Cool Blends (II) ★ French Panorama

West Coast Jazz

À La Française

1954 — 1956

In the early 1950s, West Coast jazz took shape in California through the cool, luminous sound of figures such as Shorty Rogers, Gerry Mulligan, and Chet Baker. Defined by clear textures, contrapuntal arrangements, and a relaxed pulse, the style quickly became a benchmark of modern jazz. Yet, despite its originality, it made little immediate impact in France and was even disparaged at the time. French audiences largely favored mainstream recordings alongside the freer, more forceful improvisations of East Coast hard bop and Midwestern jazz, finding the formal compositional devices of the West Coast somewhat distant from their tastes.

A striking exception to this cold reception was Chet Baker. His visits to Paris and other French cities between late 1955 and early 1956 were met with great acclaim, as his clear, lyrical trumpet tone and understated approach captivated local listeners and built a devoted following.

This paradox extended to the French discography of the decade, which yielded only a modest amount of West Coast-inspired output. Nevertheless, within that limited repertoire lay exceptional craftsmanship. Several French musicians found in the Californian idiom a fresh, sophisticated, yet lyrical language that resonated deeply with their own artistic sensibilities.

This compilation gathers key figures of the period—including Christian Chevallier, Claude Bolling, Roger Guérin, William Boucaya, Bob Garcia, Raph Schecroun (Erroll Parker), Christian Bellest, Fernand Verstraete, Jean-Louis Chautemps, Jean-Claude Fohrenbach, and Marcel Bianchi—who absorbed and reimagined those American influences. Performing both original compositions and classic standards across varied configurations—from tight quartets and quintets to expansive ensemble settings—their recordings balance faithful homage with genuine personal voice.

Through these sessions, the western winds blow across the French jazz scene: a bracing, vibrant breeze from the Pacific that crossed the Atlantic to mingle seamlessly with the spirit of Paris.

*Jordi Pujol*

Lacking the relaxing expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Los Angeles's golden weather or the speedy excitement of the region's car culture, the short-lived, two-year French interpretation of California's relaxed sound had more bite and push than its original American counterpart.

Between 1954 and 1956, Paris fell in love with the jazz sound of Hollywood. By then, 10-inch West Coast jazz albums had made their way to France along with touring musicians such as Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Bob Brookmeyer, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond and Shorty Rogers.

French musicians who picked up the contrapuntal torch included Christian Chevallier, Claude Bolling, Bob Garcia, Raph Schecroun, William Boucaya, Marcel Bianchi and Pierre Gossez-Fernand Verstraete. All are featured on the new set.(...)

Listening to this set multiple times, the music sounds like a new addition to West Coast jazz that many fans will likely be hearing for the first time. If the tracks were played for you in a "blindfold" test, you'd probably be naming a dozen American players before begging the tester to reveal the artists' names.

Further proof that West Coast jazz wasn't the product of players rooted in a region. Instead, the sound was a state of mind, like bebop or hard bop, and embraced by musicians everywhere, provided they mastered their instruments and the original material. Viva la French cool! *Marc Myers*

1 -  Show Me A Rose

(Thomas Hilliard)

2 - Chet

(Pierre Michelot)

3 - Out Of Nowhere

(Green, Heyman)

4 - Trinette

(Toots Thielemans)

5 - Too Marvelous For Words

(Whiting, Mercer)

6 - Golden Sky

(Christian Chevallier)

7 - Vline

(Christian Chevallier)

8 - Star Eyes

(Raye, DePaul)

9 - The Jockey

(Steve Kirk)

10 - Confucius

(Christian Chevallier)

11 - Gee Lee

(Ted Sommer)

12 - Lover Man

(Davis, Sherman, Ramírez)

13 - Pre's Wiggins

(Christian Chevallier)

14 - Mythe

(Pierre Michelot)

15 - All The Things You Are

(Kern, Hammerstein II)

16 - Ménilmontant

(Charles Trenet)

17 - Buggy And Soul

(Christian Chevallier)

18 - I Remember You

(Schertzinger, Mercer)

19 - The Most

(Billy Mure)

20 - Rêve

(Hubert Rostaing)

21 - Broadway

(Byrd, McRae, Woods)

22 - À La Mulligan

(Marcel Bianchi)

#1

Pierre Gossez • Fernand Verstraete Quartet

Fernand Verstraete (trumpet), Pierre Gossez (baritone sax),

Alphonse Masselier (bass), Arthur Motta (drums).

Recorded in Paris, May 29, 1956

 #2, #7, #14, #17

Christian Chevallier Quartet

Roger Guérin (trumpet), Christian Chevallier (piano),

Pierre Michelot (bass), Christian Garros (drums).

Recorded in Paris, November 13, 1956

#3, #8, #21

Raph Schecroun Quintet

Jean-Louis Chautemps, Jean-Claude Fohrenbach (tenor saxes);

Raph Schecroun (piano); Jean-Marie Ingrand (bass); Jacques David (drums).

Recorded in Paris, 1955

#4, #9, #19

Claude Bolling and His All-Stars

Roger Guérin (trumpet); Claude Fohrenbach, Pierre Gossez (tenor saxes); 

Martial Solal (piano); Victor Apicella (Masselier) (guitar);

Pierre Michelot (bass); Christian Garros (drums); Claude Bolling (arranger).

Recorded in Paris, May 28, 1956

#5, #12, #15, #18

Bob Garcia Quartet

Bob Garcia (tenor sax), Maurice Vander (piano),

Benoit Quersin (bass), Andre "Mac Kac" Reilles (drums).

Recorded in Paris, February 8, 1956

#6, #10, #13, #20

William Boucaya and his "New Sound" Quartet

Christian Bellest (trumpet), Georges Barboteu (french horn), William Boucaya (baritone sax),

Pierre Michelot (bass), Arthur Motta (drums), Ben Ahmed Zoubir (conga).

Recorded in Paris, May 28, 1956

#11

Pierre Gossez Quartet

Christian Bellest (trumpet), Pierre Gossez (baritone sax),

Alphonse Masselier (bass), Arthur Motta (drums).

Recorded in Paris, May 29, 1956

#16

Claude Bolling Quintet

Jean Liese (trumpet), Jean-Louis Chautemps (tenor sax),

Claude Bolling (piano), Jean-Marie Ingrand (bass), Jean-Louis Viale (drums).

Recorded in Paris, May 1954

#22

Marcel Bianchi and His Orchestra

Jean Morales (trumpet), Guy Destanque (trombone),. Gérard Levêque (clarinet, alto sax),

Pierre Gossez (tenor sax), Georges Grenu (baritone sax), Pierre Guyot (piano),

Marcel Bianchi (guitar), Ladislas Czabanick (bass), Armand Molinetti (drums).

Recorded in Paris, February 23, 1954

Five-Star Collection... Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie

Horn Of Plenty 

In the spring of 1952, as modern jazz continued to spread across Europe, Dizzy Gillespie returned to Paris already established as one of the central figures of modern music. The city had largely ignored him when, barely twenty years old, he first arrived in Europe with Teddy Hill's orchestra in 1937. But Paris could no longer ignore him during his second visit, in February 1948, when he caused one of the greatest upheavals jazz had ever known by unleashing the explosive force of his bebop big band upon an audience still largely unprepared for it. Whether through that brief but unforgettable adventure or through his decisive role in shaping the entire language of bebop, Dizzy's contribution ensured that jazz would never be the same again. His name had by then joined that small circle of fundamental figures who altered the course of jazz history.

When he returned to Europe in 1952 to appear at the Paris Salon du Jazz — his third trip to the continent — memories of the triumphs of his big band four years earlier were still deeply etched in the minds of French jazz enthusiasts. But the context had changed. The big band itself already belonged to the past, and bebop had moved beyond the shock of its first youthful explosion. Dizzy still had bop, but he also had roots: his style was beginning to mature into a broader synthesis, an amalgam of all his musical experience that hinted at a new kind of modern classicism.

It was in this atmosphere that Gillespie led a flexible Paris-based group including tenor saxophonist Don Byas, pianist Arnold Ross, and several French musicians such as Hubert and Raymond Fol, Pierre Michelot, and Pierre Lemarchand. The sessions — held on March 27 and April 11 at Parisian studios such as Jouvenet and the Schola Cantorum — were recorded for the Blue Star label, distributed by Vogue, which at the time was actively documenting the presence of major American jazz soloists in the French capital.

A year later, Blue Note Records, always alert to high-quality jazz being recorded outside the United States, acquired the American release rights to part of those recordings. Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff decided to include them in their 10-inch LP "5000 series", devoted to modern jazz in compact format. The result was Horn Of Plenty (BLP 5017), released in 1953 with eight performances combining standards such as "Sweet Lorraine", "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams", and "Somebody Loves Me" with more recent pieces like "Afro-Paris".

Unlike most Blue Note productions of the period, there was no New York recording session and no direct supervision by Lion or Wolff; the material was licensed entirely from the French masters. This also explains the album's distinctive sound and the presence of European musicians throughout several of the performances. Blue Note issued the album with its characteristic graphic design but without liner notes, perhaps because the label had not participated directly in the recording process and lacked complete session details.

In retrospect, Horn of Plenty stands as a singular document within both Dizzy Gillespie's and Blue Note's catalogs: an early example of transatlantic collaboration that demonstrated the vitality of bebop far beyond its original birthplace. These Paris sessions captured Gillespie at a moment of artistic transition — more relaxed and reflective, surrounded by French colleagues and removed from the pressures of the big-band world — at a time when his music had already begun to assume an international dimension.

Cut in Paris a year ago, these were made at two dates. The numbers with four horns (Diz, Don Byas, Hubert Fol, Bill Tamper) have a French rhythm section (Raymond Fol, Pierre Michelot, Pierre Lemarchand); titles with smaller group have an American rhythm section (Arnold Ross, Joe Benjamin, Bill Clark). Lady Bird is the only title to make full use of an arrangement and of the French soloists (Hubert sounds like a boppish Benny Carter, Tamper like a Bill Harris). 

Although there are minor flaws (Dizzy's lip falters here and there; the rhythm section is logy on the last title) the overall impression is highly favorable. Rejecting comedy for the nonce, Diz played fine, sincere horn with true emotional content and melodic value. His one slow chorus on Lorraine, three choruses on Somebody and muted work on the fast, exciting minor Afro are especially effective. Don Byas is all over the place too, sounding like old times.

*Down Beat, Chicago, March 11, 1953 [5 stars]*

Side 1

1 - Sweet Lorraine

(Mitchell Parish, Cliff Burwell)

2 - Lady Bird

(Tadd Dameron)

3 - Hurry Home

(Buddy Bernier, Romert D. Emmerich, Joseph Meyer)

4 - Afro Paris

(Billy Taylor)

Side 2

5 - Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

(Harry Barris, Ted Koehler, Billy Moll)

6 - She's Funny That Way

(Neil Moret, Richard Whiting)

7 - Somebody Loves Me

(George Gershwin, Buddy G. De Sylva, Ballard MacDonald)

8 - Everything Happens To Me

(Matt Denis, Tom Adair)

#3, #4:

Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Don Byas (tenor sax), Arnold Ross (piano),

Joe Benjamin (bass), Bill Clark (drums), Umberto Canto (congas).

Recorded at Studio Jouvenet, Paris, France, March 27, 1952

#1, #2, #5, #6, #7, #8: 

Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Bill Tamper (trombone),

Hubert Fol (alto sax), Don Byas (tenor sax),

Raymond Fol (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Pierre Lemarchand (drums)

Recortded at the auditorium of the Schola Cantorum, Paris, France, April 11, 1952

✤✤✤✤

For those who prefer the digital versions of these recordings, the material originally issued by Blue Note as Horn of Plenty can be found in the second of the two volumes Vogue devoted to documenting Dizzy Gillespie's Parisian stay in 1952 and 1953. While this volume gathers the studio sessions recorded for the French label, the other focuses on the live performances documented during those same European visits.

The Vogue edition also offers several advantages over the original Blue Note LP: not only does it include performances omitted from Horn of Plenty, but also a number of alternate takes later recovered from the French archives. In this way, the listener gains access to a far more complete picture of Dizzy's Paris period, both in the studio and on stage.

Dizzy Gillespie

In Paris • Volume 2

Recording opportunities were not lacking for Dizzy and Vogue lured him into the studios twice within barely a fortnight. He recorded a total of twelve titles and included here are four previously unissued alternate takes. The first session took place on March 27th 1952 with Dizzy backed by the trio then accompanying Lena Horne at the Lido. Giving the main support was the very man who had been his fellow quintet member at the Onyx Club in 1944, tenor saxophonist (and now European resident) Don Byas. Afro Paris and Say Eh belong to Dizzy's Afro-bop and "oo-bop-sha-boo" side, while Hurry Home and I Cover the Waterfront are handled in a sober classical ballad style while still bringing endless unmistakably bop turns and inflections.

The April 11th session finds Dizzy playing with an open, vibrant and rich sound throughout, backed by Hubert Fol's prestigious quartet, with trombonist Bill Tamper and Don Byas mainly present to strengthen the ensemble voices. The programme opens with the erroneously titled Cripple Crapple Crutch, a dragging blues which Dizzy was to perform throughout the rest of his career. "I wouldn't give a blind sow an acorn, wouldn't give a cripple crab a crutch", he sings, and you can't get much crueller than that! Dizzy Song, Somebody Loves Me and Wrap Your Troubles (the latter in two takes) are taken at brisk medium tempos, while the other four titles are slow ballads which allow Dizzy to expand truly magnificently.

The following year Dizzy returned to Europe, this time with his own quintet and singer Joe Carroll. For the February 22nd 1953 Vogue studio session, whose eight titles include Joe Carroll's vibrant vocal on Clappin' Rhythm issued here for the first time, Nat Peck's trombone replaces Bill Graham's baritone saxophone. Dizzy again plays open throughout and produces some of the most fabulous trumpet solos one could wish to hear. This session has humour (the tongue-in-cheek quality of Always, 'S Wonderful and even Mon homme), bop surrealism in Joe Carroll's Oo-Bla-Dee, beauty (Moon Nocturne, This Is the Way), blues (Watch Out) and a constant natural swing. In short: excellent music, still completely contemporary forty years later.

*Don Waterhouse (from the liner notes)*

1 - Afro Paris

(Billy Taylor)

2 - Afro Paris

(Billy Taylor)

3 - Hurry Home

(Buddy Bernier, Romert D. Emmerich, Joseph Meyer)

4 - Hurry Home

(Buddy Bernier, Romert D. Emmerich, Joseph Meyer)

5 - Say Eh

(Dizzy Gillespie)

6 - Say Eh

(Dizzy Gillespie)

7 - I Cover the Waterfront

(Johnny Green, Edward Heyman)

8 - You Ain't Such a Much

(Pleasant Joseph)

9 - Dizzy Song (Lady Bird)

(Tadd Dameron)

10 - Somebody Loves Me

(George Gershwin, Buddy G. De Sylva, Ballard MacDonald)

11 - She's Funny That Way

(Neil Moret, Richard Whiting)

12 - Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

(Harry Barris, Ted Koehler, Billy Moll)

13 - Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

(Harry Barris, Ted Koehler, Billy Moll)

14 - Sweet Lorraine

(Mitchell Parish, Cliff Burwell)

15 - Everything Happens to Me

(Matt Denis, Tom Adair)

16 - I Don't Know Why

(Roy Turk, Fred E. Ahlert)

17 - Always

(Irving Berlin)

18 - Mon Homme

(Maurice Yvain, Albert Willemetz)

19 - Clappin Rhythm

(Dizzy Gillespie)

20 - Fais Gaffe (Watch Out)

(Dizzy Gillespie)

21 - Moon Nocturne

(Nathaniel Shilkret)

22 - This Is the Way

(Dizzy Gillespie)

23 - 'S Wonderful

(George Gershwin)

24 - Oo-Bla-Dee

(Mary Lou Williams, Milt Orent)

Note:

The recording locations on the artwork are incomplete or incorrect

and are added to, or corrected, below:

#1 to #7:

Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet, vocal), Don Byas (tenor sax), Arnold Ross (piano),

Joe Benjamin (bass), Bill Clark (drums), Umberto Canto (congas).

Recorded at Studio Jouvenet, Paris, France, March 27, 1952

#8 to #16:

Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet, vocal), Bill Tamper (trombone), Hubert Fol (alto sax),

Don Byas (tenor sax), Raymond Fol (piano),

Pierre Michelot (bass), Pierre Lemarchand (drums).

Recortded at the auditorium of the Schola Cantorum, Paris, France, April 11, 1952

#17 to #24:

Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet, vocal [#19]), Nat Peck (trombone), Wade Legge (piano),

Lou Hackney (bass), Al Jones (drums), Joe Carroll (vocal [#24]).

Recorded at Studio Rex, Paris, France, February 22, 1953

Zoot Sims on Prestige (I)

Throughout his career, Zoot Sims was famous for epitomizing the swinging musician, never playing an inappropriate phrase. He always sounded inspired, and although his style did not change much after the early 1950s, Zoot's enthusiasm and creativity never wavered.

Zoot's family was involved in vaudeville, and he played drums and clarinet as a youth. His older brother, Ray Sims, developed into a fine trombonist who sounded like Bill Harris. At age 13, Sims switched permanently to the tenor, and his initial inspiration was Lester Young, although he soon developed his own cool-toned sound. Sims was a professional by the age of 15, landing his first important job with Bobby Sherwood's Orchestra, and he joined Benny Goodman's big band for the first time in 1943; he would be one of BG's favorite tenormen for the next 30 years. He recorded with Joe Bushkin in 1944, and even at that early stage, his style was largely set.

After a period in the Army, Sims was with Goodman from 1946-1947. He gained his initial fame as one of Woody Herman's "Four Brothers" during his time with the Second Herd (1947-1949). Zoot had brief stints with Buddy Rich's short-lived big band, Artie Shaw, Goodman (1950), Chubby Jackson, and Elliot Lawrence. He toured and recorded with Stan Kenton (1953) and Gerry Mulligan (1954-1956). Sims was also a star soloist with Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band of the early '60s and visited the Soviet Union with Benny Goodman in 1962.

A freelancer throughout most of his career, Sims often led his own combos or co-led bands with his friend Al Cohn; the two tenors had very similar sounds and styles. Zoot started doubling on soprano quite effectively in the '70s. Through the years, he appeared in countless situations, and always seemed to come out ahead. Fortunately, Zoot Sims recorded frequently, leading sessions for Prestige, Metronome, Vogue, Dawn, Storyville, Argo, ABC-Paramount, Riverside, United Artists, Pacific Jazz, Bethlehem, Colpix, Impulse, Groove Merchant, Famous Door, Choice, Sonet, and a wonderful series for Pablo.

Let's review his early recordings, starting with those made in Europe in the early 1950s and compiled by the Prestige label.

Zoot Sims

First Recordings!

Although as I write this Zoot Sims is about a month short of becoming 45, he is already one of the grand veterans of jazz. Coming from a family of vaudevillians and musicians he took to the road with big bands at an early age and traveled all over the United States. For many years this native Californian has made his home in New York but he has also lived for extended periods in Europe and spent time on the Continent touring with small groups and big bands. I once commented to him on his wide and varied travels and he drily replied, "I don't even look out the window anymore". 

It was in 1950 that he took his first trip to Europe and recorded for the first times with groups under his own leadership. (This is why the title First Recordings! which do not refer to sides he made with Joe Bushkin and Woody Herman, among others, long before these.) Zoot was in Europe in 1950 as a part of a sextet that Benny Goodman 

assembled especially for the tour. Roy Eldridge was aboard (Zoot and Roy recorded together under Roy's name for Vogue in France and later played as the front line in a 

quintet at Birdland after their return to the U.S.) as were Dick Hyman and Ed Shaughnessy who appear in this album. Among the countries in which they appeared were Sweden and France and Zoot recorded in both places. 

It has been twenty years for Zoot Sims since these First Recordings! and his talent has deepened along with his tone. Consistency has been his middle name and as great 

as he has always been he is even better today. But with the great ones the early work stands well the test of time. The proof is within these covers. *Ira Gitler (liner notes, September 1970) 

A nice little collection of early work by Zoot — all dates from 1950, and featuring material that was originally issued by Prestige on 10" or 7" eps! The package brings together a huge amount of tracks — 15 in all — and players include Gerald Wiggins, Pierre Michelot, Lee Konitz, Lars Gullin, Dick Hyman, Jimmy Woode, and Toots Thielemans. Titles include "Slingin Hash", "You Go To My Head", "Tickletoe", "Yellow Duck", "Dedicated To Lee", and "Linger Awhile".

*Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Side 1

1 - You Go To My Head

(Haven Gillespie, J. Fred Coots)

2 - Tickletoe

 (Lester Young)

3 - All The Things You Are

(Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)

4 - Yellow Duck

(Gunnar Almstedt, Lars Gullin)

5 - The Way You Look Tonight

(Dorothy Firlds, Jerome Kern)

6 - Dedicated To Lee

(Lars Gullin)

7 - Late Date

(Lars Gullin)

Side 2

8 - Linger Awhile

(Zoot Sims)

9 - Night And Day (Take 1)

(Cole Porter)

10 - Night And Day (Take 2)

(Cole Porter)

11 - I Understand

(Kim Gannon, Mabel Wayne)

12 - Don't Worry 'Bout Me

(Ted Koehler, Rube Bloom)

13 - Slingin' Hash (Take 1)

(Zoot Sims)

14 - Slingin' Hash (Take 2)

(Zoot Sims)

15 - Tenorly

(Zoot Sims)

#1, #2, #3:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Toots Thielemans (harmonica),

Jimmy Woode (piano), Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Norén (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 23, 1950

#4, #5:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Sixten Eriksson (trumpet), Lars Gullin (baritone sax),

Dick Hyman (piano), Charlie Short (bass), Ed Shaughnessy (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 24, 1950

#6, #7:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Lee Konitz (alto sax),

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Don Bagley (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, August 25, 1953

#8 to #15:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Gerald Wiggins (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Vogue Studios, Paris, France, June 6, 1950

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.

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.

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. 

Hubert Fol And His Be-Bop Minstrels

The first French jazzman to embrace bebop with true enthusiasm was without a doubt alto saxophonist Hubert Fol (1925-1995). He took to the new style when he was barely 20 years old, the moment he heard Charlie Parker on record, and he immediately began practicing. His prowess grew rapidly, and soon he had an opportunity to prove himself.

In the summer of 1947, he formed a sextet called "The Be-Bop Minstrels". The name was a clear statement of the stylistic message of the group, and their avant-garde playing impressed Charles Delaunay, who invited them to record for his label, Swing. The group’s first visit to the studios took place on July 4th, and the session resulted in the first bebop sides recorded in France.

Hubert quickly became one of the most capable French bebop players, and most of the great foreign musicians who visited Europe enjoyed playing with him: Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas and Dizzy himself, in addition to Rex Stewart, John Lewis, Kenny Clarke, James Moody, Jimmy Raney and others.

Hubert Fol always had a loyal following in France. For as long as he played, from 1950 until 1964, he was ranked the number one alto saxophonist in Jazz Hot’s yearly poll, making him one of the most honored jazz musicians in France. *Jordi Pujol*

Even the most ardent jazz fan may not know of how strong the bebop movement was in post WWII Paris. Usually, sounds from Sidney Bechet or Django Reinhardt are associated with the French jazz scene, but alto saxist Hubert Fol was one of the first European musicians to get the Charlie Parker bug, and he puree’d it into his own style with likeminded artists such as Raymond Fol-Andre’ Persiany-Rene Urtreger (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), and ex pat protobopper Kenny Clarke to create a Gaullic interpretation of modern jazz. This two disc set, with intriguing annotation and studio listings, covers Fol’s recordings from 1947-54, and it is a fascinating collection of the steaming sounds that came out of the Left Bank.

Hubert Fol’s alto has a sweeter sound than his inspiration Parker, yet still steaming hot like an early morning baguette in settings ranging from quartets to tentets, mixing bebop standards with originals. With Alan Jeffreys or Dick Collins on the trumpet, the band sizzles with the leader on "Night in Tunisia" and "Boppin' and Oilskin" while the team does a gorgeously relaxed intro to "Lover Come Back to Me". Sparks fly during "I’ve Got Be-Bop" and sway during "Robbin's Nest". 

Fol gets time in the spotlight during quartet sessions with brother Raymond (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass) and Pierre Lemarchand (drums) on a dreamy "Everything Happens to Me", "These Foolish Things" and "Out of Nowhere" mixing modern sounds with a suave tone while floating like a smoke ring during "You Go to My Head", whereas he windsurfs through a breezy "I'll Remember April".

The team flexes their collective muscles on a quintet read of "Half Nelson" and a richly arranged two parter "Ivory Black" while pieces such as "I Only Have Eyes For You" and "Always" with Fol as a sideman are rich bon mots. While bebop and the subsequent genres in its wake have been with us to this very day, there was something about the first generation of boppers that delivered the message with excitement and commitment of discovery, like the difference between hearing tales of heroes of the past and actually living during the time of Sir Lancelot. This one is going to surprise you with how modern these guys sound; no hint of imitation as much as inspiration. *George W. Harris*

*CD 1*

1 - Night In Tunisia

(Gillespie, Papparelli)

2 - Lubie Loo

(Jack Carmen)

3 - Swinging At Lutetia

(Alan Jeffreys)

4 - Making Be-Bop

(Jack Carmen)

5 - I’ve Got Be-Bop

(Hubert Fol)

6 - Hard To Get

(Kenny Clarke)

7 - Ralph Goes

(Ralph Shecroun)

8 - All The Things You Are

(Kern, Hammerstein II)

9 - Boppin' And Oilskin

(Dick Collins)

10 - Lover Come Back To Me

(Romberg, Hammerstein II)

11 - Now, Cut Out

(Jimmy Davis)

12 - Lover Man

(Davis, Ramirez, Sherman)

13 - Indiana

(Miles Davis)

14 - Love In The Sun

(Hubert Fol)

15 - Iambic Pentameter (Epistrophy)

(Kenny Clarke)

16 - Assy Pan Assy

(Hubert Fol)

17 - Robbin's Nest

(Charles Thompson)

18 - Blues 1950

(Aimé Barelli)

19 - Everything Happens To Me

(Dennis, Adair)

*CD 2*

1 - This Fol-ish Thing

(Hubert Fol)

2 - These Foolish Things

(Marvel, Strachey, Link)

3 - Out Of Nowhere

(Green-Heyman)

4 - Lonely Moments

(Mary Lou Williams)

5 - Death Of The Octopus

(Raymond Fol)

6 - Ivory Black (part 1)

(Raymond Fol)

7 - Ivory Black (part 2)

(Raymond Fol)

8 - Half Nelson

(Miles Davis)

9 - I'll Remember April

(Raye, DePaul)

10 - Yardbird Suite

(Charlie Parker)

11 - A Fine Romance

(Kern, Fields)

12 - They Can't Take That Away From Me

(G. and I. Gershwin)

13 - You Go To My Head

(Gillespie, Coots)

14 - Always

(Irving Berlin)

15 - Hallelujah

(Vincent Youmans)

16 - I Only Have Eyes For You

(Warren, Dubin)

17 - I Want To Be Happy

(Youmans, Caesar)

18 - Whispering

(Rose, Schonberger, Coburn)

*CD 1*

#1 to #4: Hubert Fol and His Be-Bop Minstrels

Alan Jeffreys (trumpet), Jack Carmen (trombone), Hubert Fol (alto sax), André Persiany (piano), Emmanuel Soudieux (bass) Benny Bennett (drums).

Recorded in Paris, July 4, 1947.

#5 to #8: Hubert Fol and His Be-Bop Minstrels

Dick Collins (trumpet), Hubert Fol (alto sax), Dave Van Kriedt (tenor sax), André Persiany (piano), Georges Hadjo (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded in Paris, March 17, 1948.

#9 to #13: Hubert Fol and His Be-Bop Minstrels

Dick Collins (trumpet), Hubert Fol (alto sax), Michel de Villers [#13](alto sax); Raymond Fol (piano), Alf "Totole" Masselier (bass), Richie Frost (drums).

Recorded in Paris, November 15 (#9 to #12), and 28 (#13), 1948.

#14 to #17: Hubert Fol and His Be-Bop Minstrels

Nat Peck (trombone), Hubert Fol (alto sax), Bernard Peiffer (piano), Jean Bouchety (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded in Paris, October 29, 1949.

#18: All Star Français after the 1950 "Jazz-Hot" Référendum

Aimé Barelli (trumpet), Benny Vasseur (trombone), Hubert Rostaign (clarinet), Hubert Fol (alto sax), Jean-Claude Fohrenbach (tenor sax), Michel de Villers (baritone sax), Leo Chauliac (piano), Geo Daly (vibes), Jean Bouchety (bass), Roger Paraboschi (drums), Jo Bartel (vocals).

Recorded in Paris, December 15, 1949.

#19: Hubert Fol Quartet

Hubert Fol (alto sax), Raymond Fol (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Pierre Lemarchand (drums).

Recorded live at unidentified location, Paris, 1950.

*CD 2*

#1 to #3: Hubert Fol and His Be-Bop Minstrels

Hubert Fol (alto sax), Raymond Fol (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded in Paris, March 3, 1950.

#4 to #7: Raymond Fol and His Orchestra

Christian Bellest, Guy Lognon (trumpets); Nat Peck, Bernard Zacharias, Benny Vasseur (trombones); Hubert Fol (alto sax); Raymond Fol (piano); Pierre Michelot, Roger Dagneres (basses); Roger Paraboschi (drums).

Recorded in Paris, June 28, 1950.

#8, #9: Hubert Fol-Sacha Distel Quintet

Hubert Fol (alto sax), Sacha Distel (guitar), René Urtreger (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Baptiste "Mac Kac" Reilles (drums).

Recorded live at the Apollo Théâtre, Paris 12, 1954.

#10: Hubert Fol Sextet

Christian Bellest (trumpet), Hubert Fol (alto sax), Jay Cameron (baritone sax), René Urtreger (piano), Benoit Quersin (bass), Jean-Louis Viale (drums).

Recorded live at the Apollo Théâtre, Paris 12, 1954.

#11 to #13: Hubert Fol Quartet

Hubert Fol (alto sax), René Urtreger (piano), Jean-Marie Ingrand (bass), Jean-Louis Viale (drum).

Recorded in Paris, January 11, 1956.

#14 to #18: Moustache and His Jazz Seven

Guy Longnon (trumpet), Benny Vasseur (trombone), Hubert Fol (alto sax), Geo Daly (vibes), Raymond Fol (piano), Roland Bianchini (bass), Moustache (drums).

Recorded in Paris, 1954.