Francis Jacob - The Three Blind Mice (2024) [Hi-Res]

There is an art to combining formal composition with the free grooving essence of jam band music. For decades, guitarist/vocalist Francis Jacob studied and played music from all over the globe, condensing what he absorbed into his own unique style. Along with his longtime friends, bassist Stomu Takeishi and percussionist Gintas Janusonis, Jacob assembled his new group, The Three Blind Mice, that explores the sounds of jazz, funk, and world music through these musicians’ unique prisms of influence.

Originally from France, Jacob has been based in New York City for three decades. He has invested himself in the local music scene, specializing in the sounds of West Africa and his native France. The Japan born Takeishi has also been a longtime member of the New York music scene, specializing in experimental jazz but also the rhythms of South America. A midwestern with Lithuanian heritage, Janusonis has an eclectic resume with a solid foundation in groove-based music.

The three musicians have worked on and off together for decades, but it was during the pandemic that Jacob decided that he wanted to establish a smaller ensemble. He invited Takeishi and Janusonis to regular jam sessions. The trio quickly developed a natural sound based on their mutual love and understanding of a wide variety of musical styles from around the world. Jacob began treating the jams as workshops for his compositions, bringing in pieces that would be fleshed out as the band explored them.

Taking inspiration from the band’s name, The Three Blind Mice focus on musical elements related to the number three on their self-titled album. Jacob decided to utilize devices based on song form, time signature, and beat subdivisions for his pieces informed by ternary systems.

The recording begins with “Like a Blind Bird,” a rhythm and blues piece built on a syncopated line. The song was inspired by a New York Times article about birds going blind, which Jacob used as a metaphor for being emotionally lost. “Green Eyes” was written during the pandemic when face masks heightened the expressions emoted by peoples’ eyes. The tune has a reggae rhythm with a repetitive three bar ostinato. The upbeat “Lorraine” comes from a nursery rhyme that Jacob converted into a swinging jazz piece to highlight his guitar and Takeishi’s bass playing.

Vocalist Mélanie Dahan and percussionist Mino Cinelu are featured on “Nightime Stories,” a Francophone setting of a fairy tale about a world without misery or pain. “The Mice Call” is an abstract piece that the band usually uses to begin a set with as a captivating call for an audience’s attention. “Let’s Talk” implores the world to find a way to a way out of ridiculous situation that is the Ukraine War over a funky backbeat and with the entreaty of Gregoire Maret’s harmonica and Malika Zarra’s soulful voice.

“Different Paces” is an apt title for this piece that utilizes a fast rhythm in three while a slower bass and guitar seem to float above over Bennett Paster’s warm Hammond organ tones. Jacob borrowed a Nigerian rhythm pattern used for masquerade ceremonies as the structure to “I Should Let You Go,” a song about staying with a person that you really can’t know. In reading tarot cards, the number five adds magic and spirituality to life. Jacob added some magic to “The Fifth Beat” by adding an extra beat on an upbeat 4/4 rhythm for a special rhythmic sensation. Named for his now grown nephews, Jacob’s “Oscar & Alex” is a playful musical game that typically ends the band’s live sets, as the musicians chase each other via improvisation over a rhythmical maze in 3/4.

Many musical elements come together in the rich musical world of Francis Jacob, Stomu Takeishi, and Gintas Janusonis’s The Three Blind Mice. Weaving these rich elements of world music together, the trio provides a vibrant and addictive listening experience on their new self-titled album.

Francis Jacob - vocals & guitar
Stomu Takeishi - electric bass
Gintas Janusonis - drums & percussion
Mélanie Dahan - voice (4)
Mino Cinelu - percussion (4)
Gregoire Maret - harmonics (6)
Bennett Paster - keyboards (1,4, 6, 7, 8)
Aja Olusegun - congas (7, 8)
Malika Zarra - background vocals (1, 2, 6, 9)
Pauline Jacob - background vocals (9)