This compilation in Verve's laudable Jazz in Paris reissue series features two separate soundtracks of original music. The first features a dozen works by French saxophonist Barney Wilen, written for Edouard Molinaro's Un Témoin dans la Ville, with a quintet consisting of Kenny Dorham, Duke Jordan, Kenny Clarke, and bassist Paul Rovere. While many of the pieces were only heard as musical fragments in the film, and several of them are little more than a brief chorus or two in recorded form, the music doesn't need visuals to be effective. Best is Wilen's sole appearance on soprano sax, the mellow duo ballad with Jordan of "Mélodie pour les Radio-Taxis." None of the tunes is particularly memorable, though the music is certainly enjoyable. Alain Goraguer's music for Michel Gast's movie J'Irai Cracher sur Vos Tombes sounds very much like something John Lewis might have composed for the Modern Jazz Quartet. The pianist is joined by bassist Pierre Michelot, drummer Christian Garros, vibraphonist Michel Hausser, and trumpeter Roger Guerin, with brief appearances by tenor saxophonist Georges Grenu, flutist Raymond Guiot, and harmonica player Claude Garden. All of these selections are less than two and a half minutes each, so the music never has much of a chance to make an impression. The personnel listings seem incomplete, as an unidentified baritone saxophonist and alto saxophonist are heard on the final track, "Surprise-Partie au Bord de L'eau." by Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1 Barney Wilen– Témoin Dans La Ville 2:57
2 Barney Wilen– La Pendaison 1:01
3 Barney Wilen– Mélodie Pour Les Radio-Taxis 3:49
4 Barney Wilen– Poursuite Et Métro 2:11
5 Barney Wilen– Ambiance Pourpre 1:00
6 Barney Wilen– Préméditation Dans L'Appartement 1:42
7 Barney Wilen– La Vie N'Est Qu'Une Lutte 3:13
8 Barney Wilen– Complainte Du Chauffeur 0:41
9 Barney Wilen– Sur L 'Antenne 4:14
10 Barney Wilen– Blues De L'Antenne 4:14
11 Barney Wilen– S.O.S. Radio-Taxis 0:55
12 Barney Wilen– Final Au Jardin D'Acclimatation 3:42
13 Alain Goraguer– Blues De Memphis 1:56
14 Alain Goraguer– Générique 2:09
15 Alain Goraguer– Thème D'Amour 1:28
16 Alain Goraguer– Thème De Liz 2:16
17 Alain Goraguer– Blues De Memphis 0:43
18 Alain Goraguer– Surprise-Partie Au Bord De L'Eau 2:11
Credits :
Composed By, Arranged By, Conductor – Alain Goraguer (faixas: 13 to 18)
Composed By, Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano] – Barney Wilen (faixas: 1 to 12)
Double Bass – Paul Rovère (faixas: 1 to 12), Pierre Michelot (faixas: 13 to 18)
Drums – Christian Garros (faixas: 13 to 18), Kenny Clarke (faixas: 1 to 12)
Flute – Raymond Guiot (faixas: 13)
Harmonica – Claude Garden (faixas: 17)
Piano – Duke Jordan (faixas: 1 to 12)
Producer – Boris Vian (faixas: 13 to 18), Marcel Romano (faixas: 1 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Georges Grenu (faixas: 13 to 18)
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham (faixas: 1 to 12), Roger Guérin (faixas: 13 to 18)
Vibraphone – Michel Hausser (faixas: 15, 16, 18)
Nota :
Barney Wilen: Un Témoin Dans La Ville
Original Soundtrack of Edouard Molinaro's movie
Recorded 1959 in Paris.
Alain Goraguer: J'Irai Cracher Sur Vos Tombes
Original Soundtrack of Michel Gast's movie.
Recorded 1959 in Paris.
Reissue of the Fontana 10" LP 660 226 (1-12) and of the Philips EP 432 400 (13-18).
