion (Live At Fondation Maeght) (Shandar / Elemental Music)
Art Ensemble of Chicago & Fontella Bass – Thème De Yoyo (Universal Sound)
Alfred Panou & The Arts Ensemble Of Chicago – Je Suis Un Sauvage (Saravah / SouffleContinu)
Baroque Jazz Trio – Orientasie (Saravah / SouffleContinu)
Joe Zawinul - Doctor Honoris Causa (Atlantic)
Dorothy Ashby – Myself When Young (Cadet)
Sun Ra – Days Of Wine And Roses (Live At Fondation Maeght) (Shandar / Strut)
Sun Ra – Friendly Galaxy No. 2 (Live At Fondation Maeght) (Shandar / Strut)
Sun Ra – Enlightenment (Live At Fondation Maeght) (Shandar / Strut)
La Monte Young - 13 I 73 5 35 – 6 14 03 PM NYC (Shandar)
Terry Riley – A Rainbow In Curved Air (Columbia Masterworks)
Surman / Krog – Electrostatic Coupling (Trunk)
SML – Search Bar Hi Hat (International Anthem)
Daniel Humair, François Jeanneau, Henri Texier - Le Cyclope (Disques JMS / Mr Bongo)
Jowee Omicil – Spirit Yo Bak (Bash! Village Records)
Enji – Ger Hol (Squama)
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids – Afro Futuristic Dreams (Strut)
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids – The Last Slave Ship (Strut)
Cecil Taylor – Second Act Of A (excerpt) (Live At Fondation Maeght) (Shandar)
Byard Lancaster – Mother Africa Pt. 1 (Palm / SouffleContinu)
Cohelmec Ensemble – Desert Angel (Saravah / SouffleContinu)
Moondog – Bird’s Lament (Columbia Masterworks)
Sylvain Marc & Del Rabenja – Hommage A Rakotozafy (Palm / SouffleContinu)
Naïssam Jalal feat. Yom – Souffle ＃3 (Les Couleurs du Son)
Kahil El Zabar Quartet – Urban Shaman (Spiritmuse)
Holy Tongue meets Shackleton – The Other Side Of The Bridge (AD 93)
Celine Dessberg – Чинтамани (Chintamani) (That’s Love Records)
Alain Bellaïche – Sea Fluorescent (Asylum / SouffleContinu)
Paul Bley & Scorpio – El Cordobes (Milestone)
Brigitte Fontaine & Areski with Arts Ensemble Of Chicago – Comme À La Radio (Saravah)
Barney Wilen – Moshi Too (Sonorama)
Le Théâtre du Chene – Le Chant du Cirque (Studio 35 / SouffleContinu)
Ruth Goller - Often they came to visit, even just to see how she was (International Anthem)
Koma Saxo – Koma Grav (We Jazz)
Irreversible Entanglements – No Mas (International Anthem)
Muriel Grossman – Mother Of All (Third Man Records)