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.

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.

The Third Herdmen Blow In Paris

These recording sessions respond to the stir generated in Paris among French fans and record producers by the visits of Woody Herman orchestra during their European tour in 1954. Some of the best band's soloists were engaged to record for the French label Vogue.

The Herdsmen recorded two 10'' albums, with personnel changing from one session to the other. The sessions included trumpeter Dick Collins, bass-trumpeter Cy Touff, tenorists Bill Perkins, Dick Hafer, and Jerry Coker, bassist Red Kelly, drummer Chuck Flores, and pianist Ralph Burns — the featured performer for the band’s European tour. Joining them were leading local jazzmen, such as pianist Henri Renaud, guitarist Jimmy Gourley, bass player Jean-Marie Ingrand and drummer Jean-Louis Viale. The sessions were all improvised, without too much time for preparation, but the recordings captured the freshness of the soloists, who all had a balling time. *Jordi Pujol*.

The Herdsmen

Play Paris

Early in 1954, Woody Herman took his Third Herd to Europe. This was the first time Herman had ever played overseas and it was the first time most of Europe had heard the Third Herd. Up until recently, its only records were on Woody’s own small label, Mars, which was not distributed throughout the continent. 

Dick Collins, the young Berkeley trumpet player who was, and is, one of the stars of the Third Herd was an old friend to Paris. He had gone there after World War II to study on the GI Bill under Darius Milhaud, the French composer with whom Dave Brubeck and other modern jazz men have studied at Mills College in Oakland, California. While Collins was in Paris in 1948 and ’49, he met Charles Delaunay, the French critic, author and recording executive and made several sides for him. So it was only natural that on Collins’ return, Delaunay would renew the acquaintance and take the opportunity to make further records.

For the first date, Delaunay assembled Collins, Cy Touff, Bill Perkins, Dick Hafer and Red Kelly from the Herman band and two French musicians, Henri Renaud and Jean-Louis Viale. Perkins describes the date this way: "Delaunay picked us up at the hotel about an hour after we flew in from Germany and rushed us to a real relaxed little upstairs studio and we went to work with nothing more than a few penciled lead sheets — no harmony parts were written as I remember. Although the French musicians did not speak English and viceversa, I remember that it struck me at the time how well we understood each other when it came to the music part of it. They put Cy up on a box to get the bell of his horn even with the mike". 

The second session was made just before the men left for home some weeks later. Coker was commissioned to write an original ("Embarkation") and Perkins recalls Jerry working hard on it backstage at the Vienna concert. Coker, Touff, drummer Chuck Flores and pianist Ralph Burns, who was on the European tour as a featured performer with the band, flew back to Paris to make the date and were joined by Jimmy Gourley, one of the leading French guitarists, and bassist Jean-Marie Ingrand. Burns, who is among the best known modern jazz arrangers and writers and who has done most of the Herman book including "Summer Sequence", is featured on piano. Burns wrote "Wetback on the Left Bank" for Flores, whose nickname is "Wetback". *Liner notes*

Bassist Red Kelly remembers the Woody Herman Third Herd’s triumphal tour of Europe in 1954: "We weren’t used to that kind of adulation. We were treated like rock stars are today. They tried to get the buttons off of our coats and all that stuff". The fans were not alone in their enthusiasm. The French critic and impresario Charles Delaunay herded several of Herman’s sidemen into a recording studio for two small-group sessions that illuminated the talents of saxophonist Bill Perkins, bass trumpeter Cy Toouff, trumpeter Dick Collins, pianist Ralph Burns, and other solist from the band, along with promiment French musicians. These Paris sessions give us stimulating extracurricular music by some of the talented young musicians Herman assembled during one of his greatest periods. *concord.com*

Side 1

01 - The Gypsy

(Billy Reid)

02 - Wetback On The Left Bank

(Ralph Burns)

03 - Embarkation

(Jerry Coker)

04 - Thanks For You

(Tim Whitton)

Side 2

05 - So What Could Be New?

(Tiny Kahn)

06 - Just 40 Bars

(Henri Renaud)

07 - Palm Cafe

(Henri Renaud)

08 - Pot Luck

(Johnny Mandel)

 #5, #6, #7, #8:

Dick Collins (trumpet); Cy Touff (bass trumpet); Bill Perkins, Dick Hafer (tenor saxes); Henri Renaud (piano); Red Kelly (bass); Jean-Louis Viale (drums).

Recorded in Paris, April, 23, 1954.

#1, #2, #3, #4:

Cy Touff (bass trumpet), Jerry Coker (tenor sax), Ralph Burns (piano), Jimmy Gourley (guitar), Jean-Marie Ingrand (bass), Chuck Flores (drums).

Recorded in Paris, May 5, 1954.

#1, #4, #5, #8 from The Third Herdmen Blow In Paris, Vol. 1

#2, #3, #6, #7 from The Third Herdmen Blow In Paris, Vol. 2