"Deux Guidons," a critique of Nemours Jean-Baptiste, is quite catchy! "Mazora" is also quite catchy, proof that I need to hear more Sicot, the 'main rival' of Jean-Baptiste in the early years of kompa. Reading Gage Averill's short text, A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey has been quite useful for finding additional early kompa musical suggestions, as well as a useful book for placing Haitian music in the social and political context of the rise of Duvalier and ideological currents. In addition to these two jams, check out "Machan'n Fresko," "Yolita," and this. Like Averill, I would say Sicot was a better saxophonist, but perhaps Jean-Baptiste was the better bandleader? Nevertheless, "Yolita" sounds like a copy of another kompa or kadans song, perhaps by Orchestre Tropicana? Can't remember which one, but they sound too similar to be a coincidence.
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