The 17th and final installment in the Classics Django Reinhardt chronology contains the Gypsy guitarist's very last recordings. Its 22 tracks consist of Decca and Blue Star records cut in Paris between May 11, 1951, and April 8, 1953. By this time, Reinhardt had switched entirely to the electrically amplified guitar and was actively collaborating with progressive young players like alto saxophonist Hubert Fol, bassist Pierre Michelot, and pianists Raymond Fol and Martial Solal. This beautifully cool and bop-inspired music differs markedly from the Gypsy swing formula established during the 1930s by Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. During the last years of his life, Reinhardt was not merely adapting to modernity -- he was actively defining it. Nowhere is this more evident than on the eccentrically reconfigured 1928 pop hit "Crazy Rhythm" and its flip side, Reinhardt's lovely "Anouman," a wistful air that feels like a Charles Mingus romance or a candidate for an early Truffaut or Godard film soundtrack. (The piece's title closely resembles the name of the monkey-faced Hindu deity Hanuman; it very well may represent one of the many links between European Gypsy culture and its East Indian ancestry.) This excellent compilation works as a moving and thought-provoking conclusion to the complete recordings of Django Reinhardt as compiled and reissued by the Classics label. (The only material that didn't make it into the series was an apparently contested body of works recorded in Rome during 1949 and 1950.) A little more than one month after recording "Le Soir," "Chez Moi," "I Cover the Waterfront," and "Deccaphonie," Django Reinhardt was felled by a stroke while fishing, was subsequently hospitalized, and left his body behind on May 16, 1953. Musically speaking, this album is his last will and testament. arwulf arwulf
22.9.23
DJANGO REINHARDT – 1951-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1441 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
5.6.23
DON BYAS – 1952-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1414 (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist + Credits :
20.3.23
LEE KONITZ | MARTIAL SOLAL - Impressive Rome (1969-2000) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless
Tracklist :
1 Anthropology (#2) 6:55
Dizzy Gillespie / Charlie Parker
2 Impressive Rome 5:23
Johnny Dinamo
3 Lover Man (#1) 6:15
Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
4 Stella by Starlight 6:55
Ned Washington / Victor Young
5 Roman Blues (#2) 9:10
Johnny Dinamo
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Henry Texier
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Drums – Daniel Humair
Piano – Martial Solal
15.3.23
LEE KONITZ — Satori (1975-1997) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1 Just Friends 7:00
Composed By – John Klenner, Sam Lewis
2 On Green Dolphin Street 5:43
Composed By – Bronislaw Kaper, Ned Washington
3 Satori 9:02
Composed By – Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Lee Konitz, Martial Solal
Composed By, Electric Piano – Dick Katz
4 Sometime Ago 7:18
Composed By – Sergio Mihanovich
Electric Piano – Martial Solal
5 What's New 3:22
Composed By – Bob Haggart
6 Hymn 2:43
Composed By – Lee Konitz
7 Free Blues 7:50
Composed By – Lee Konitz
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Bass – David Holland
Drums – Jack DeJohnette
Piano – Martial Solal
Producer – Dick Katz
LEE KONITZ & MARTIAL SOLAL - Duplicity (1978-2009) FLAC (tracks), lossless
Tracklist :
1 Duplicity 7:04
Written-By – Lee Konitz / Martial Solal
2 Roman Walkings 5:34
Written-By – Martial Solal
3 Esselle 4:25
Written-By – Lee Konitz
4 Words Have Changed 19:02
Written-By – Lee Konitz / Martial Solal
5 November Talk 6:41
Written-By – Lee Konitz / Martial Solal
6 Blues Sketch 11:32
Written-By – Lee Konitz / Martial Solal
7 Rhythm Sweet 19:07
Written-By – Lee Konitz / Martial Solal
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Piano – Martial Solal (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 7)
11.3.23
LEE KONITZ & MARTIAL SOLAL - Star Eyes, Hamburg 1983 (1983-2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Despite the many recordings Lee Konitz has made either as a leader or as a sideman -- they number well over 100 -- there is no date, with possible exceptions of Motion and Lone-Lee, that can touch this live duet setting for breaking new ground. Given his apprenticeship with Lennie Tristano, Konitz is well-known for his melodic improvising and his ability to re-conceptualize a tune. But what happens here, with Martial Solal's dramatic, often theatrical style of piano playing, is the extension of Konitz's own abilities to visualize inherently what is possible within a given framework. What happens on a standard like "Body and Soul" is truly startling: Solal creates a nearly orchestral backdrop of the tune's harmonic and melodic architecture, and Konitz goes looking not for another way to state it, but for something in it to move out onto the ledge of. For Konitz, on this date, the place in a tune's harmonic and melodic framework where it was most recognizable became the point of departure without any knowledge of where he would end up. Solal would carry his lines further out to lunch while remaining within the meter and rhythmic parameters of the original. But given the nearly inconceivable dexterity and musical prowess at work in Solal's playing, even these were altered while retaining their essence. On Ray Noble's "Cherokee," which closes the set, a true anthem of bebop, the pair goes deep into the tune's bluesed-out root and drags from it a skittering skein of multiple harmonies and incandescent intervals where Konitz's melodic sensibilities change the somewhat aggressive nature of the tune and make it swing along a track where its melody is turned inside out; three new skittering skeins of lyrical improvisation are introduced to Solal who structures them vertically and hands them back to Konitz to take even further before returning eventually with a radically altered but nonetheless intact version of the tune, with Solal restating the original melody and harmony to keep it honest. It's quite honestly the finest live recording of Lee Konitz that exists.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1 Just Friends 7:43
John Klenner / Sam M. Lewis
2 Star Eyes 7:12
Gene DePaul / Don Raye
3 It's You 6:22
Lee Konitz
4 Body and Soul 9:02
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
5 Subconscious Lee 7:33
Lee Konitz
6 Fluctuat Nec Mergitur 6:21
Martial Solal
7 April 7:18
William H. Bauer / Lennie Tristano
8 What's New? 10:21
Johnny Burke / Bob Haggart
9 Cherokee 5:45
Ray Noble
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Piano – Martial Solal
16.8.22
JOHNNY GRIFFIN | MARTIAL SOLAL - In and Out (2000) APE (image+.cue), lossless
Algerian born pianist Solal and American expatriate tenor saxophonist Griffin are perfectly matched in this series of duets, brilliant beyond compare and witty to the nth degree. Both are in their seventies and playing better than ever. Griffin has everything going for him in terms of experience, restraint, emotional depth, and potential explosiveness. Solal, an unsung hero in jazz, shows the years that have passed did not sour him on concepts of stark romanticism, improvisational risk taking, or fear of cutting loose; he clearly can do it all. These eight selections are bookmarked by only two standards: the easily swung 4/4 evergreen "You Stepped out of a Dream" where Griffin's tender, lean bop lines are followed by Solal, step by step, then traded off near the end, and the Thelonious Monk icon "Well, You Needn't" that has Griffin honking a bit, Solal even more angular and at times dour. The two are quite playful on this one, messing around delightfully. Griffin penned three of these. The half-speed blues title cut is quaintly rendered in stride by Solal while the tenor uses quarter notes almost exclusively. "Hey Now" is a good swinger with some staggered phrasing in and out of the melody line for the pianist, with Griffin more animated, Solal dishing out a memorable solo, and the two trading furiously by the final out. Griffin is a pure sentimentalist as expressed on his ballad "When You're in My Arms." Of Solal's three compositional contributions, one is the lilting and bouncy title track. The quirky, ever-changing meter and timbre of "L'oreille Est Hardie" is based in 4/4 but mutates before one's ears, Solal's unbelievable solo brimming in technique and soul, slavish to neither. Multi-faceted melodies on "Neutralisme" are played together, some astonishingly quick others, swapped like Willie Mays and Hank Aaron cards, both being of equal and potent value, all world class. That Solal and Griffin are utterly brilliant musicians is not in dispute, but together they make magic, and creatively or musically, how could these two possibly go wrong? The fact is they can't on this highly recommended recording. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist :
1 You Stepped Out of a Dream 7'13
Nacio Herb Brown / Gus Kahn
2 Come With Me 6'10
John Griffin / Richard Rodgers
3 In and Out 4'51
Martial Solal
4 Hey Now 6'34
Johnny Griffin
5 L' Oreille Est Hardie 6'09
Martial Solal
6 When You're in My Arms 6'41
Johnny Griffin
7 Neutralisme 4'34
Martial Solal
8 Well, You Needn't 4'59
Thelonious Monk
Credits :
Piano – Martial Solal
Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Griffin
5.6.21
KENNY CLARKE SEXTET - Plays André Hodeir (1956-2000) Jazz In Paris 39 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Drummer Kenny Clarke became a fixture on the Paris jazz scene after moving there in 1956. One of his best records from his early days abroad, originally released by Phillips, is finally available on CD as a part of Verve's Jazz in Paris reissue series. With superb arrangements by Andre Hodeir, and a rotating cast of musicians over three separate recording sessions, the drummer sticks to providing brushwork behind the scenes. "Bemsha Swing," jointly written by Clarke with Thelonious Monk, centers around Martial Solal's playful solo, while the brass and reeds seem to be coming at each other from all angles in Monk's "Eronel." Hodeir's composition "Oblique" sounds like something that would have fit in perfectly as part of the repertoire of the Miles Davis Birth of the Cool sessions, a period which Hodeir explores with his chart of Gerry Mulligan's "Jeru," in which the improvisations are actually written out. The moody take of "Blue Serge" briefly showcases trombonist Billy Byers, trumpeter Roger Guerin and baritone saxophonist Armand Migani. The only headache with this reissue is the mixed up track by track personnel listings, which don't consistently match up with the music heard, and which omit alto saxophonist Robert Guismath entirely. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1 Bemsha Swing 3:54
Denzil Best / Thelonious Monk
2 Oblique 3:25
André Hodeir
3 Blue Serge 2:49
Mercer Ellington
4 Swing Spring 3:54
Miles Davis
5 On a Riff 2:58
André Hodeir
6 Jeru 3:51
Gerry Mulligan
7 The Squirrel 3:07
Tadd Dameron
8 Eronel 3:28
Thelonious Monk
9 'Round About Midnight 2:57
Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
10 When Lights Are Low 3:09
Benny Carter / Spencer Williams
11 Cadenze 3:59
André Hodeir
12 Tahiti 4:28
Milt Jackson
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Hubert Rostaing (faixas: 2, 6, 8, 12)
Arranged By – André Hodeir
Baritone Saxophone – Armand Migiani (faixas: 1 to 8, 12)
Double Bass – Jean Warland (faixas: 1 to 4, 6 to 8, 11, 12), Pierre Michelot (faixas: 5, 9, 10)
Drums – Kenny Clarke
Piano – Martial Solal (faixas: 1 to 8, 11, 12), René Urtreger (faixas: 9, 10)
Trombone – Billy Byers (faixas: 1 to 8, 11, 12), Nat Peck (faixas: 9, 10)
Trumpet – Roger Guérin (faixas: 9, 10)
Nota :
Recorded October 26 (5, 9, 10), November 21 (2, 6, 8, 12) and November 30 (1, 3, 4, 7, 11) 1956 at the Apollo studio, Paris.
Reissue of the Philips LP 77 312.
HUBERT ROSTAING / MAURICE MEUNIER - Clarinettes À Saint-Germain Des Prés (2001) Jazz In Paris 54 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1 Hubert Rostaing– Bonjour Benny 2:25
2 Hubert Rostaing– Autour De La Femme 2:20
3 Hubert Rostaing– Champs Elysées Club 2:57
4 Hubert Rostaing– Trop Tôt 2:06
5 Hubert Rostaing– Sweet Renée 3:07
6 Hubert Rostaing– L'Heure Tourne 2:52
Written-By – Martial Solal
7 Hubert Rostaing– J'En Suis Saisie 2:35
8 Hubert Rostaing– Say When? 2:53
9 Hubert Rostaing– Ça Va Bouillir 2:23
10 Hubert Rostaing– Oh Lady Be Good 2:14
Written-By – Ira And George Gershwin
11 Hubert Rostaing– Remember 3:06
12 Hubert Rostaing– Cherokee 3:07
Written-By – Ray Noble
13 Maurice Meunier– Too Marvelous For Words 4:31
Written-By – Johnny Mercer, Richard Whiting
14 Maurice Meunier– Samakoutra 4:11
Written-By – René Urtreger
15 Maurice Meunier– Somebody Loves Me 3:36
Written-By – Ballard MacDonald, B. G. De Sylva, George Gershwin
16 Maurice Meunier– Sweet Mau-Mau 4:19
Written-By – Maurice Meunier
17 Maurice Meunier– Dig 3:04
Written-By – Miles Davis
18 Maurice Meunier– Crazy Rhythm 3:01
Written-By – Irving Caeser, Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn
19 Maurice Meunier– Blues For The Reverend 3:01
Written-By – Onzy Matthews
20 Maurice Meunier– Don't Blame Me 4:20
Written-By – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
21 Maurice Meunier– With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair 3:31
Written-By – Clara Edwards, Jack Lawrence
22 Maurice Meunier– (Back Home Again In) Indiana 3:44
Written-By – Ballard MacDonald
23 Maurice Meunier– I Know, Don't Know How 4:31
Written-By – Gerry Mulligan
24 Maurice Meunier– Tangerine 3:07
Written-By – Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger
Credits :
Baritone Saxophone – William Boucaya (faixas: 14, 17, 21, 23)
Clarinet – Hubert Rostaing (faixas: 1 to 12)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Maurice Meunier (faixas: 13 to 24)
Double Bass – Alf Masselier (faixas: 1 to 12), Pierre Michelot (faixas: 13 to 24)
Drums – Christian Garros (faixas: 14, 17, 21, 23), Jean-Louis Viale (faixas: 13, 15, 16, 18 to 20, 22, 24), Roger Paraboschi (faixas: 1 to 12)
Piano – Martial Solal (faixas: 1 to 12), Raymond Fol (faixas: 14, 17, 21, 23), René Urtreger (faixas: 13, 15, 16, 18 to 20, 22, 24)
Trombone – Charles Verstraete (faixas: 5, 10, 12), Nat Peck (faixas: 5, 10, 12)
Trumpet – Fernand Verstraete (faixas: 5, 10, 12)
Vibraphone – Michel Hausser (faixas: 1 to 12)
Written-By – Hubert Rostaing (faixas: 1 to 5, 7 to 9, 11)
Nota :
Recorded May 1957 at the Pathé-Magellan studio, Paris (1-12).
Recorded in Paris on January 11th 1956 (14, 17, 21, 23).
Recorded in Paris on February 20th 1956 (13, 15, 16, 18-20, 22, 24).
Reissue of the Véga LP 30 787 (1-12).
Reissue of the Barclay LP 84 025 (13-24).
4.6.21
HENRI CROLLA & co - Notre Ami Django (2001) Jazz In Paris 60 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
French guitarist Henri Crolla is heard with a variety of different groups in this compilation of recordings from the 1950s. Although the first ten tracks were recorded as a tribute to the late Django Reinhardt, Crolla stays in the background to allow violinist Stéphane Grappelli to dominate the brief rendition of "Swing 39." In "Minor Swing," Grappelli clarinetist Hubert Rostaing and alto saxophonist Andre Ekyan solo prior to the leader, with Crolla capturing some of the flavor of Reinhardt without copying him outright. But the ballad features without Grappelli are the most surprising tracks. Reinhardt's lovely but obscure "Anouman" showcases Ekyan with the rhythm section, minus Crolla, who evidently sat out this number. Crolla does justice to "Nuages" with a lively solo, complemented by Rostaing's clarinet. The final four selections come from an EP, with Crolla leading a sextet including Rostaing, trumpeter Roger Guerin, and pianist Martial Solal. The guitarist has a far more prominent role throughout this date and seems inspired by the material, which consists of standards of the swing era. This volume in Universal Music's extensive Jazz in Paris CD reissue series is definitely worth picking up. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1 Swing 39 2:40
Stéphane Grappelli / Django Reinhardt
2 Minor Swing 3:41
Django Reinhardt
3 Manoir de Mes Rêves 4:06
Django Reinhardt
4 Swing from Paris 2:28
Stéphane Grappelli / Django Reinhardt
5 Artillerie Lourde 3:26
Django Reinhardt
6 Nuages 3:20
Django Reinhardt
7 Djangologie 2:36
Django Reinhardt
8 Anouman 3:43
Django Reinhardt
9 Swing 42 3:03
Django Reinhardt
10 Place de Brouckère 3:37
Django Reinhardt
11 Jeepers Creepers 2:29
Johnny Mercer / Harry Warren
12 What's New 3:26
Johnny Burke / Bob Haggart
13 Hallelujah 2:29
Clifford Grey / Leo Robin
14 Night and Day 2:37
Cole Porter
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – André Ekyan (faixas: 1 to 10)
Clarinet – Hubert Rostaing
Contrabass – Emmanuel Soudieux
Drums – Al Levitt (faixas: 1 to 10), Christian Garros (faixas: 11 to 14), Pierre Lemarchant (faixas: 1 to 10)
Guitar – Henri Crolla
Piano – Martial Solal (faixas: 11 to 14), Maurice Vander (faixas: 1 to 10), René Urtreger (faixas: 1 to 10)
Trumpet – Roger Guérin (faixas: 11 to 14)
Vibraphone – Géo Daly (faixas: 1 to 10)
Violin – Stéphane Grappelli (faixas: 1 to 10)
Nota :
Tracks 1 to 10 recorded 1958 in Paris. Reissue of the Véga LP 30 805.
Tracks 11 to 14 recorded 1956 in Paris. Reissue of the Véga EP 45 1730.
7.5.20
MARTIAL SOLAL / DAVE DOUGLAS - Rue de Seine (2006) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
19.1.19
MARTIAL SOLAL - Bluesine [1983] Soul Note / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
This solo piano affair by Martial Solal dates from early 1983, mixing striking interpretations of standards and familiar jazz compositions along with his own stunning originals. His take of "The End of a Love Affair" has the virtuosity of Art Tatum and the lyricism of Tommy Flanagan in a rather curious blend. His stutter-step introduction to Richard Rodgers' "Lover" is only the beginning of his wild approach to this familiar waltz; his topsy-turvy arrangement is full of humor. "I'll Remember April" is often subjected to rather dull, predictable performances in the world of jazz, though Solal approaches it in angular fashion, working only gradually toward its very recognizable theme. Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" is also tackled in a roundabout way instead of the usual direct fashion, while his enlightened take of Charlie Parker's "Yardbird Suite" is a bit more accessible, though no less novel. Solal's two originals nicely round out this rewarding CD, which is getting more to difficult to acquire after being dropped from the Soul Note catalog. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist
1 The End of a Love Affair 5:11
Edward Redding
2 Bluesine 2:55
Martial Solal
3 Lover 3:54
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
4 I'll Remember April 5:40
Gene DePaul / Pat Johnston / Patricia Johnston / Don Raye
5 Moins de 36 2:47
Martial Solal
6 'Round About Midnight 6:00
Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
7 Yardbirdie Suite 3:02
Charlie Parker
8 14 Septembre 4:00
Martial Solal
9 Have You Met Miss Jones? 3:40
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Credits
Piano – Martial Solal
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