Michel De Villers - ''Low Reed''

Michel de Villers (1926-1992) was one of the most influential French reed players in modern jazz, known by most of his fellow musicians by his nickname: "Low reed". From a very young age, de Villers excelled on alto sax and clarinet. After gaining the attention of fans and musicians as an amateur, he was hired by Django in 1946. Shortly afterwards he began recording as a leader, improvising with cohesive drive and swinging passion, with a clear tone and vocabulary straight from the leading swing alto players—Benny Carter, Willie Smith and Johnny Hodges.

Looking to achieve a more modern sound, he adopted the baritone as his main instrument in 1949, swinging authoritatively with a muscular fullness of tone, but with the initial fierceness of his attack tempered by the cool influence, of Bird first, and Mulligan later. His skill as a soloist and improviser put him among the best European baritonists when Jazz-Hot awarded him from 1950 onwards first place in their annual readers’ poll. This led to calls from American jazzmen on their way through Paris. His fame spread to the United States when in 1956 he was voted one of the best new baritone players by the Down Beat international critics' poll.

Below, a CD set with all his recording sessions in small groups as a leader during his most prolific years (1946-1956). The way he makes his sounds swing so naturally can lead one to believe that perhaps others possessed better techniques or ideas; but the truth is that few surpassed Michel de Villers in soul and feeling. In his own words: “I get deeply bored when it doesn't swing".

*Jordi Pujol*

Michel De Villers

''Low Reed''

Complete Small Group Sessions 1946-1956

De Villers was a regular poll winner in Jazz Hot magazine from 1950 until the poll ended in 1965. He also placed high in the Downbeat critics' poll when his fame spread to the USA. The earliest tracks in this collection, from 1946, feature him on alto with a curious but not unattractive blend of mainstream alto sax punctuated by bop phrases taken from Charlie Parker. "Shufflin' At The Hollywood" by Lionel Hampton is pure swing era, the alto sound fat and rich. His own "Blues At Eleven" is back to the bop with a strange French variation of scat from drummer Reilles, switching for a moment to vocal. De Villers quotes from "Salt Peanuts" during a wild alto burst. There is more of a hint of the boppers and Bird in "Lover Man", a slow and lyrical solo. By this session he had Kenny Clarke on drums, an early visit that later became full-time immigration.

Sometime in the early 1950s De Villers switched to baritone and this is the instrument that appears to have suited him best. "Fisher's Wife" has him swinging merrily on the big sax, with full tone and plenty of invention. He was very good on all styles and two instruments although his bop-influenced baritone is the most impressive on these fascinating tracks made in Paris. He himself said "I get bored deeply if it does not swing". Mostly though, it did. *Derek Ansell*

Michel "Low Reed" de Villers played both alto and baritone sax, mixing the swoon of Johnny Hodges on the former and the warmth of Gerry Mulligan on the latter. These sessions from 1946-1956 mix hot and cool sounds in settings ranging from hip quartets to moderate sized orchestras.

On alto, de Villers' lilting horn is drop dead gorgeous on the Old World "Blues at Eleven" and sounds like Rabbit with Bird tendencies on "How High the Moon" and "Sweet Lorraine" while dripping with passion on "Lover Man" and the ballad "I'm Sorry". He bops with the best on "Stuffy" and is lovingly modern on "I Surrender Dear". For his baritone sax, he sweetly swings on "Fisher's Wife" and gets a Kansas City feel on "Indiana". Some 1954 Orchestra settings have him in the midst of a velvety sax section, not dissimilar to Woody Herman's "Four Brothers" Band, with soft and sensuous harmonies on "These Foolish Things" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" while showing some muscle on "Somebody Loves Me". A discovered fresh water pearl! *George W. Harris*

1 - How High The Moon

(Morgan Lewis)

2 - Sweet Lorraine

(Parish, Burwell)

3 - Shufflin' At The Hollywood

(Lionel Hampton)

4 - Blues At Eleven

(Michel de Villers)

5 - Lover Man

(Davis, Sherman, Ramírez)

6 - The Small Bag

(Michel de Villers)

7 - I'm Sorry

(Michel de Villers)

8 - Working Eyes

(Tyree Glenn)

9 - Stuffy

(Coleman Hawkins)

10 - I Surrender Dear

(Barris, Clifford)

11 - Fisher's Wife

(Michel de Villers)

12 - I Can't Get Started

(Vernon Duke)

13 - Over The Rainbow

(Arlen, Harburg)

14 - Indiana

(MacDonald, Hanley)

15 - Let's Try Again

(Michel de Villers)

16 - 'Round Midnight

(Thelonious Monk)

17 - These Foolish Things

(Marvell, Strachey)

18 - Cat On The Stairs

(Michel de Villers)

19 - I Only Have Eyes For You

(Warren, Dubin)

20 - Penitas De Amor

(Claude P. Armand Artur, [a.k.a "Arture"])

21 - Somebody Loves Me

(Gershwin, MacDonald, DeSylva)

22 - Portrait Of Django

(Jean-Pierre Sasson)

23 - Happy Flying Carpet

(Michel de Villers)

24 - Don't Blame Me

 (McHugh, Fields)

#1 to #4: Michel de Villers et son Quintette from Swing albums (SW. 239 [#1, #3] and SW. 246 [#2, #4])

Michel de Villers (alto sax), André Persiany (piano), Jean Bonal (guitar), Georges Hadjo (bass), André Baptiste "Mac-Kac" Reilles (drums, vocals [#4]), Georges Martinon (drums [#4]).

Recorded in Paris, October 16, 1946.

#5 to #7: Michel de Villers et son Quintette from Swing albums (SW. 276 [#5, #6] and SW. 290 [#7])

Michel de Villers (alto sax), Jean-Claude Fohrenbach (tenor sax), André Persiany (piano), Georges Hadjo (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded in Paris, March 12, 1948.

#8, #9: Michel de Villers et son Orchestra from Swing album (SW. 290 [#9], #8 [unreleased Swing recording])

Claude Dunson (trumpet), Michel de Villers (alto sax), Jean-Claude Fohrenbach (tenor sax), Jacques Denjean (piano), Harry Montaggioni (guitar), Alf "Totole" Masselier (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded in Paris, May 5, 1948.

#10: Michel de Villers et son Quintette from Swing (SW. 290)

Michel de Villers (alto sax), Jacques Denjean (piano), Harry Montaggioni (guitar), Alf  "Totole" Masselier (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded in Paris, May 5, 1948.

#11 to #16: Michel de Villers Swingtet from Jazz for Dance, Vol. 1 (Ducretet Thomson 250V001)

Michel de Villers (alto sax, baritone sax), André Persiany (piano), Jacques "Popoff" Medvedko (bass), Bernard Planchenault (drums).

Recorded in Paris, Spring of 1954.

#17 to #20: Michel de Villers et son Orchestra from Decca (EFS 450.511)

Michel de Villers (baritone sax), Charles Verstraete (trombone), Hubert Fol (alto sax), Maurice Meunier (tenor sax), Geo Daly [as L. Jackson] (vibes), André Persiany (piano, arrangements), Alix Bret (bass), Bernard Planchenault (drums).

Recorded in Paris, 1954.

#21 to #-24: Michel de Villers et son Orchestra from Decca (EFS 450.605)

Michel de Villers (baritone sax), André "Teddy" Hameline (alto sax), André Debonneville (tenor sax), André Persiany (piano, arrangements), Paul Rovere (bass), Roger Paraboschi (drums).

Recorded in Paris, April 13, 1956.