Bobby Jaspar And His Modern Jazz

When he moved to Paris in spring, 1950, Bobby Jaspar hs no trouble finding work. Born in Liège in 1926, he had left Belgium to find adventure — the real kind: the jazz kind. Open to all experiences and clearly ahead of his time, he quickly charmed his fellow musicians and played eith Henri Renaud and Jimmy Gourley at the Tabou, and with Roger Guérin and Bernard Peiffer at The Club Saint-Germain. His models on the tenor were Stan Getz, whose sound he sampled, and Warne Marsh, for his phrase construction. Bobby, in combining the two, came up with his own style of playing: lyrical, sensual, and consistently smooth. He was captivated by Lee Konitz and Lennie Tristano and also admired André Hodeir, who would soon borrow Jaspar's own musicians to form his Jazz Group of Paris.

At the time, in January, 1954, his recording of "Bobby Jaspar and His Modern Jazz" for the Swing label surprised everybody. It was actually an experimental session. Having listened to Birth of the Cool and "Boplicity" in particular, Bobby Jaspar had realized the importance of form. The instrumentation — trumpet, trombone, two tenors, piano, bass, and drums — allowed him to rethink classical writing to find a sound quality that lint itself well to jazz, to re-examine the relationship between the written and the improvised. Solos echoed written passages, which were often played in unison or arose through counterpoint. The clever arrangements sometimes left to Francy Boland, still left room for freedom. Bobby composed "Blossom" and "Awèvalet" ("yeah man" in Belgian French) and blew delicate sax parts with great feeling. He also asked Hodeir to compose a twelve-tone piece, Paradox 1, an avant-garde addition to this collection.

A second and third session were organized for October 12 and 14. Though the instrumentation was expanded, it remained true to the swing sound invented on the West Coast by Gerry Mulligan and Shorty Rogers. *Pierre de Chocqueuse (liner notes)*

Bobby Jaspar's New Jazz is the classic jazz album by Belgian saxophonist, flautist and composer Bobby Jaspar. This pivots around which french modern jazz of the 1950's revolves, the album is an excellent testimony to this. Being long out of original print it is now available on a single CD reissue. ★ Edgy early mid 50's Disques Vogues recordings border on sublime. Sony has delivered top notch transfers of these seminal recordings. *amazon.com*

Bobby Jaspar And His Modern Jazz

Bobby Jaspar's New Jazz

(Volume 1 and Volume 2)

1 - A Foggy Day In London Town

(G. and I. Gerswin)

2 - Coraline

(F. Boland)

3 - Blossom

(B. Jaspar)

4 - Paradoxe

(A. Hodeir)

5 - Mad About The Boys

(Smith)

6 - Kabasoutra

(F. Boland)

7 - Sweet And Lovely

(G. Arnheim, H. Tobias)

8 - Awèvalet

(B. Jaspar)

9 - You Took Advantage Of Me

(R. Rogers, L. Hart)

10 - Easy To Love

(C. Porter)

11 - Sanguine

(H. Crolla)

12 - Jeux De Quartes

(B. Jaspar)

13 - Hornpipe

(B. Jaspar)

14 - More Than You Know

(B. Rose, E. Eliscu, V. Youmans)

15 - Early Wake

(F. Sadi)

16 - Honky Tonky

(B. Jaspar)

#1 to #8: 

from the album Bobby Jaspar's New Jazz, Vol.1 (Swing M 33.333)

Roger Guérin (trumpet, tuba); Nat Peck (trombone); Bib Monville, Bobby Jaspar (tenor saxes); Maurice Vander (piano); Pierre Michelot (bass); Jean-Louis Viale (drums).

Recorded in Paris, January 12, 1954.

#9 to #16:

from the album Bobby Jaspar's New Jazz, Vol.2 (Swing M 33.338)

#9, #10:

Buzz Gardner, Roger Guérin (trumpets); Nat Peck (trombone); Jean Aldegon (alto sax, bass clarinet); Bobby Jaspar (tenor sax); Armand Migiani (baritone sax); Pierre Michelot (bass); Andre Jourdan (drums).

Recorded in Paris, October 12, 1954.

#11 to #16:

Buzz Gardner, Roger Guérin (trumpets); Nat Peck (trombone); Jean Aldegon (alto sax, bass clarinet); Bobby Jaspar (tenor sax); Armand Migiani (baritone sax); Fats Sadi (vibes [#12, #15]); Pierre Michelot (bass); Gerard Pochonet (drums).

Recorded in Paris, October 14, 1954.

André Hodeir And Le Jazz Groupe De Paris

André Hodeir (1921-2011) was one of the world's most literate composers and working critics in the world of jazz. He began his career as a violin player, a path he abandoned three years after joining the Paris Conservatoire in 1942, to concentrate on his work as an arranger and writer.
For Hodeir, who had classic training but felt drawn to the aesthetic of jazz, the problem was how to transcend the frame of his technique and recreate it in jazz terms. So to figure it out, in 1949 he went into a long period of silence that would last until 1954, when he made his first recording with the Jazz Groupe de Paris. This opportunity gave him a chance to crystallize the concepts he had been working on for five years. "At the time of the creation of the Jazz Groupe de Paris, there was nothing set in stone in my writing, it was all sketches I needed to try out. That’s also the reason I gave the title Essais to the pieces resulting from this project".
Hodeir wrote his most avant-garde work for the Jazz Groupe, among whose members were some of the best soloists in Paris. Their collective effort led them to become one of the most sought-after jazz units in Europe, and Hodeir’s recordings with them earned him a world following that led to his American debut for the Savoy label. 
In 1957, John Lewis best described Hodeir's musical attitude in a Down Beat article, when he said: "He's giving people ideas and directions and things to do. His work itself is of value, but he’s also showing others by his work what can be done in many areas". *Jordi Pujol*

Le Jazz Groupe De Paris

"Essais" D'André Hodeir

This record brings together some pieces from the beginning of my career and my first accomplishment as a jazz composer. It includes some of the finest French, Belgian, and American musicians linving in Paris between 1949 and 1954.

I remember one sunny afternoon when I went to visit Charles Delaunay I was in his office at Jazz Hot magazine, along with Jean Bouchéty, who played bass with Bernard Peiffer's trio, when in walked a tall thin, hawk-nosed gentleman. It was Jaques-Yves Cousteau, whose first underwater film I had greatly admired. He was finishing work on a short fil called Autour d'un Récif (Around a Reef), which he described as a "ballet of fish" and he wanted jazz music for ot: not Knowing which composer to contact, he had come to ask Delaunay's advice. We lent them an indiscret ear and gor hired.

Since Cousteau was not one to skimp on quantity or quality, we decide to go with Tony Proteau's orchestra which guaranteed the participation of Kenny Clarke, in addition to five saxes and eight horns and four widely respected soloists: Don Byas, Hubert Rostaing, Geo Daly and Bernard Peiffer. Only the latter was allowed to improvise the others played written solos. When I showed Don Byas his tenor part, he threw up his hands and said "This is written for piccolo!" Thus began a kind of reflection that stayed with me throughout my career.

In 1949, I had been a bebop convert and real admirer of Charlie Parker for about three years. But in listening to Récif it is clear that this influence did not show up in my compositions: the style is more Ellington than Gillespie.

It was Boris Vian who advised Paul Paviot to let me do the music for his short film Saint-Tropez (1953). I based a suite for orchestra on this score, which is predominantly influenced by the jazz "cool" of Miles Davis, Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan. The suite was never performed in public, but was recorded with the participation of among others Nat Peck and Bobby Jaspar, who was considered to be the best of the European soloists at the time.

Along with Armand Migiani, Pierre Michelot and myself Bobby and Nat founded the Jazz Groupe de Paris whose sporadic career seems more productive in restrospect three albums and appearances in around ten films and several international festivals began composing for the Jazz Groupe de Paris in the fall of 1954, and werecorded our first six "tests" on the day before Christmas. Working as a cooperative, we divided the costs of the recording and enlisted the help of the great sound engineer Michel Philippot. At my request Philippot did a "chamber music" sound recording which I really like.

These Essais regarded by some (not inaccurately) as the opus 1 of my catalog, all point in the same direction a broadening of the forms that were common in jazz at the time. *André Hodeir (1999)*

Essais Par Le Jazz Groupe De Paris  is the classic jazz album from musician and theoretician, André Hodeir. He signs these two albums who importance has not been denied. "Essays" constitutes a real challenge to the main data of orchestral jazz. Being long out of original print it is now available on a single CD reissue. *amazon.com*

1 - Cross Criss

2 - Paraphrase Sur Saint-Tropez

3 - On A Standard

4 - Esquisse I

5 - Paradoxe II

6 - On A Blues

7 - Autour D'Un Récif (part 1)

8 - Autour D'Un Récif (part 2)

9 - Saint-Tropez

(All compositions by André Hodeir)

#1 to #6: Le Jazz Groupe De Paris

from the album Essais d’André Hodeir (Swing M 33353)

Jean Liesse, Buzz Gardner (trumpets); Nat Peck (trombone); Jean Aldegon (alto sax); Bobby Jaspar (tenor sax); Armand Migiani (baritone sax); Fats Sadi (vibes); Pierre Michelot (bass); Jacques David (drums); André Hodeir (arranger, director).

Recorded in Paris, December 13, 1954.

#7 to #9: 

from the album Musique de Films par André Hodeir (Swing M 33343)

#7 and #8: Tony Proteau Orchestra

Joe Boyer (trumpet), Hubert Rostaing (clarinet, alto sax), Don Byas (tenor sax), Bernard Pfeiffer (piano), Jean Bouchéty (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums), André Hodeir (arranger, director).

Recorded in Paris, 1949.

#9: Le Jazz Groupe De Paris

Christian Bellest (trumpet), Nat Peck (trombone), Robert Guisnath (clarinet, alto sax); Bobby Jaspar (tenor sax), William Boucaya (baritone sax), Bernard Pfeiffer (piano), Raymond Le Sénéchal (vibes), Pierre Michelot (bass), Pierre Lemarchand (drums), André Hodeir (arranger, director).

Recorded in Paris, 1953.

***

Le Jazz Groupe De Paris

Joue André Hodeir

[Originally Joue André Hodeir - (Vega LP 30572)]

A classic slice of the jazz scene in 50s Paris — as Andre Hodier, the famous French jazz critic, leads a group of some of Paris' best 50's boppers through a set of his own compositions, plus newly arranged bop classics. The band includes standout European players like Pierre Michelot, Fats Sadi, Nat Peck, and Roger Guerin — and Hodier's work is a great mix of boppish ideals with more modernist touches, slightly fragmented, but still with a nice sense of swing at their core. Sadi's vibes are especially nice on the set, and the record ranks as one of the few from the time in which he really takes a strong lead. *dustygroove.com*

Joue André Hodeir is the second recording by le Jazz Groupe de Paris, a piano-less nonet originally formed by André Hodeir, with the help of Bobby Jaspar, and dedicated to his music and arrangements — Hodeir, who used to be a proficient violinist, only conducts. By the time this session was recorded Jaspar had already left for the United States and was replaced by Georges Grenu. In addition to six originals, the program is rounded out with tunes by Bud Powell, Duke Jordan, Thelonious Monk, and John Lewis. Hodeir's compositions are not as tuneful and memorable as the covers, but this is irrelevant since his musical concerns deal almost exclusively with textures and colors. In line with the leader's esthetics, the soloists do not indulge into virtuosic runs. Instead, Hodeir's draws from his musicians complex soundscapes rich in tonalities. Overall, Hodeir favors slow and midpaced tempos, which provide a better ground for his intricate voicings. His original ideas are more obviously displayed on "Paradoxe I" ,which features a pulsating cymbal in the foreground, or "On a Scale", whose theme is not restated at the end. Despite the knowledge his theories require to be fully grasped, Hodeir's music is utterly enjoyable and this album provides a fine introduction to his universe. *Alain Drouot*

1 - Jordu

(Duke Jordan)

2 - Evanescene

(André Hodeir)

3 - Criss Cross

(Thelonious Monk)

4 - Tension Détente

(André Hodeir)

5 - Milano

(John Lewis)

6 - On A Scale

(André Hodeir)

7 - Bicinum

(André Hodeir)

8 - Parisian Thoroughfare

(Bud Powell)

9 - Paradoxe I

(André Hodeir)

10 - Triads

(André Hodeir)

Jean Liesse, Roger Guérin (trumpets), Nat Peck (trombone [except #3, #9]); Jean Algedon (alto sax [except #3, #9]); Georges Grenu (tenor sax); Armand Migiani (piano); Fats Sadi (vibes [except #5, #10]); Pierre Michelot (bass); Christian Garros (drums); André Hodeir (arranger, director).

Recorded in Paris, June 26 (#2, #6 to #8), June 27 (#1, #3, #4, #9) and July 2 (#5, #10), 1956.

Hank Jones - Relaxin' At Camarillo

Much credit has been given recently to Hank Jones. One of the most foremost pianists on the jazz scene of the '50s, Hank is slowly losing his tag of "under-rated star" and coming into his own. A much in-demand and much-recorded man, he has appeared on more dates, with more groups, to match even Erroll Garner's record of recorded performances. Savoy is infinitely proud of having Hank Jones as one of its featured stars, and chief of their classic "Trio" rhythm section (along with Wendell Marshall and Kenny Clarke). Savoy is doubly proud of having the exclusive right to Hank's services as a lider. Utilizing his many talents in several award-winning instrumental combinations previously, we therefore present now THE HANK JONES QUARTET. The set balancees two new jazz stars with two established masters for a new high in creative sound: Bobby Jaspar, the Belgian-born tenor sax and flute star who won the Jazz Critic's award as New Star this year, and Paul Chambers, another Detroit contribution to the local scene, is the veritable dynamo on this usually cumbersome instrument.

A well-rounded set of tunes from a well-rounded set of a fine jazz musicians.

*Ozzie Cadena (liner notes, 1956)*

Pianist Hank Jones recorded fairly extensively for Savoy during 1955-56, and most of the music was reissued on LPs in the late '70s and early '80s, although the performances have only partially appeared thus far on CD. For his final Savoy session, Jones is teamed with Bobby Jaspar (an excellent tenor player who here sticks exclusively to his fluent flute), bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Kenny Clarke. The music is quiet, but often swings hard. Jones is well featured on three underrated standards ("Moonlight Becomes You", and Cannonball Adderley's "Spontaneous Combustion" and a 12-minute rendition of "Relaxin' at Camarillo"), the obscure ballad "Sunday in Savannah" and his own "Minor Contention". This combination of musicians works together quite well. *Scott Yanow*

Hank Jones has made many memorable albums over his long career, but this 1956 session with Belgian flutist Bobby Jaspar is one that could easily get overlooked. Jaspar's melodious flute adds some magic to an already memorable arrangement of "Moonlight Becomes You". He also keeps up nicely with Jones in Charlie Parker's tricky blues line "Relaxin' at Camarillo". "Minor Conception" is a slightly exotic number by Jones, while Cannonball Adderley's "Spontaneous Combustion" wraps up the session with a flourish. Jones delivers his usual superb performance, while Paul Chambers has several fine solos, and drummer Kenny Clarke propels the date with his crisp brushwork. At just over 36 minutes, this music is well-worth acquiring. *Ken Dryden*

Early Hank Jones session for Savoy... A quartet session with Paul Chambers on bass, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Bobby Jaspar on flute. With a lineup like that, you can imagine how well the session stands up, and the added flute makes it groove in a way that stretches past the usual trio session from the time. Plus, the tracks are nice and long, which lets Jones show off his strong talent for warm lyrical soloing, especially on the tracks "Minor Contention" and "Spontaneous Combustion".  *dustygroove.com*

Side 1

1 - Moonlight Becomes You

(Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen)

2 - Relaxin' At Camarillo

(Charlie Parker)

Side 2

3 - Minor Contention

(Hank Jones)

4 - Sunday In Savannah

(Hugh McKay)

5 - Spontaneous Combustion

(Julian "Cannonball" Adderley)

Hank Jones (piano), Bobby Jaspar (flute), Paul Chambers (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Van Gelder Recording Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, August 21, 1956.

Michel Hausser - Mr. Vibes

The vibraphone was still a relative novelty in the jazz scene of the 1950s, particularly in Europe. Its leading proponents in the modern jazz field were Belgian Sadi and French Geo Daly during the first half of the decade. It wouldn’t be until 1955 that another vibes player from France irrupted on the scene: his name, Michel Hausser, and his main influence the art of "Bags" Milt Jackson, his imposing skill, and the role it had in the success of the Modern Jazz Quartet.

It was at the end of 1956 that Michel’s trio had the opportunity to open "Le Chat qui Pêche", a new jazz club that would soon become one of the most popular in Paris. His exciting performances were the talk of the town and paired with the exposure that Hausser received recording with Lucky Thompson and such bandleaders as Christian Chevallier and Quincy Jones, they earned him first place in the 1958 Jazz-Hot poll awards, the first of many in his career.

Although the blues-oriented improvisations and emotional content of Jackson’s approach were evident in Michel’s playing, at the core, his style had a more outgoing flair. In this double CD we can listen to Michel Hausser’s recordings from his prolific Parisian years. Although he has never stopped playing, his name seems to vanish from jazz magazines in 1969, when he returned to his native Alsace, but even so, Michel Hausser will forever remain a referent for jazz vibraphonists everywhere. *Jordi Pujol*

Just like bebop clarinet players, the niche of European vibes players is pretty much an uncharted map. Frenchman Michel Hausser cornered the market back in the bop era of 1958-1960, with this two disc collection showing that he could hold his own against contemporaries Milt Jackson and Teddy Charles.

His sound is confident and relaxed, sometimes with a marimba-like timbre as displayed on his studio and concert recordings from France 1958. The team of Hausser with famed bopper pianist Henri Renard, bassist Ricardo Galeazzi and drummer Dante Agostini sound relaxed and warm on "Isn’t It Romantic" while comparing studio and gig takes of "Rue Dauphine" and "Blues Pour Le Chat" show that the team could kick up the juice in concert format. Ex-pat Bobby Jaspar loans his flute for a crisp "Moaning" and warm "I Remember Clifford" , and is joined by bebop drummer Kenny Clarke and bongo man Humberto Canto for a sleek "Cliff Cliff" and a beatnick'd take of "Mysterioso".

A horn section of Roger Guerin, Luis Fuentes, Dominique Canson and Bob Garcia round out an octet on a 1960 session in Germany hat includes an echoey "These Foolish Things" and MJQ-ish "Up In Hamburg" with some jabbing horns on "Opus De Funk". A year later, a similar conglomerate bops through "Made In Switzerland" while a jam session from 1958 includes boppers Donald Byrd, Zoot Sims, Doug Watkins, Art Taylor and Bobby Jaspar for a sizzling take of "Wee Dot" that has Taylor driving on all 8 cylinders. Sublime chimes. *George W. Harris*

*CD 1*

1 - Blues Pour Le chat

(Michel Hausser)

2 - Isn't It Romantic

(Rodgers, Hart)

3 - Rue Dauphine

(Michel Hausser)

4 - Everything Happens To Me

(Dennis, Adair)

5 - Now’s The Time

(Charlie Parker)

6 - H.E.C Blues

(Michel Hausser)

7 - Rue Dauphine

(Michel Hausser)

8 - Michel Hausser introduces the musicians

9 - These Foolish Things

(Strachey, Link, Marvell)

10 - Blues Pour Le Chat

(Michel Hausser)

11 - Moanin'

(Bobby Timmons)

12 - I Remember Clifford

(Benny Golson)

13 - H.E.C Blues

(Michel Hausser)

14 - Monsieur De...

(René Urtreger)

15 - It's The Talk Of Town

(Livingston, Symes, Neiburg)

16 - Made In Switzerland

(Michel Hausser)

17 - Willow Weep For Me

(Ann Ronell)

18 - Who, You?

(Michel Hausser)

19 - 4 R

(Michel Hausser)

20 - Taking A Chance On Love

(Vernon Duke)

*CD 2*

1 - Cliff Cliff

(Jacques Hess)

2 - Phenil Isopropil Amine

(Bobby Jaspar)

3 - Mysterioso

(Thelonious Monk)

4 - Lullaby Of The Leaves

(Petkere, Young)

5 - Waiting For Irene

(Bobby Jaspar)

6 - Chasing The Bird

(Charlie Parker)

7 - Speak Low

(Kurt Weill)

8 - Up In Hamburg

(Michel Hausser)

9 - Opus De Funk

(Horace Silver)

10 - These Foolish Things

(Strachey, Link, Marvell)

11 - Tadd’s Delight

(Tadd Dameron)

12 - Jive At Five

(Harry Edison)

13 - Blues A San Pauli

(Michel Hausser)

14 - Darn That Dream

(Van Heusen, DeLange)

15 - Tune Up

(Miles Davis)

16 - These Foolish Things

(Strachey, Link, Marvell)

17 - Made In Switzerland

(Michel Hausser)

18 - Wee Dot

(J.J. Johnson)

*CD 1*

#1 to #4:

from the 7" EP Au Chat qui Pêche Vol. 1 (Columbia ESDF 1224)

Micher Hausser (vibes), Henri Renaud (piano), Ricardo Galeazzi (bass), Dante Agostini (drums).

Recorded in Paris, April 23, 1958.

 #5 to #10:

Micher Hausser (vibes), Henri Renaud (piano), Ricardo Galeazzi (bass), Dante Agostini (drums).

Recorded live at Festival de Jazz de Cannes, July 11, 1958.

#11 to #16:

from the album Vibes + Flute (Columbia FPX 173)

Bobby Jaspar (flute #11 to #14), Michel Hausser (vibes), René Urtreger (piano #11 to #14), Paul Rovère (bass), Daniel Humair (drums).

Recorded in Paris, December 16, 1958 [#11 to #14] and February 9, 1959 [#15 and #16].

#17 to #20:

from the 7" EP Michel Hausser Quartet Vol.2 (Columbia ESDF 1254)

Michel Hausser (vibes), René Urtreger (piano), Paul Rovère (bass), Daniel Humair (drums).

Recorded in Paris, November 9 and 10, 1959.

*CD 2*

#1 to #7:

from the album Bobby Jaspar Quartet Featuring Michel Hausser (Barclay 84.063)

Bobby Jaspar (flute), Michel Hausser (vibes, xylophone), Paul Rovère (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums), Humberto Canto (bongos #1, #3, #5 and #6).

Recorded in Paris, December 19, 1958.

#8 to #15:

from the album Michel Hausser Octet -Up in Hamburg (Columbia FPX 189)

Roger Guérin (trumpet), Luis Fuentes (trombone), Dominique Chanson (flute, alto sax), Bob Garcia (tenor sax), Michel Hausser (vibes, piano #13), René Urtreger (piano out on #13), Michel Gaudry (bass), Daniel Humair (drums).

Recorded in Hamburg, March 1960.

#16 and # 17: Michel Hausser All Stars

Michel Hausser (vibes), Roger Guérin (trumpet #17), Bob Garcia (tenor sax #17), Georges Arvanitas (piano), Michel Gaudry (bass), Charles Bellonzi (drums).

Recorded live at Festival de Jazz d’Antibes Juan-les-Pins, July 18, 1961.

#18: Jam Session with the Donald Byrd Quintet

Donald Byrd (trumpet); Bobby Jaspar, Zoot Sims (tenor saxes); Michel Hausser (vibes); Walter Davis (piano); Doug Watkins (bass); Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded live at Festival de Jazz de Cannes, July, 11, 1958.

Fats Sadi - Sadi's Vibes

The Belgian Fats Sadi (1927-2009), due to his technique and modern approach, was the quintessential European vibraphonist of the 50s. In his beginnings, his style was indebted to Lionel Hampton, but as he assimilated the irresistible and evolving influence of Milt Jackson, his music became a true reflection of himself, generous and overflowing with swing.

Upon his arrival in Paris in 1951, Sadi had a hard time finding gigs as a jazzman. There were too many musicians chasing too few jobs and at first he had to work in all kinds of orchestras. From 1953 he joined forces with Bobby Jaspar and grew musically, playing and recording alongside him as a sideman and as a leader while surrounded by the best musicians on the Parisian scene. In 1954, he put together an eight-piece combo that recorded an album of wellcrafted arrangements firmly rooted in the West Coast sound performed with a precision rarely heard in mainland jazz groups at the time.

As the years passed, Sadi continued to develop his style and conception, establishing himself as an impressive and forceful soloist who was capable of sustaining the mood of the tunes with depth and freshness in both wailers and ballads. In the late 50s and early 60s, he was working and recording in Germany and Belgium and he was chosen to integrate the European All-Stars of 1961. On the bonus track "Hittin' the Road", Sadi blows along with another of his compatriots, the great guitarist René Thomas, who unleashes a memorable solo in a particularly graphic aural definition of swing.

In this retrospective we can hear Sadi playing in very different and exciting settings with a fierce flow of ideas and dedication. All in all, this set is an impressive showcase for an almost forgotten and often underrated vibes player. *Jordi Pujol*

Like trumpeter Harry James, Fats Sadi began his musical career in the company of clowns. The Belgian jazz musician played the xylophone in a touring circus before World War II. After the war, he took up the vibraphone and recorded as a sideman and as a leader. He could play swing and bop, and his earliest recordings in 1946 were with fellow Belgian standout, saxophonist and flutist Bobby Jaspar.

In 1950, Sadi moved to Paris in search of work and began playing at the many jazz clubs there in combos and recording as a sideman with Henri Renaud and Django Reinhardt.

Sadi reunited with Jaspar in May 1953 on a three-song session that is part of a recently released album Fats Sadi: Sadi's Vibes, a Retrospective 1953-1961. The album features Sadi on vibes across a range of small groups.

Sadi's leadership sessions start with the Fats Sardi's Combo, recorded in May 1954. In October of that year and in 1958, he was back with Jaspar before recording with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar in 1959. The album closes out in Brussels in 1961. These are scattered tracks but ones that prominently feature Sadi's firm vibes and cool, tender attack with West Coast jazz overtones. There's a guitar-like quality to his playing, and this album serves as a perfect introduction to a tasty player with plenty of swing and moxie. Fresh Sound features many other Sadi recordings. Have a look. *Marc Myers*

If you're a fan of the vibes, your probable references were the swing era gents of Lionel Hampton or Red Norvo, bebop with Terry Gibbs and Milt Jackson, and that's about it until modern jazz with Bobby Hutcherson. Well, here's a new gent for you to dig, but he's not a "new" guy, but an obscure Belgian stationed in Paris and hitting the vibes with fervermallet with a bunch of impressive locals like Henri Renaud, Maurice Vander, Pierre Michelot, Francy Boland, Jimmy Gourley, Rene Thomas, Genoir Quersin as well as some American ringers like Kenny Clarke, Jymie Merritt, Walter Bishop and Bobby Jaspar.

This single disc contains Sadi in sessions as both leader and sideman swinging from a '53 Jaspar led recording to Sadis' own quartets. With Jaspar, there's a "Nonette" with a hot horn section for "Honky Tonky", a bopping smaller ensemble for "le JAMF" and a lovely "I Only Have Eyes For You". Sadi's sense of swing is palpable, with a tone somewhere between Hampton and Jackson, tearing up "Ridin' High", glowing on "Dear Old Lady" and snapping with "Laguna Leap". The sound quality is excellent, and the vibes, well, vibrate!

As with all reissues from Fresh Sound, there's a great booklet with session listings as well as some great background on this obscure mallet man. This is a real fun one! *George W. Harris*

1 - Strike up the Band

(G. and I.Gershwin)

2 - I Only Have Eyes For You

(Warren, Dubin)

3 - Struttin' With Some Barbecue

(Lili Hardin Armstrong)

4 - Ad Libitum

(Francy Boland)

5 - Laguna Leap

(Edward Laguna)

6 - Karin

(Jose Bartel)

7 - Big Balcony

(Bobby Jaspar)

8 - Sadisme

(Francy Boland)

9 - Sweet Feeling

(Pierre Michelot)

10 - Ridin' High

(Cole Porter)

11 - Thanks A Million

(Johnston, Kahn)

12 - Early Wake

(Fats Sadi)

13 - Honky Tonky

(Bobby Jaspar)

14 - Jeux de Quartes

(Bobby Jaspar)

15 - Doxology (Memory of Dick)

(Bobby Jaspar)

16 - Le JAMF

(Bobby Jaspar)

17 - Ridin' In

(Sadi, Coppieters)

18 - Don't Blame Me

(McHugh-Fields)

19 - Gigi's Pad

(Sadi, Coppieters)

20 - If I Had You

(Shapiro, Campbell, Connelly)

21 - Hegor

(Fats Sadi)

22 - Dear Old Lady

(Fats Sadi)

23 - Hittin' The Road

(Fats Sadi)

#1 to #3: Bobby Jaspar Quintet - Featuring Sadi

from the 10"LP  New Sound of Belgium, Vol.4 (Vogue LD 143)

Bobby Jaspar (tenor sax), Fats Sadi (vibes),; Henri Renaud (piano [#2, #3]), Jimmy Gourley (guitar [#1]), Benoît Quersin (bass), Jean-Louis Viale (drums).

Recorded in Paris, May 22, 1953.

#4 to #11: Fats Sadi's Combo

from the 10" LP  Fats Sadis's Combo (Vogue LD 212)

Roger Guérin (trumpet, tuba), Nat Peck (trombone), Jean Aldegon (bass clarinet), Bobby Jaspar (tenor sax), Fats Sadi (vibes), Maurice Vander (piano), Jean-Marie Ingrand (bass), Jean-Louis Viale (drums), Francy Boland (arranger).

Recorded in Paris, May 8, 1954.

#12 to #14: Bobby Jaspar Nonette

from the 10" LP  Bobby Jaspar - New Jazz, Vol.2 (Swing M.33.338)

Buzz Gardner, Roger Guérin (trumpets); Nat Peck (trombone); Jean Aldegon (alto sax, bass clarinet); Bobby Jaspar (tenor sax); Armand Migiani (baritone sax); Fats Sadi (vibes, arranger); Pierre Michelot (bass); Gerard "Dave" Pochonet (drums).

Recorded in Paris, October 14, 1954.

#15 and #16: Bobby Jaspar Quartet

from the 12" LP  Bobby Jaspar Quartet (Barclay 84063)

Bobby Jaspar (flute), Fats Sadi (vibes), Jymie Merritt (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded in Paris, December 20, 1958.

#17 to #20: Fats Sadi Quartet plus Jimmy Deuchar

from the 7" EP  Sadi's Vibes (Manhattan 66133 C)

Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet), Fats Sadi (vibes), Roland Ronchaud (piano), Maurice Salvat (bass), Stuff Combe (drums).

Recorded in Cologne, May 22, 1959.

#21 and #22: Fats Sadi Quartet

from the 7" EP  Sadi Quartet (Palette EPP 7226)

Fats Sadi (vibes), Roland Ronchaud (piano), Jean Warland (bass), Freddy Rotier (drums).

Recorded in Brussels, 1961.

#23: Fats Sadi Quintet

from the 12" LP  Jack Sels (Best Seller 4C054-97754)

Fats Sadi (vibes), René Thomas (guitar), Francy Boland (piano), Roger Van Haverbecke (bass), Wallace Bishop (drums).

Recorded in Brussels, 1962.

Barry Galbraith - Guitar And The Wind

With this album, guitarist Barry Galbraith, an important but relatively unheralded presence on many jazz recordings on this coast, steps out of his usual role of the supporting, contributing player, and becomes the principal speaker. Equipped to be just that, Galbraith, naturally and with definable grace, makes his instrument sing and swing, issue forth a full yet engagingly personal voice.

Playing an instrument that has a wealth of tradition both in and out of the jazz area, Galbraith shows an awareness of this in his playing, verbally underlining his position during our conversations concerning this album. 

Galbraith, as a person, is. unintrusive yet decisive; unassuming yet authoritative; and like many jazz musicians, his instrument has proven more than an adjunct to his personality, but THE friendly medium through which the flow of his thoughts find most compatible expression.

As some of his colleagues have noted, Galbraith has a "natural" flare that lends the impression of the "easy and everyday" to the musically valuable or difficult. Whether playing at a social gathering, on a job or recording date, he is "inside his horn", fully concentrated, oblivious to extraneous bother.

Self taught, Barry has proceeded through the hallowed halls of the school of experience, remembering and assembling, pointing up, underlining the important along the way.

This album is shaped to delineate a variety of moods in addition to the softer, romantic feeling that has, by constant association, assumed priority in definition of the word, mood.

*Burt Korall (liner notes)*

Barry Galbraith was one of New York's busiest session jazz guitarists in the 1950s and '60s. Between 1941 and the late 1970s, he was on 620 recording dates, a staggering total. How many albums did he record as a leader under his name? Just one — Guitar and the Wind, for Decca. What a shame that Decca didn't record a few more like this one. Recorded in January 1958 over three days, the album is beautifully arranged, swings tastefully and is a gorgeous example of what made Galbraith special. His chord voicings were seductive and his improvised runs were tasty and unbeatable.

*Marc Myers*

A nicely varied set spotlighting the artist in several approaches — all of them effective. When Galbraith has the melody or is improvising, he shows a fresh, inventive style. In backing other instruments, harmonically or percussively, he also shines. His admirers will find this one of his best efforts. His style can be traced to Charlie Christian and Gerge Van Eps. Small combo and larger group selections are done with equal good taste.

*Billboard, April 21, 1958 [Special Merit Jazz Album]*

1 - Bull Market

(Billy Byers)

2 - A Portrait Of Jennie

(Gordon Burdge, J. Russel, Robinson)

3 - Judy's Jaunt

(Al Gilbert)

4 - Nina Never Knew

(Milton Drake, Louis Alter)

5 - Walking (Down)

(Carpenter)

6 - A Gal In Calico

(Robin, Schwartz)

7 - I Like To Recognize The Tune

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

8 - Any Place I Hang My Hat

(Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen)

9 - Love Is For The Very Young

(David Raksin)

10 - Holiday

(Al Gilbert)

11 - Ya' Gotta Have Rhythm

(Osie Johnson)

12 - What Am I Here For?

(Duke Ellington)

Barry Galbraith (guiar), with:

#1,#4, #8, #12

Urbie Green, Chauncey Welsch, Frank Rehak (trombones); Dick Hixson (bass trombone); Bobby Jaspar (flute, tenor sax); Eddie Costa (piano, vibes); Milt Hinton (bass); Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, January 16, 1958.

#2, #6, #7, #10 

Bobby Jaspar (flute, tenor sax), Phil Bodner (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet), Romeo Penque (clarinet, flute, English horn), Spencer Sinatra (clarinet, flute); Eddie Costa (piano, vibes), Milt Hinton (bass); Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, January 21, 1958.

#3, #5, #9, #11

Bobby Jaspar (flute), Eddie Costa (piano), Milt Hinton (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, January 28, 1958.