GUILLAUME ''STEPPER'' BRIARD

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Review written by Sébastien Jobart on Wednesday, April 17th 2013 - 10 458 views Guillaume Briard, better known by the nickname Stepper, is a French multi-instrumentalist well known to reggae fans. A saxophonist in the Homegrown Band, he has accompanied some of the biggest names in reggae on stage, and is also an album producer ("Now" by U-Roy, "Mek It Bun" and "Livin'It Up" by Horace Andy, both Omar Perry albums). Spotted by Sly & Robbie, he has also been a regular member of the Taxi Gang for nearly 10 years. Within the Riddim Twins' stable (where he replaced Dean Fraser), he takes part in the recording of the albums made by Sly & Robbie. So what could be more natural than seeing him take the taxi too? Inevitably recorded with the Taxi Gang, "Stepper takes the taxi" has a dizzying cast: Sly & Robbie, Robbie Llynn, Ansel Collins, Dalton Brownie, Bim, Nambo Robinson, Ranchie McLean (who died in November 2012), Sticky Thompson, Skully Sims and even Fixi, Java's accordionist. Carefully mixed by Fabien "Fabwise" Boyer, "Stepper takes the taxi" unfolds over eleven tracks (plus a long dub of Occupy downtown hidden at the end of the album) with airy, playful (Cool ruling, Pimp my cab) or more melancholic (Taxi to Paris) moods. Stepper also draws on choice rhythms selected from Taxi's immense catalogue. The famous Baltimore, the cover of the song made famous by Nina Simone, which Sly & Robbie produced for the Tamlins in 1979, becomes Frenchman in Kingston, where Stepper takes up the theme of Sting's Englishman in New York. Another classic, Dennis Brown's Revolution riddim, and the fantastic Tune in riddim for Taxi tune up (in fact the Soul Vendors' Bad treatment riddim at Studio One, covered by Sly & Robbie with, notably, Tarrus Riley and his father Jimmy Riley for Pull up selector). Let us also mention the stripped-back Occupy downtown (on the riddim of Horace Andy's I'm alive), which is dressed in melodica. Stepper plays perfectly with Sly & Robbie's riddims, slipping into the gaps, throwing out motifs in a chain. You could ride around for hours with them in this taxi, without looking at the fare. Pull Up : Taxi tune up Imminent Danger Occupy downtown

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