Leonard Feather Presents… ★1959★

Leonard Feather Presents

One World Jazz

Through the miracles of modern recording science, fifteen of the world's leading jazzmen meet for the first time in this unique and exciting intercontinental jam session. Seven musicians in New York, four in Paris, three in London and one in Stockholm play together to make not only a scientific, but a musical point: Jazz Is An International Language.

⁂

Although there has never before been an album of this kind, its motivation and objective were logical and desirabie. For the first time in recording history, a group of leading American musicians has joined forces with some of the top artists in other countries for an international jam session, for release in monophonic and stereophonic sound.

The idea sprang from a conversation in the spring of 1959 with Irving Townsend. When I mentioned a projected business trip to Europe and suggested that there were several fine musicians in England and France who had been heard too rarely on records in the United States, we first discussed a plan to record a separate session in each country. Suddenly a more provocative concept emerged: why not, said Irving, record them together? 

Though obviously feasible, the suggestion ealled tor long-range planning. Nat Shapiro of Columbia’s international division started setting up contacts in London and Paris. Then the plan was extended when I suggested that the musicians would be offered a stimulating challenge if they could work in the company of Americans. For geographical or technical reasons, this had never before been possible. 

The device employed was simple. A seven-piece group was assembled in New York, and on the evening of May 19, 1959, we recorded the six tracks you hear in this album. But on that evening they sounded curiously different. There were long passages left open in which only the rhythm section played. Thus there would be no need for any awkward attempts to splice conflicting ideas, match tempos, coordinate rhythm sections at home and abroad; on the contrary, the foreign musicians would have the unprecedented opportunity to be supported by the kind of American rhythmic background with which they had often expressed a desire to work.

The musicians chosen for the New York session are all well known to the Europeans who were later to enjoy their company.

⁂

It may be apt to conclude with a remark made by Jo Jones when, after I had returned from Europe with the results of this undertaking safely boxed in, he listened to the tapes and heard the startling additions that had so radically aitered the original session.

"You know what you should do?" he said. "You should send a copy of this record to the United Nations. Why, this says more about people getting together, listening to each other and understanding one another, than all of eg over at the U.N. building could ever say!"

I hope Jo was right. *Leonard Feather (from liner notes)*

Years before Frank Sinatra sang his "over the phone" set of Duets in the mid 90s, Columbia tried a similar "not all there in the studio" approach with this album of jazz played by American and international artists selected for the project. Tapes were made in New York with a lot of space in between the main soloists. These tapes were then flown overseas, where players in three cities played on top of the tapes, dubbing in solos that sound like they were part of the group. A decent enough idea technologically, we guess — but why would anyone want to subject jazz to such conditions? European players include Ronnie Ross, Roger Guerin, Stephane Grappelly, Åke Persson and Roy East — and the tunes include "Big Ben's Blues", "International Blues", "Nuages", and "Cotton Tail". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Side 1

1 - Cotton Tail

(Duke Ellington)

2 - Misty

(Burke, Garner)

3 - Big Ben's Blues

(Model)

Side 2

4 - International Blues

(Leonard Feather)

5 - Nuages

(Django Reinhardt)

6 - In A Mellow Tone

(Duke Ellington)

First session, (basic tape with spaces for additional sessions):

Clark Terry (trumpet), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Ben Webster (tenor sax),

Hank Jones (piano), Kenny Burrell (guitar), George Duvivier (bass), Jo Jones (drums).

Recorded in New York City, May 19, 1959

Second session, (additions to first session):

Roy East [#1, #3, #4, #6] (alto sax), George Chisholm (trombone),

Ronnie Ross [#3, #4, #6] (baritone sax).

Recorded in London, England, June 22, 1959

Third session, added:

Åke Persson [#4](trombone).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, June 30, 1959

Final session, (additions to the tape):

Roger Guerin (trumpet), Bob Garcia [#1] (tenor sax),

Martial Solal [#3, #4] (piano), / Stéphane Grappelli [#2, #4, #5] (violin).

Recorded in Paris, France, July 3, 1959

Roger Guérin - Paris Meetings

At the end of the 1940s, young French jazz musicians started flocking towards the two styles of modern jazz — bebop and cool. Paris was the capital of European jazz, and the talent of the local musicians playing in Parisian clubs was often comparable to that of their American colleagues. In that league, we found mostly French and some Belgian names, such as Bobby Jaspar, Martial Solal, Pierre Michelot, Maurice Vander, Jean-Louis Viale, Benoit Quersin, René Thomas, Barney Wilen, René Urtreger, and several others.

This album is dedicated to one of them in particular: trumpeter Roger Guérin (1926-2010). Despite having very few recordings under his name and spending most of his career as a sideman, Guérin was never underappreciated by jazz fans and critics: after all, he was chosen as the best French jazz trumpeter ten years in a row (1955-65) by the "Jazz-Hot" readers' and critics' poll. In these sessions we find him alongside great American jazzmen like James Moody, Jimmy Raney, Benny Golson and Bobby Timmons, but also in the company of his French comrades, giving his best in every performance.

He was involved in many of the projects that pushed the evolution of modern jazz in France. An arranger of the stature of Billy Byers, who worked in Paris for a while in 1956, described him like this: "There are some very good musicians in France: Roger Guérin is a great jazzman".

*Jordi Pujol* 

Roger Guérin

Le Formidable Roger Guérin

Paris Meetings

Best known for his stint with Quincy Jones' Big Band, Roger Guérin had a formidable career in Paris, being first call to sit in with the likes of Don Byas, Django Reinhardt and James Moody. This collection of sessions from the 50s has him co-leading a hard bop team with Benny Golson, leading his own quartet along with Christian Grros, Pierre Michelot and Martial Solal and fitting in as a sideman for guitarist Jimmy Raney or saxist James Moody.

The sessions with Moody have the Parker disciple  bouncing to "Deep Purple" and swooning on "More Than You Know", and with Raney at the helm the team gets more lithe and open sounding with Guerin and Raney doing winders with "Too Marvelous For Words" and luminescent on "What’s New". Golson's band sounds a lot like an Art Blakey session with Bobby Timmons at the piano, and the quintet does material from the drummer's songbook with muscular reads of "Blues March", "I Remember Clifford" and a hot "Moanin'". Guerin mixes the lyricism of Miles Davis with the gentleness of Chet Baker. You’re gonna like this cat! *George W. Harris*

1 - Deep Purple

(Peter De Rose)

2 - Bootsie

(James Moody)

3 - More Than You Know

(Youmans, Rose, Eliscu)

4 - Too Marvelous For Words

(Whiting, Mercer)

5 - Night And Day

(Cole Porter)

6 - Dinah

(Akst, Lewis, Young)

7 - What's New

(Haggart, Burke)

8 - Night In Tunisia

(Gillespie, Pappareli)

9 - Sweet Feeling

(Pierre Michelot)

10 - Ça Tourne

(Roger Guérin)

11 - Buggy And Soul

(Christian Chevallier)

12 - Vline

(Christian Chevallier)

13 - Chet

(Pierre Michelot)

14 - Mythe

(Pierre Michelot)

15 - Blues March

(Benny Golson)

16 - I Remember Clifford

(Benny Golson)

17 - Stablemates

(Benny Golson)

18 - Moanin'

(Bobby Timmons)

19 - Not Serious

(Roger Guérin)

#1 to #3:

originally issued as part of the album James Moody Quintet (Vogue LD 036)

Roger Guérin (trumpet), James Moody (alto sax), Raymond Fol (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Pierre Lemarchand (drums).

Recorded in Paris, July 27, 1951.

#4 to #7:

originally issued as part of the album Jimmy Raney Visits Paris (Dawn DLP-1120)

Roger Guérin (trumpet), Jimmy Raney (guitar), Maurice Vander (piano), Jean-Marie Ingrand (bass), Jean-Louis Viale (drums).

Recorded in Paris, February 10, 1954.

#8 to #10:

from the álbum Roger Guérin Quartet (Versailles 90 S 128)

Roger Guérin (trumpet), Martial Solal (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Christian Garros (drums), Dave Rivera (conga [#8, #10]).

Recorded in Paris, July 1956.

#11 to #14:

from the album Christian Chevallier Jazz Quartet (Columbia ESDF 1139)

Roger Guérin (trumpet), Christian Chevallier (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Christian Garros (drums).

Recorded in Paris, November 13, 1956.

#15 to #19:

from the album Roger Guérin-Benny Golson with Bobby Timmons (Columbia FP 1117)

#15 to #18:

Roger Guérin (trumpet), Benny Golson (tenor sax), Bobby Timmons (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Christian Garros (drums).

Recorded in Paris, December 12, 1958.

#19:

Roger Guérin (trumpet), Michel Hausser (vibes), Martial Solal (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Christian Garros (drums).

Recorded in Paris, December 18, 1958.

Kenny Clarke - Four Rare And Obscure Jazz Albums

Recorded during 1956-1960, the initial years of drummer Kenny Clarke's permanently settling in Europe, these four sessions display his versatility and consistently commanding musicianship over richly varied settings, some graced, among others, by the stellar presence of US tenor giants Lucky Thompson and Don Byas.

They show, too, the superior quality of some European players and composerarrangers who were to be outstanding names in continental jazz -primarily French and Belgian, but also including the great Algerian pianist, Martial Solal.

Solal and trombonist Billy Byers are featured on the opening session of André Hodeir's excellently conceived arrangements of originals by himself, Ellington, Monk, Mulligan, Dameron and others. On the Kenny Clarke Plays Pierre Michelot session, Michelot reveals his considerable gifts as composer and arranger, influenced by the Miles Davis Nonet, with Clarke and Thompson at their best. The Bill Holman-influenced composer-arranger Christian Chevallier’s good writing animates the next session. Both sessions benefit from a rhythm section which includes the arrestingly brilliant piano of Maurice Vandair.

The final session, from 1960, showcases Francy Boland's writing, presaging his long collaboration with Clarke. Apart from Clarke and Byas, the musicians are Belgian, with vibist Fats Sadi the most original soloist among them and Clarke, as always, an inspiring presence. *Jordi Pujol*

Paris in the 1950s was awash with ex-pat American jazzers, and a bulwark of the scene was drummer Kenny Clarke, who, unlike many of his fellow countrymen, believed in wholehearted integration with local players, while also deploying visitors from across the pond. In this series of recordings, Clarke also displayed his faith in the talented arrangers then active in Paris, notably Andre Hodeir and Christian Chevalier, also providing an opportunity for the orchestrations of bassist Pierre Michelot to be aired. Michelot and Clarke would, of course, become a super, long-standing rhythmic partnership. The charts are uniformly excellent, and Hodeir's material unquestionably quite challenging.

Nor is there any shortage of interesting soloists, given the presence of the likes of Martial Solal, Lucky Thompson, Billy Byers, Tony Scott and Roger Guérin. The various groups, ranging from sextet to full big band, seem like a logical prelude to the Kenny CIarke/Francy Boland band. Indeed, the closing three tracks mark one of the pair's earliest collaborations, pre-dating their first sides for a US label. In this instance the great Don Byas was on hand for the Cologne session and in top form. His imperious presence inspired everyone; his reading of "More Than You Know" is a gem of ballad playing.

Kenny Clarke's encouragement and support of French musicians made him something of an icon. He also showed his organisational ability in all these recordings, while faultlessly providing the irresistible pulse to spark ensembles and soloists. The man was a giant of the percussive arts.

*Mark Gardner*

Kenny Clarke - Plays The Arrangements

Of André Hodeir • Pierre Michelot

Christian Chevallier and Francy Boland

In the 1950s several American jazz musicians began emigrating to France, both to avoid racial intolerance and in the hope of finding more steady work. One of these was drummer Kenny Clarke, who moved to Paris in 1956. This collection illustrates how he immediately found a good deal of work. The compilation contains recordings made between 1956 and 1960 by a variety of artists under Kenny Clarkes leadership, spotlighting the arrangements of four different musicians.

The first dozen tracks feature arrangements by André Hodeir, He was well respected not only for his musical writing but also for his rigorous scholarship, evidenced in such works as his famous Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence. In fact Hodeir supplies some revealing sleeve-notes. Some of the dozen arrangements here reveal the influence of the Birth of the Cool musicians, who explored new cool voicings and styles. Chords are often varied by movement within the lines of the contributing instruments.

These qualities are present in the opening "Bemsha Swing", which reflects Thelonious Monks style in the jagged changes in the final chorus. Martial Solals piano solo here and on other tracks is radiantly clear. In fact André Hodeir seems to prefer piano solos in most tunes. Hodeirs classical background is present in "'Round Midnight", where the theme only emerges at the end of a long semi-classical build-up. "When Lights are Low" is deprived of its charm by being performed at too fast a tempo. But Hodeir skilfully uses counterpoint to provide a frisson in the harmonies. René Urtréger plays an airy solo. Hodeirs arrangements may be rather academic but their intriguing ensembles coupled with some splendid solos make these twelve tracks well worth hearing.

Bassist Pierre Michelot arranged the next four tracks, which might have come from the pen of a West Coast jazzer such as Shorty Rogers. "Love Me or Leave Me" gives Kenny Clarke the opportunity for a long drum solo. Like his other solos on this album, they are tight and disciplined. Michelot himself takes the limelight in Fantasy for Bass.

The Christian Chevallier arrangements are possibly the most conventional in this collection, but none the worse for that. They bear the influence of Bill Holman and swing along fluidly, including excellent solos from the likes of pianist Maurice Vandair and (in "Black Knight") Kenny Clarke.

The personnel in the final three tracks are predominantly Belgian, like the arranger - Francy Boland - who later formed a marvellous big band with Kenny Clarke. Don Byas contributes a beautifully flowing solo to "More Than You Know".

This compilation proves that France had musicians the equal of the Americans and that Kenny Clarke could fit into any kind of setting. *Tony Augarde*

1 - Bemsha Swing

(D. Best, T. Monk)

2 - Oblique

(André Hodeir)

3 - Blue Serge

(Duke Ellington)

4 - Swing Spring

(Miles Davis)

5 - On A Riff

(André Hodeir)

6 - Jeru

(Gerry Mulligan)

7 - The Squirrel

(Tadd Dameron)

8 - Eronel

(Thelonious Monk)

9 - 'Round Midnight

(Thelonious Monk)

10 - When Lights Are Low

(Benny Carter)

11 - Cadenze

(André Hodeir)

12 - Tahiti

(Milt Jackson)

13 - Love Me Or Leave Me

(Kahn, Donaldson)

14 - Fun For Four

(Pierre Michelot)

15 - Fantasy For Bass

(Pierre Michelot)

16 - Jackie, My Little Cat

(Pierre Michelot)

17 - Dream Time

(Christian Chevallier)

18 - Gold Fish

(Christian Chevallier)

19 - Black Knight

(Christian Chevallier)

20 - Jean-Paul

(Christian Chevallier)

21 - Bell Hop

(Francy Boland)

22 - More Than You Know

(Youmans, Elescu, Rose)

23 - Tampico

(Francy Boland)

#1 to #12:

from the LP Kenny Clarke Plays Andre Hodeir (Epic LN 3376)

#5, #9, #10:

Roger Guérin (trumpet); Billy Byers, Nat Peck (trombones); René Urtréger, Martial Solal (piano); Pierre Michelot (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Studio Apollo, Paris, October 26, 1956.

#2, #6, #8, #12:

Billy Byers (trombone); Hubert Rostaing [as Robert Guismath] (alto sax); Armand Migiani (baritone sax); Martial Solal (piano); Jean Warland (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Studio Apollo, Paris, November 21, 1956.

#1, #3, #4, #7, #11:

Roger Guérin (trumpet); Billy Byers (trombone); Armand Migiani (baritone sax); Martial Solal (piano); Jean Warland (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Studio Apollo, Paris, November 30, 1956.

#13 to #16:

from EP Kenny Clarke Plays Pierre Michelot (Columbia ESDF1176)

Ack van Rooyen, Bernard Hulin (trumpets); Billy Byers, Nat Peck, (trombones); Hubert Fol (alto sax); Lucky Thompson, Pierre Gossez, (tenor saxes); Armand Migiani (baritone sax); Maurice Vandair (piano); Pierre Michelot (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Pathé Marconi Boulogne Studios, Paris, September 23, 1957.

#17 to #20:

from the EP Kenny Clarke Plays Christian Chevallier (Columbia ESDF1222)

#17, #18:

Roger Guérin (trumpet); Benny Vasseur (trombone); Pierre Gossez, René "Mickey" Nicholas (alto saxes); Georges Grenu (tenor sax); Armand Migiani (baritone sax); Maurice Vandair (piano); Pierre Michelot (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Pathé Marconi Boulogne Studios, Paris, November 12, 1957.

#19, #20:

Ack van Rooyen, Jean Liesse (trumpets); Nat Peck (trombone); Hubert Fol, Jean Aldegon (alto saxes); Georges Grenu (tenor sax); Tony Scott (clarinet, tenor sax); Armand Migiani (baritone sax); Maurice Vandair, Raymond Fol (piano); Pierre Michelot (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Pathé Marconi Boulogne Studios, Paris, November 12, 1957.

#21 to #23:

from the EP Don Wails With Kenny (Columbia C41226)

Christian Kellens (trombone); Eddie Busnello (alto sax); Don Byas (tenor sax); Fats Sadi (vibes); Francy Boland (piano & arrangements; Jean Warland (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums). 

Recorded at EMI Electrola Studios, Cologne, February 25, 1960.

Claude Bolling Jazz All Stars - French Jazz

This fine album presents a side of Claude Bolling that may come as a surprise to those who know the gifted French musician only as the composer-performer of a highly successful mixture of jazz and classical music that has brought him international fame and fortune.

Bolling was an early starter. Born in Cannes in 1930, he began to perform professionally as a jazz pianist at the age of 15. Within a year, he was leading his own band, and in 1948, he made his first recordings as a leader at its helm. Even at this early stage, Bolling showed considerable originality in his approach to the jazz tradition. Those were the glory days of revivalist jazz, when young players, especially in England and France, were doing their level best to copy the sounds of King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton and the Armstrong Hot Five. 

But Bolling’s seven-piece band, while bearing a superficial resemblance to the ordinary "trad" groups, didn’t copy old records, but brought a fresh conception to vintage material. 

Already, the young pianist-arranger had been profoundly touched by the conception of his favorite musician, Duke Ellington, while his approach to the piano was strikingly influenced by Earl Hines. (A bit later on, Art Tatum became Bolling’s other keyboard hero). 

In the decade following World War Il, Paris became something of a Mecca for American jazzmen, and young Claude had the benefit of working and recording with such major figures as Rex Stewart, Roy Eldridge, Buck Clayton, Albert Nicholas, Mezz Mezzrow and Lionel Hampton, among others. And he was honing his arranging and composing skills.

By the mid-50s, when the music on this record was made, Bolling had become a first-class big band writer, though he hadn’t by any means abandoned the small-group approach he’d grown up with. But he had put the New Orleans revival far behind him, and had obviously been listening to, and playing, bebop and cool jazz. His basic inspiration, Ellington, was still to the fore, however, and it is in the Dukish pieces on this album that the 26-year-old Bolling, in my opinion, is at his very best.

*Dan Morgenstern*

Claude Bolling has had a long and multi-faceted career in his native France. It is as a leader of a series of big bands that Bolling is most significant. This LP features Bolling's arrangements in three different settings: with an octet also including trombonist Benny Vasseur and tenor saxophonist Guy Lafitte; in a quintet with trumpeter Christian Bellest and the reeds of Pierre Gosssez (Bernard Verstraete guests on one song on accordion); and, surprisingly, in a septet with Martial Solal taking over for Bolling on piano. The music is often influenced by Duke Ellington, although none of the songs (which include five Bolling originals) are Duke's. Mixing together swing and bop, this is one of Claude Bolling's best jazz sessions. *Scott Yanow*

Side 1

1 - Show Me A Rose

(Thomas Hilliard)

2 - Lorraine Blues

(Claude Bolling)

3 - The Most

(Billy Mure)

4 - In The Sun

(Gray Rains)

5 - Trinette

(Toots Thielemans)

6 - When I Was Young

(Claude Bolling)

Side 2

7 - Nuances

(Claude Bolling)

8 - Gee Lee

(Ted Sommer)

9 - Playera

(Granados, Verstraete)

10 - The Jockey

(Steve Kirk)

11 - In Extremis

(Bolling, Bellest)

12 - French Beat

(Claude Bolling)

#2, #4, #7, #12:

Fernand Verstraete, Fred Gerard (trumpets); Benny Vasseur, Bernard Zacharias, Claude Cousset (trombones); Pierre Gossez (alto sax, tenor sax); Guy Lafitte (tenor sax); Claude Bolling (piano); Alphonse Masselier (bass); Arthur Motta (drums).

#3, #5, #10:

Claude Bolling (conductor, arranger); Roger Guerin (trumpet); Claude Fohrenbach, Pierre Gossez (tenor saxes); Martial Solal (piano); Victor Apicella (guitar); Pierre Michelot (bass); Christian Garros (drums).

Recorded in Paris May 28, 1956.

#1:

Christian Bellest (trumpet), Pierre Gossez (tenor sax), Alphonse Masselier (bass), Arthur Motta (drums), Claude Bolling (arranger).

#6:

Pierre Gossez (clarinet), Claude Bolling (piano), Alphonse Masselier (bass), Arthur Motta (drums), 

#8:

Christian Bellest (trumpet), Pierre Gossez (baritone sax), Alphonse Masselier (bass), Arthur Motta (drums), Claude Bolling (arranger).

#9:

Fernand Verstraete (accordion), Alphonse Masselier (bass), Arthur Motta (drums), Claude Bolling (arranger).

#11:

Christian Bellest (trumpet), Claude Bolling (piano), Alphonse Masselier (bass), Arthur Motta (drums), 

Recorded in Paris May 29, 1956. 

Jazz On The Left Bank & Réunion À Paris

This here is the definition of international jazz, recorded in Paris in 1956 by two relaxed, unpretentious, melodic, and well-rehearsed groups including both American and European jazz musicians. These meetings were documented in two excellent albums: Jazz on the Left Bank and Réunion à Paris.

The remarkably versatile trombonist-writer Billy Byers and pianist Martial Solal wrote these loosely swinging arrangements, and although they took care of one album each, their work blends seamlessly in the hands of a group of consistently professional musicians. Byers playing is satisfying in both albums, while Solal feeds chords almost imperceptibly, with his solos bouncing along effortlessly helped by the propelling force of Benoît Quersin's skilled bass support.

And although the wonderful, cohesive group sound present in these two albums was significantly shaped by Byers and Solal, all their colleagues demonstrate their usual, considerable skill—the competent playing of trumpeter Dick Mills, the full sound and guts of William Boucaya on baritone, as well as the ever-present taste of drummer Wessel Ilcken on Jazz on the Left Bank. Jimmy Deuchar's exciting solo work on trumpet, and Allen Eager's flow of ideas on tenor are stimulated by the rhythm effort of Quersin once again, this time with Kenny Clarke’s drums on Réunion à Paris. The music in these two albums is an invigorating set of flowing originals and arrangements that make an out of the ordinary listening experience. *Jordi Pujol*

Billy Byers and Martial Solal

Jazz On The Left Bank & Réunion À Paris

It's good to hear Billy Byers doing a fair bit of soloing, and he's revealed as a very close disciple of Bill Harris. He's also the author of the most swinging charts here – his arranging talents have never been in question. The other outstanding brassman is predictably Jimmy Deuchar. And here's a magnificent chance to hear the most obscure of the great swingers one more time – the unique Allen Eager on tenor. I've expressed admiration before in these pages for the fine baritone of Mr Boucaya.

Fresh Sounds' recent issues have shown Martial Solal to have been one of the most gifted French arrangers and pianists and this album is further confirmation. His nimble bop solos retain their freshness, unlike some of his charts which have inevitably dated over more than 60 years. Kenny Clarke is as crisp and immaculate on the (2) sides and on the rest the Dutch Wessel Ilcken is impressively inspired. Dick Mills (who he?) is a delicate soloist not at all out of place on these sides, which confirm how good French record companies were at putting together great record sessions more or less at the drop of a hat.

This session is as good but different from the contemporary The Herdsmen Blow In Paris, that wonderful album blessed by a brilliant team of soloists headed up by Bill Perkins and Ralph Burns. The arrangements on that were sketchy and designed for blowing. These are much more organised and tidy.

One of the best tracks is the long Buyer's Blues. I've heard it under another title, but one which now escapes my poor old brain. Eager gets a nice chance to stretch out on this slow blues and you'll tick off the Harris twists and turns one by one as they come forth from Billy. This was the sort of blues tempo Joe Newman loved, and Deuchar's full-toned solo brings echoes of Joe. Good piano throughout this long number. *Nic Jones*

Back in the mid 50s, jazz was THE language of love in France. Here, you get a pair of albums from September 1956 by locals along with American Ex-pats that are as tasty as a Crepes with Nutella.

The first session from September 12 & 14 includes Dick Mills (tp), Billy Byers(tb), William Boucaya (bs, ts), Martial Solal (p), Benoit Quersin (b) and Wessel Ilcken (dr) for a mix of originals and standards. Boucaya's tenor is rich on a swooning "You Don’t Know What Love Is" while his baritone bops on "Patti’s N.Y. Blues". The horns breeze like West Coast Cool on "Salute to Vo" and Byers swings it for "The Long Nite".

Even better is the session with the underrated warm tenor of Allen Eager sitting in with Byers, Martial Solal (p), Quersin and proto-bopping drummer Kenny Clarke. Eager is a mellow master on "Illusion" and smokes like a Montecristo on "Buyer's Blues". Clarke is crisp as he rides the cymbal for Solal on "Kenny's Special" and is kinetic on "Cinerama". The horns are as tight as the Houston Astro infield with Byers' buttery 'bone on "Trianon" and the team is urgent on the charging "Love Me Or Leave Me". Bopping with the beret! *George W. Harris*

1 - Salute To Vo

(A. Roos)

2 - Softly As In A Morning Sunrise

(Romberg, Hammerstein II)

3 - There Will Never Be Another You

(H.Warren, M.Gordon)

4 - Jaguar

(Martial Solal)

5 - The Long Nite

(Billy Byers)

6 - Patti’s N.Y. Blues

(Billy Byers)

7 - I Guess

(Madna)

8 - You Don’t Know What Love Is

(Raye, DePaul)

9 - Sixty-Eight

(Billy Byers)

10 - Leila

(Billy Byers)

11 - Trianon

(Martial Solal)

12 - Kenny’s Special

(Martial Solal)

13 - Illusion

(Martial Solal)

14 - Love Me Or Leave Me

(W.Donaldson, S.Kahn)

15 - Cinerama

(Martial Solal)

16 - Vogue

(Martial Solal)

17 - Buyer’s Blues

(Billy Byers)

#1 to #10 from the album Jazz on the Left Bank

Dick Mills (trumpet), Billy Byers (trombone), William Boucaya (tenor and baritone sax), Martial Solal (piano), Benoît Quersin (bass), Wessel Ilcken (drums).

Arrangements by Billy Byers

Recorded in Paris, September 12 and 14, 1956.

#11 to #17 from the album Réunion à Paris

Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet), Billy Byers (trombone), Allen Eager (tenor sax), Martial Solal (piano), Benoît Quersin (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Arrangements by Martial Solal

Recorded in Paris, September 24, 1956.