Guy Lafitte - Obscure Parisian Sessions

In the 1950's, tenor saxophonist Guy Lafitte (January 12, 1927 –  July 11, 1998) was considered one of the luminaries of European jazz. In his playing he integrated the harmonic and rhythmic contributions of modern jazz to a more classical style in the lines of Buddy Tate, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Frank Wess and many others who were influenced by Coleman Hawkins and Hershel Evans.

For Lafitte, the emphasis of his playing was always in the strength of his sound, and in his swinging approach to the language of jazz, both qualities that earned him the Django Reinhardt Prize in 1954, the highest honor granted by the French Academie du Jazz. *Jordi Pujol*

A fine swing tenorman whose main inspiration was always Coleman Hawkins, Guy Lafitte appeared in many mainstream settings through the years. Lafitte started out paying clarinet including with swing-oriented gypsy bands. After switching to tenor in 1947 and moving to Paris, he worked with Big Bill Broonzy (1950), Mezz Mezzrow (1951), Bill Coleman (off and on starting in 1952), Dicky Wells and Buck Clayton. Through the years, Lafitte has frequently led his own mainstream combos and was also often utilized by veteran American players who were visiting France including Lionel Hampton (1956), Duke Ellington (for the 1961 film "Paris Blues"), Milt Buckner, Wallace Davenport, Arnett Cobb and Wild Bill Davis. As a leader, Guy Lafitte led many sessions during the 1954-93 period (particularly 1954-64) including for CFD, Duc-Thomson, Pathe, French Columbia, VSM, French RCA, Vega, Black & Blue and CTPL. *Scott Yanow*

Guy Lafitte

Quartette And Quintette

Featuring Geo Daly

1955 - 1956

Many critics in the Fifties considered French jazz to be on a par with its American counterpart: if the United States was the cradle of the genre, they reasoned, France was fast becoming the keeper of its best traditions. Even stateside most agreed, seeing the many unique talents that kept coming from France, among them the brilliant young tenor saxophonist Guy Lafitte (1927-1998). In 1954 he received the best album and best tenor saxophonist awards in a poll organized by the Jazz Hot magazine, but he was also crowned best French soloist by the Academie du Jazz with its prestigious prix Django Reinhardt.

These small group sessions led by Lafitte (1954-1956) shine with the presence of Geo Daly, the legendary vibraphonist who introduced the instrument to Europe. Daly was at ease in this small group context, and his alliance with Lafitte generates an unpretentious and relaxed mood—it's jazz with a swinging beat and warm improvisatory interplay.

The music in these sides is a testament to the progress and maturity Guy Lafitte had acquired since his early years: many had compared him to other great tenor saxophonists, but it is obvious here that he had managed to escape the influence of Hawkins, Herschel Evans, Chu Berry, Lester Young, or anyone else for that matter. By the time he recorded these sessions, his language and ideas were fully his own. *Jordi Pujol*

The progression of European jazz musicians radically ascended from the days that Louis Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins originally came to France and these 50s and 60s sessions of home grown artists sounded more authoritative than imitative. You're going to be pleasantly surprised by this reissue.

Tenor saxist Guy Lafitte had a strong growl similar to Coleman Hawkins, and the depth of a Chu Berry or Herschel Evans from the Count Basie Big Band. There are 16 tunes with his quartet with George Daly/vib, Raymond Fol-Andre Persiany/p, Alix Bret-Buddy Banks-Jaques Medvedko/b and Bernard  planchenault-Jacques David-Teddy Martin/dr and a few cameo guests. Lafitte fills the room with a bel canto "Blue and Sentimental" and "I've Got the World On A String". His vibrato is an old world charmer on "Stardust" and "Where Or When" and shows he can swing with the muscles bulging on "I Got Rhythm" and an snappy "Topsy". In a quintette mode with Jean-Pierre Sasson adding his guitar, Lafitte sails like a pirate on "Flying Back" and sears through "What A Funny Moon". More testosterone per note than 90% if today's cacophonic hipsters.

The session notes and liner notes of this release gives wonderful information regarding the artist himself but the milieu of jazz back in the days of De Gaulle. *George W. Harris*

1 -  Blue And Sentimental

(Basie, David, Livingston)

2 - She's Funny That Way

(Whiting, Moret)

3 - Stardust

(Carmichael, Parish)

4 - Where Or When

(Rodgers, Hart)

5 - Krum Elbow Blues

(Ellington, Hodges)

6 - If I Had You

(Schapiro, Campbell, Connelly)

7 - I've Got The World On A String

(Arlen, Koehler)

8 - Get Happy

(Arlen, Koehler)

9 - I Cover The Waterfront

(Green, Heyman)

10 - I Got Rhythm

(G. and I. Gershwin)

11 - Melodie Au Crepuscule

(Django Reinhardt)

12 - Sweethearts On Parade

(Lombardo, Newman)

13 - Topsy

(Battle, Durham)

14 - If I Could Be With You

(James P. Johnson)

15 - Jubilee

(Louis Armstrong)

16 - Chase À "La Baute"

(Guy Lafitte)

17 - Dans Un Vieux Livre

(Guy Lafitte)

18 - Flying Back

(Jean-Pierre Sasson)

19 - What A Funny Moon

(Geo Daly)

20 - Partnership Boys

(Jean-Claude Pelletier)

#1 to #8, from the 10” LP Blue and Sentimental (Le Club Français du Disque 21)

#9 to #13, from the 10” LP Guy Lafitte et son Orchestre (Ducretet-Thomson 460 V 019)

#14 to #16, from the 7” EP Guy Lafitte et son Quartette (Columbia ESDF 1043)

#17 to #20, from the 7” EP >Columbia All Stars< (Columbia ESDF 1125)

#1 to #5:

Guy Lafitte (tenor sax), Peanuts Holland (trumpet #5), Bernard Zacharias (trombone #5), Geo Daly (vibes), Raymond Fol (piano), Jean Bonal (guitar #4), Alix Bret (bass), Bernard Planchenault (drums).

Recorded in Paris, May 1954.

#6 to #13:

Guy Lafitte (tenor sax), Geo Daly (vibes), André Persiany (piano), Buddy Banks (bass), Jacques David (drums).

Recorded in Paris, June 1, 1954

#14 to #16:

Guy Lafitte (tenor sax), Geo Daly (vibes), André Persiany (piano), Jacques "Popoff" Medvedko (bass), Teddy Martin (drums).

Recorded in Paris, March 31, 1955.

#17 to #20:

Guy Lafitte (tenor sax), Geo Daly (vibes), Jean-Pierre Sasson (guitar), Jean-Claude Pelletier (piano), Paul Rovère (bass), Christian Garros (drums).

Recorded in Paris, June 18, 1956.

***

Guy Lafitte

Quartet And Sextet Sessions

1956 - 1962

These Guy Lafitte sides were recorded between 1956 and 1962, and are full of great moments. To begin somewhere, the quartet sessions include some absolutely beautiful solos by Guy on the ballads — "Body And Soul" may be the best. Naturally, the rhythm sections are about as relaxed as can be, driven by two pillars of French jazz: bassist Paul Rovère, and drummer Christian Garros, who lay down the beat without flurries or distractions. But solo honors on these dates must also go to the pianists — Jean-Claude Pelletier, who does a great job, but particularly George Arvanitas and Raymond Fol, with whom Guy loved to play. The appearance of bop vocalist Kenny Hagood in three of the tunes is a welcome addition, with his natural and easy voice.

Guy is also heard in the loose-limbed context of two consistent sextets. But despite the solid framework, it is again Guy who carried the load, improvising through a repertoire of moody and warm originals and three well known Ellington tunes arranged by Claude Bolling and Raymond Fol, and with the contribution of Martial Solal scoring two new compositions penned by Lafitte. In addition, these dates feature several soloists whose talents have been too often bypassed over the years — Roger Guérin, Claude Gousset, Nat Peck, Dominique Chanson, and William Boucaya.

As a soloist, it is always worth paying attention to Guy Lafitte. His music was not merely fine, mellow and swinging — it was an entire philosophy praising the joie de vivre. *Jordi Pujol*

Monsieur Lafitte was a master. In effect, I would rank him with Chu Berry and Don Byas. I say in effect because, although his sense of form, eloquence on the horn and beautiful tone are a match for Byas and Berry, he was a primitive. He never learned to read music. If I know the number, I know my place, where I play with the other musicians.

Like Django, he began his career playing with gypsies. They were Spanish — they are different you know. Although Guy was house-trained and Django wasn't, they had their skills in common, and Guy should rank with the very top musicians who came out of France fully equipped to improvise and swing at a time when our musicians were writhing incoherently over British rhythm sections that had the bounce and lift of Westminister Abbey.

Although first influenced by Louis, Guy is most palpably a Coleman Hawkins disciple, using all the elements of Hawk's style in his own voice. Hawk burgeons through these tracks, but there's a particularly good sample in the fine "Le Chat Qui Dort", which also serves as a yardstick for the sextet.

It's listed as by the quartet, but there is a great blues solo from a trombonist, probably Claude Gusset (there is also a good trombonist, unlisted on the [5] sides) as well as some gentle instrumental vocalising from Hagood, who intones a strange "Body And Soul". Kenny has a crack at Billy Eckstine's "Lonesome Lover Blues", but men-from-boys comes to mind and Mr B has nothing to fear. There's a good bluster solo from Guy, though and muscular piano from Raymond Fol.

The French pianists are particularly fine, and Roger Guérin, a tasteful trumpeter who sounds as though he’s holding in his bop instincts, only emerges to tantalise. Lafitte rhapsodises beautifully on the ballads, notably "It Might As Well Be Spring". *Steve Voce*

1 - Three Little Words

(Ruby, Kalmar)

2 - Le Conte

(Guy Lafitte)

3 - Sugar

(Pinkard, Alexander, Mitchell)

4 - What's New?

(Haggart, Burke)

5 - Portrait De Camile

(Guy Lafitte)

6 - Corail

(Jean-Claude Pelletier)

7 - It's The Talk Of The Town

(Livingston, Symes, Neiburg)

8 - A Song Was Born

(Raye, DePaul)

9 - The Jeep Is Jumpin'

(Ellington, Hodges)

10 - Tranquillement

(Claude Bolling)

11 - Queenie

(Guy Lafitte)

12 - Le Chat Qui Dort

(Guy Lafitte)

13 - It Might As Well Be Spring

(Rodgers, Hammerstein II)

14 - Gone With The Wind

(Wrubel, Magidson)

15 - Body And Soul

(Green, Heyman, Sour, Eyton)

16 - Lonesome Lover Blues

(Billy Eckstine)

17 - You Can Depend On Me

(Hines, Dunlap, Carpenter)

18 - All Too Soon

(Ellington, Sigman)

19 - What Am I Here For

(Duke Ellington)

20 - The Mill And The River

(Guy Lafitte)

21 - Plucky

(Guy Lafitte)

#1 to #4, from the 7-inch EP Rendez-vous aux Trois Mailletz (Columbia ESDF1118)

#5 and #6, from the 10-inch LP Do Not Disturb (Columbia FP 1085)

Guy Lafitte(tenor sax); Michel De Villers (baritone sax #4); Jean-Claude Pelletier (piano); Paul Rovère (bass), Christian Garros (drums). 

Recorded in Paris, May 24 (#1 to #4) and 25 (#5 and #6), 1956.

#7 to #11, from the 10-inch LP Guy (Columbia FP 1124)

#7 and #8:

Guy Lafitte(tenor sax), Georges Arvanitas (piano), Paul Rovère (bass), Christian Garros (drums).

Recorded in Paris, September 30, 1959.

#9 to #11:

Roger Guérin (trumpet), Claude Gousset (trombone), Guy Lafitte (tenor sax), Georges Arvantitas (piano), Paul Rovère (bass), Christian Garros (drums).

Recorded in Paris, September 30, 1959.

#12 to #17, from the 10-inch LP Guy Lafitte et son Quartette avec Kenny Hagood (Columbia FP 1133)

Guy Lafitte (tenor sax), Raymond Fol (piano), Paul Rovère (bass), Christian Garros (drums), Kenny Haggod (vocals #12, #15 and #16).

Recorded in Paris, September 26, 1960.

#18 to #21, from the 7-inch EP Guy Lafitte (Columbia ESDF 1415)

Nat Peck (trombone), Dominique Chanson (alto sax, flute), Guy Lafitte (tenor sax), William Boucaya (baritone sax), Raymond Fol (piano), Gilbert "Bibi" Rovère (bass), Franco Manzecchi (drums).

Recorded in Paris, May 3, 1962. 

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.