DIZZY GILLESPIE — The Verve/Philips Dizzy Gillespie Small Group Sessions (2006) RM | 7CD | APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Dizzy Gillespie's career soared with the surge of interest in bop, but after the failure of his independent Dee Gee label, his career was in the doldrums. In 1953, Norman Granz added the trumpeter to his successful Jazz at the Philharmonic all-star roster for tours and also signed him to a non-exclusive recording contract, where the producer was very open to most anything Gillespie wished to record. This seven-CD boxed set, a limited edition of 10,000 compiled by Mosaic, draws material from selected studio and live sessions made for Granz between 1954 and 1961, in addition to a number of studio dates made for Philips, all of which featured his working bands of the time.

The Verve tracks are a treasure trove, as a good deal of these performances were not reissued on CD until this compilation, with six selections appearing for the first time in this collection. Aside from some of the early novelty songs like "Hey Pete! Let's Eat More Meat," the calypso-flavored "Money Honey," and the perennial jive number "Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac," which wear out their welcome quickly, the remaining material is very strong. Up and coming musicians in his bands include saxophonists Hank Mobley, Gigi Gryce, and Benny Golson, along with pianists Ray Bryant and Junior Mance. One of the obvious highlights is alto sax great Johnny Hodges' guest appearance on "Squatty Roo," which bolsters Gillespie's playing to its highest level. The addition of the relatively unheralded Leo Wright (who doubles on flute and alto sax) and young pianist Lalo Schifrin for a brief concert at the Museum of Modern Art marks the end of his association with Verve, which was sold by Granz that very same year.

Several of the earliest Philips sessions find Gillespie incorporating Brazilian influences and exploring the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfá, and even one extended work by Schifrin, "Mount Olive." Dizzy Gillespie & the Double Six of Paris features collaborations with a group of French vocalists arranged by Lalo Schifrin, with most of the songs utilizing Bud Powell, Pierre Michelot, and Kenny Clarke, with the trumpeter's regular group of the time on two selections. The Double Six of Paris' leader Michel Perin's vocalese interpretations of Charlie Parker's instrumental solos from Gillespie's well-known records of "Hot House" and "Groovin' High" are outstanding, as are the big-band arrangements recast for small group and voices. The final sessions feature James Moody and Kenny Barron, with Chris White and Rudy Collins. The tracks from Dizzy Goes Hollywood are enjoyable but far too brief, as most of them hover around the three-minute mark. Better are the songs from Original Score from the Cool World, an updated look at music Dizzy composed for the film, with fine arrangements by Tom McIntosh. This collection should be considered essential for any Dizzy Gillespie fan. Ken Dryden
Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE & THE DOUBLE SIX — Dizzy Gillespie & The Double Six of Paris (1963-1986) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This odd but successful pairing finds the Double Six of Paris singing vocalese in French to a dozen bebop classics associated with Dizzy Gillespie. Gillespie, with pianist Bud Powell and a rhythm section, take solos that uplift this date; two songs feature his quintet (with James Moody on alto). Not for all tastes, but this is a unique and colorful addition to Gillespie's discography. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

DJANGO REINHARDT – 1947-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1317 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Anyone intimately familiar with Django Reinhardt's later recorded works might wonder how one CD can contain all of his recordings from late 1947 through 1951. While it is a fact that Reinhardt experienced increasing periods of unemployment after 1947 as his popularity waned, he certainly made enough records during this time period to fill more than one compact disc. The solution to this puzzle apparently involves issues of licensing, copyright, and ownership. During January and February 1949, and then again in April and May of 1950, Django Reinhardt, using small groups containing both French and Italian musicians and featuring either Stéphane Grappelli or Andre Ekyan, made a number of excellent recordings for radio broadcast purposes in Rome. Although the producers of the Classics Chronological Series usually seem able to procure the recordings necessary for a thorough survey of each artist they feature, whoever owns the rights to the Roman Reinhardt acetates either wouldn't allow them to be used by the folks at Classics, or perhaps the Italians wanted more money than the French company was willing or able to afford. In any case, there's a gap of about 18 months in this overview, but it doesn't sound that way at all because what you get is a mighty dose of late-period Django Reinhardt, and every nanosecond of music is precious and fine. The first ten tracks were recorded in Paris in late 1947 and early 1948 by a Quintet of the Hot Club of France featuring the violin and piano of Stéphane Grappelli. "Si Tu Savais" is a profound opener that feels as though it is referencing harsh realities and twists of fate. It sounds, in fact, a lot like "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" Throughout these ten selections, both the ensemble's collective creativity and Reinhardt's improvisations are dazzling. The next block of material inadvertently calls up another incongruity. The Classics label's self-imposed delineation between studio and live material is remarkably inconsistent, as plenty of live recordings have deliberately been either included or excluded from their extensive catalog. Lots of live Reinhardt didn't make it into his chronology on Classics. Here the producers went ahead and wove in a continuous live concert recording made in Brussels on December 1, 1948. Django Reinhardt and a small group featuring clarinetist Hubert Rostaing present a full range of moods and textures, including the Benny Carter/Ben Webster steamroller "Cadillac Slim" -- with thunderous Gene Krupa-styled drumming during the clarinet solo -- and a brief "Symphonie," which turns out to be a vigorous workout for Django's guitar. But speaking of the guitar, as the chronology leapfrogs over everything Django accomplished in Rome, listeners are treated to a pair of lovely Parisian unaccompanied guitar solos, including a breathtakingly gorgeous, landscape-sized six-and-a-half-minute version of "Nuages." If you are fortunate enough to get your hands on this amazing piece of work, play it back for yourself over and over again. Listen to it for hours if necessary. It might just be the greatest musical statement that Django Reinhardt ever played into a microphone. As he only had a few years remaining in his short life, it is a pity that he recorded so infrequently after 1950, because the clues he left behind clearly hint at fascinating developments in the art of guitar playing that would be realized and expounded upon by other guitarists further on down the road. arwulf arwulf        Tracklist :

DJANGO REINHARDT – 1951-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1441 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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 

BUCK CLAYTON – 1953 | The Chronogical Classics – 1394 (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The third installment in the Classics Buck Clayton chronology documents the trumpeter's European adventures with recordings made between April 2 and October 21, 1953. Clayton had toured Europe in 1949, and after savoring the social atmosphere in the U.S. was happy to head back to France in February 1953 with drummer Kansas Fields, pianist Red Richards, and trombonist Big Chief Russell Moore, a Native American whose Pima heritage places his ancestral turf within the Gila and Salt River valleys in southern Arizona. In addition to playing live gigs with Mezz Mezzrow, the North Americans made phonograph records. On April 2, the Buck Clayton Quintet cut five sides for the Vogue label; "Patricia's Blues" is a particularly attractive example of Clayton at his most subtle, sensual, and soulful. A concert performance by this band led by Mezzrow with Gene Sedric in the front line took place at the Theatre de Champs-Elysee near the end of May. The recordings made at that event have been reissued under Mezzrow's name. Buck Clayton and Kansas Fields participated in four different recording sessions in Brussels, Belgium, between August and October, 1953. These would be the only records ever released under the name of Marion Joseph "Taps" Miller, a trumpeter and rowdy vocalist who became marginally famous for a minute when Count Basie named a tune after him in 1944. The heavy-handed Belgian musicians who participated in these sessions made enough noise to match Miller's extremely boisterous vocals. "Hot Dog," with its repeated demands for mustard and pickles, epitomizes Miller's approach to entertainment. Fortunately, tracks 16-23 find Clayton sitting in with a big band led by Django Reinhardt session man Alix Combelle, an intelligent, hip, and sophisticated tenor saxophonist whose complete chronological recordings occupy their own niche in the Classics Chronological series. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

MEZZ MEZZROW – 1953-1954 | The Chronogical Classics – 1449 (2007) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Volume eight in the Mezz Mezzrow department of the Classics Chronological Series contains selected recordings cut for the Vogue label between March 1, 1953 and November 21, 1954 in Paris, France. Mezz sounds entirely at home as leader and participant in 17 relaxed rituals of old-fashioned jazz, including ten minutes of the "Basin Street Blues" and a nine-minute romp through the changes of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." Like volume seven, this is an exciting and entertaining if technically incomplete representation of the artist's professional activity during the designated time period. The first two tracks are excerpts from matinee and evening concerts given at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees on March 1, 1953. Although other excerpts appeared at the end of volume seven, the omission of numerous titles from these gigs leaves a gap in the Mezzrow discographical timeline that is uncharacteristic of the Classics reissue label. Tracks three-nine were recorded in Paris on April 2, 1953, ten-fourteen from a little known session featuring Fats Waller's chief saxophonist Eugene "Honeybear" Sedric (without a doubt some of the best Sedric ever preserved on record!) and the final three jams were taped at the Salle Pleyel concert hall on November 21, 1954 with pianist Claude Bolling, drummer man Freddie Moore, trombonist Jimmy Archey, and one of the first trumpeters ever to make records with Jelly Roll Morton, the great Lee Collins. Other key participants in this excellent collection of traditional New Orleans/Chicago styled jazz and swing are trumpeter Buck Clayton, trombonist Big Chief Russell Moore, pianist Red Richards, bassist Pierre Michelot, tap dancer Taps Miller, and primal jazz and blues drummer Kansas Fields. Once again, Mezzrow's amazing homegrown ability to surround himself with legendary jazzmen yields honest and intimate good-time music that comes across friendly and for real. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

JAMES MOODY – 1949-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 1169 (2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Whether you think you're already hip to James Moody, or if you aren't hip to him at all, be sure and check this stuff out! It's rare, it's beautiful and the solos are extraordinary. What you have here is essentially Moody's European tour journal. This phonographic diary takes us through Stockholm towards the end of 1949 and then to Paris in February and April of 1950. Moody is hanging with the French and the Swedes. They have been carefully studying the twists and turns of American bop. The arrangements are intricate and very contemporary. Don't worry about the goofy titles. "Three Bop Mice" and "Flight of the Bopple Bee" are actually fine pieces of work, hot and busy, composed and executed by this formidable sax and flute man from Georgia who got his start working with Dizzy Gillespie. Much of what we know about Moody comes from a stream of American records issued and reissued over a span of more than 50 years. His early European recordings are of inestimable value in their own light and as context for the rest of his work. "Three Bop Mice" seems to refer to the front line of three wicked tenor saxophones. Good thing this jam runs for nearly six minutes! It gives the guys kicking room. When Moody approaches a ballad, the results are often stunning. "Laura" is exquisite and "Body and Soul" pulsates with Moody's personal blend of languid urgency. "I'm in the Mood for Love" is the divine original take of a set of variations that would help to spawn the entire vocalese tradition, bearing forever the altered title "Moody's Mood for Love." Some will involuntarily detect echo-premonitions of Eddie Jefferson as the improvisations effortlessly unwind. Who would have guessed that the lovely upper register chorus, which Eddie would always sing in a disarming falsetto, was originally devised by the Swedish pianist Thore Swanerud? "Lester Leaps In" turns out to be the blueprint for Jefferson's wonderful vocalese outing "I Got The Blues." He obviously owned each of these Swedish records and learned them by heart. A pity he didn't get a chance to devise note-for-note lyrics to Moody's improvisations on "Indiana" "Dexterious" and "Good Bait," as these too are brilliant. The next jaw-dropper is "Blue and Moody," which proves to be the record that Eddie Jefferson turned into "Birdland Story," that exciting number heard on the 1956 Flute 'N the Blues album. This one CD holds the key to so many of James Moody's greatest records. Two 1950 Parisian sessions led by pianist Jack Dieval explore unusual harmonic realms, presenting ideas and tonalities that would take root over the next ten years. This is progressive music, unusually advanced for its day. Annie Ross sings in her most bizarre, pleasantly disorienting manner during "Le Vent Vert." Next, the Ernie Royal All-Stars punch out a five-minute "Period Suite." Russell Procope blossoms during a six-and-a-half-minute excursion through "Perdido," neatly bisected during Pierre Michelot's bass solo. Everybody ought to own a copy of this glorious disc. It is a glowing emerald deeply set in the precious lapidary of James Moody's music, surely some of the greatest music the world will ever hear. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

JAMES MOODY – 1950-1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1263 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

April in Paris, 1950. James Moody is making records with a band led by trumpeter Ernie Royal. While two originals by Royal are based on textbook bop themes, Moody's own "Date With Kate" shows greater depth of invention. "Mean to Me" prances at a healthy clip and "Embraceable You" is presented as a slow-dance delicacy. Jumping to July of 1950, Moody leads his own "Boptet" through four remarkable exercises in modernity. Marshall "Red" Allen, who subsequently worked for decades with Sun Ra, is heard in Moody's band playing alto saxophone. These must be Allen's earliest appearances on record. "Delooney" surges ahead with peculiar chords that do in fact slightly resemble what Ra's Arkestra would be playing by 1957. "Real Cool" features the celeste and piano of Raymond Fol and some lovely bass work by Buddy Banks. "In the Anna" is a slow and harmonically altered stroll through "Back Home Again in Indiana." Moody sings a chorus of rapid-fire bop scat on "Voila." After he blows his horn for a bit, several voices sing a background chorus, which continues during a fadeout, that new effect just beginning to occur on records in 1950. Moody's last Parisian session focuses tightly upon his tenor sax backed by apparent Bud Powell devotee Raphael "Raph" Schecroun, Pierre Michelot, and the amazing Kenny "Klook" Clarke, whose solo on "Riffin' and Raphin'" is a pleasure. Hot tracks invigorate, and ballads bring on the coolest of reveries. Moody's fluidic improvisations are always full of pleasant surprises. "St. Louis Blues" gets a modern, sophisticated treatment, slipping with progressive ease into the traditional tango chorus. There are no less than three distinct renditions of "Embraceable You" on this CD. Maybe we're inside a movie and this is the recurring theme song, always returning to assist in the story line's continuity: five months in the life of James Moody. The home stretch takes listeners back to Stockholm. Backed by seven Scandinavians and bolstered by cushy arrangements, Moody delivered six gorgeous performances for the Prestige label. His balladeering is always astonishing. "How Deep Is the Ocean" has the power to reassure. So does "I'll Get By." Each of these little three-minute records should be cherished like a vision of a better world. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

JAMES MOODY – 1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1388 (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In need of rest and recuperation after suffering under the twin scourges of alcoholism and Benzedrine addiction, saxophonist James Moody backed away from the scene in 1948 and took off to stay with his uncle in Paris for a couple of weeks, only to remain overseas for three years, making great jazz records with some of Europe's finest young players. Volume four in the Classics James Moody chronology assembles all of the recordings he made for the Metronome and Vogue labels in Stockholm and Paris between January 24 and July 27, 1951. The opening tracks, culled from the Swedish portion of the survey, are greatly enhanced by the presence of baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin, a marvelous improviser whose tonalities blend beautifully with Moody's tenor. On "Pennies From Heaven" and "Cherokee," Moody and the rhythm section are backed by a modest string ensemble; here the sonic chemistry is so pleasantly integrated as to warrant comparison with Charlie Parker's own adventures in chamber music. The next leg of Moody's European odyssey finds him backed by a rhythm section with conga drums and a huge string and wind orchestra under the direction of André Hodier. Using alto and tenor saxophones, Moody navigates well even when the monstrous ensemble threatens to engulf him. It's a relief to hear him two weeks later blowing alto sax and leading a quintet comprised of trumpeter Roger Guerin and the same trio that was used with Hodier's Orchestre: pianist Raymond Fol, bassist Pierre Michelot and drummer Pierre Lemarchand. Longtime Moody fans will thrill to hear the enclosed version of "I Cover the Waterfront," destined to serve as the basis for Eddie Jefferson's famous vocalese version on James Moody's 1956 Flute 'n the Blues album. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

ROY ELDRIDGE – 1950-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1259 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It is June 1950. Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge is in Paris, making records with a small band of younger musicians. Easily adapting to rapidly evolving styles in music, the trumpeter eases himself into a steadily developing tide of modernity. The music forms a wonderful and comparatively elegant sequel to his rip-snorting big-band recordings of the 1940s. It is a pleasure to hear young tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims relaxing with Eldridge, and the pianist is 23-year-old Dick Hyman, already a strikingly facile and inventive performer. Pierre Michelot and Eddie Shaughnessy form the rest of the rhythm section in this tight little group. Continuing his personal tradition of great ballad interpretations, Eldridge delivers "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" with an open horn. "King David," "Undecided," and "The Man I Love" are each cooked at brisk velocities. Anita Love joins with Eldridge in energetic scat singing throughout Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing." Yet the very funny, effortlessly hip, and decidedly cool "Ain't No Flies On Me" allows the two singers to relax and interact more deliciously than ever. The next session in the Eldridge chronology scales the band down to a quartet, with Gerald Wiggins, Pierre Michelot, and the great Kenny "Klook" Clarke. Eldridge ambles through Irving Berlin's "Easter Parade" -- which sounds a bit like "Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet" -- and renders up two more gorgeous ballads. "Goliath Bounce" is a smooth walk and "Wild Driver" a rolling boil, but the hottest number from this date, simply titled "Nuts," opens with a sort of Caribbean brushfire percussion maneuver by Clarke. As the tune unfolds its many intricate bop ideas, Clarke rides his cymbals most excitingly. The session of October 28, 1950, touched upon a wide range of styles and moods. "I Remember Harlem" is a deep study in reflective blue impressions, chamber jazz with bowed bass and haunted horn. Fats Waller's sobering "Black and Blue" gets a slight adjustment in the lyric, "Baby, Don't Do Me Like that" is more or less patterned after Louis Jordan's R&B act, and "L'Isle Adam" is a burner for muted trumpet on the fast track. Eldridge also sang two of his original songs with French lyrics, including a cheerful ode to lettuce and mayonnaise. The great surprise in this package is the inclusion of three long-forgotten piano solos from the same session. "Boogie Eldridge" is the veritable spark plug, as our man growls and even howls while massaging the keys. The last two tracks find Eldridge in Stockholm, sitting in with musicians well schooled in every style of jazz and popular music of the day. Duke Ellington's "Echoes of Harlem" is deep and ominous, while "School Days" plays off of the novelty antics of Joe Carroll and Dizzy Gillespie. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

SIDNEY BECHET – 1949, Vol. 3 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1223 (2002) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The great soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet is featured on four formerly rare sessions recorded in Paris and London during October and November 1949. At 50 years old, Bechet was at the peak of his powers. He is heard on two occasions with clarinetist Claude Luter's band (which on one of the dates has two trumpets/cornets); jamming with a quartet consisting of pianist Eddie Bernard, bassist Pierre Michelot, and drummer Kenny Clarke; and sitting in with trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton's group. There is plenty of excitement heard throughout these 24 performances and, although the supporting cast is excellent, Bechet dominates throughout. Highlights include "Maple Leaf Rag," "Panama," "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams," "After You've Gone," "Some of These Days," and "Everybody Loves My Baby." Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

DON BYAS – 1951-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1315 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Don Byas, one of the top tenor saxophonists of the mid-'40s, permanently moved to Europe in 1946 and was largely forgotten in the U.S. However, he continued playing and recording throughout his European years, and although his records rarely made it to the United States, they sold well in Europe. On this disc Byas, who was still very much in his playing prime in the 1950s, is first featured on three numbers with the swing/Dixieland-oriented group the Saratoga Jazz Hounds, a quintet that co-stars the erratic but exciting trumpeter Guy Longnon. The remainder of the Classics CD puts the focus entirely on Byas, who is joined by four overlapping rhythm sections. Most of the selections are slow-to-medium-tempo ballads that showcase Byas' lush tone and his ability to caress melodies, resulting in a pleasing collection. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

DON BYAS – 1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1372 (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The eighth volume in the complete recordings of Oklahoma native Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas consists of 23 recordings he made in Paris during the spring and summer of 1952. Nine wonderful sides recorded for the Blue Star label on April 10th of that year are classic Byas -- lots of lush ballads and an occasional kicker -- with excellent rhythm support by pianist Art Simmons, bassist Joe Benjamin, and drummer Bill Clark. The remaining tracks presented here were originally issued on the Vogue label. Six lovely melodies recorded on May 21st feature guitarist Marcel Bianchi and bassist Pierre Michelot, while eight tunes rendered on July 18th are enhanced by the addition of a vibraphone. Byas was both a master of romantic exposition and a formidable improviser at brisk tempos, comparable to Coleman Hawkins yet possessed of a spirit entirely his own. This material will be new to some of those who live outside of Europe, and for this reason the producers of the Classics Chronological Series are to be warmly commended for having brought out another excellent volume of vintage jazz music for all to hear. arwulf arwulf

Tracklist + Credits :

DON BYAS – 1952-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1414 (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume nine in the complete chronological recordings of Carlos Wesley Don Byas presents 21 recordings made for the Vogue label in Paris between July 18, 1952 and December 8, 1953. U.S. jazzheads should be grateful to the producers of the Classics reissue project for making these very European recordings available on compact disc throughout the civilized world, and in North America. Opening with the remainder of a sax-and-vibes quintet session from July 1952, this portion of the chronology quickly moves into less intimate territory with two sessions featuring Byas in front of large Parisian big bands. The songs chosen for use on these dates -- Georges Auric's sunny-simple "Moulin Rouge," for example -- were all drawn from contemporary French pop culture. While these tuneful ditties with arranged backgrounds may not seem as relaxed and spontaneous as the smaller group blowing sessions, the saxophonist sounds completely relaxed and happy to be treated with the respect that was usually granted him in mainland Europe. On November 24 and December 8, 1953, Don Byas resumed making records accompanied by a sympathetic rhythm section, with Martial Solal at the piano and Pierre Michelot handling the string bass. Points of fascination include Jerome Kern's "Remember My Forgotten Man," a Depression-Era social commentary piece originally staged and filmed by Busby Berkeley; an "Unknown Original"; a revision of "Harvard Blues" here titled "Blues for Don Carlos" and a slice of verité bearing the initials "G.D.B.," a reference to the phrase "gueule de bois," which is French vernacular for a beastly hangover. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :

JOHNNY HODGES | COLEMAN HAWKINS - The Vogue Recordings (1998) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Coleman Hawkins    
1    Coleman Hawkins And His Rhythm–    It's Only A Paper Moon 3'03
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Billy Rose
2    Coleman Hawkins And His Rhythm–    Sih-Sah 3'15
Coleman Hawkins / James Moody
3    Coleman Hawkins And His Rhythm–    Bean's Talking Again 3'17
Kenny Clarke / Coleman Hawkins
4    Coleman Hawkins And His Rhythm–    Bah-Uh-Bah 3'23
Tadd Dameron / Coleman Hawkins
5    Coleman Hawkins And His Rhythm–    I Surrender Dear 3'14
Harry Barris / Gordon Clifford
6    Coleman Hawkins And His Rhythm–    Sophisticated Lady 3'14
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Mitchell Parish
Johnny Hodges      
7    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Jump, That's All 3'04
Harold Baker
8    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Last Legs Blues - Part 1 3'06
Johnny Hodges
9    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Last Legs Blues.- Part 2 2'59
Johnny Hodges
10    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Nix It, Mix It 3'19
Jimmy Hamilton
11    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Time On My Hands 3'18
Harold Adamson / Mack Gordon / Vincent Youmans
12    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Run About 3'03
Johnny Hodges
13    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Wishing And Waiting 3'23
Johnny Hodges
14    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Get That Geet 3'18
Johnny Hodges
15    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    That's Grand 3'25
Johnny Hodges
16    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Skip It 3'24
Johnny Hodges
17    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Perdido 3'08
Ervin Drake / Hans Lengsfelder / Juan Tizol
18    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree 3'40
Egbert VanAlstyne / Harry Williams
19    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Mood Indigo 3'50
Barney Bigard / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
20    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Sweet Lorraine 3'13
Clifford R. Burwell / Mitchell Parish
21    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Bean Bag Boogie 3'06
Harold Baker
22    Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra–    Hop, Skip And Jump 2'27
Duke Ellington

All Credits
Notas.
Tracks 1-6: Recorded in Paris on December 21, 1949.
Tracks 7-22: Recorded in Paris on April 15 & June 20, 1950.

ZOOT SIMS - Tenorly (1993) WV (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Night And Day (Take 1) 2:57
Written-By – Cole Porter
2    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Night And Day  (Take 2) 2:57
Written-By – Cole Porter
3    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Night And Day (Take 3) 2:58
Written-By – Cole Porter
4    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Slingin' Hash  (Take 1) 3:19
Written-By – Zoot Sims
5    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Slingin' Hash  (Take 2) 3:30
Written-By – Zoot Sims
6    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Tenorly  (Take 1) 2:47
Written-By – Zoot Sims
7    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Tenorly  (Take 2) 2:50
Written-By – Zoot Sims
8    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Tenorly  (Take 3) 2:47
Written-By – Zoot Sims
9    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Zoot And Zoot 3:21
Written-By – Zoot Sims
10    Zoot Sims Quartet–    I Understand  (Take 1) 3:39
Written-By – Kim Gannon, Mabel Wayne
11    Zoot Sims Quartet–    I Understand  (Take 2) 3:33
Written-By – Kim Gannon, Mabel Wayne
12    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Don't Worry About Me 3:07
Written-By – Bloom, Koehler
13    Zoot Sims Quartet–    Crystal 3:13
Written-By – Zoot Sims
Notas.
1-13 recorded in Paris on June 16, 1950
Credits 1-13 :
Bass – Pierre Michelot
Drums – Kenny Clarke
Piano – Gerry Wiggins
Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims
14    Zoot Sims Sextet–    Toot's Suite 5:52
Written-By – Bill Holman
15    Zoot Sims Sextet–    The Late Tiny Kahn 4:27
Written-By – Kiny Kahn
16    Zoot Sims Sextet–    Call It Anything 3:17
Written-By – Zoot Sims
17    Zoot Sims Sextet–    Zoot's Suite 4:12
Written-By – Bill Holman
18    Zoot Sims Sextet–    Once In A While 3:32
Written-By – Bud Green, Michael Edwards
19    Zoot Sims Sextet–    Great Drums 2:42
Written-By – Tiny Kahn
Notas.
14-19 recorded in Paris on September 18, 1953
Credits 14-19 :
Bass – Don Bagley
Drums – Jean-Louis Viale
Guitar – Jimmy Gourley
Piano – Henri Renaud
Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims
Trombone – Frank Rosolino

MILES DAVIS - Ascenseur Pour L'Échafaud (1957-2000) Jazz In Paris 3 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jazz and film noir are perfect bedfellows, as evidenced by the soundtrack of Louis Malle's Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud (Lift to the Scaffold). This dark and seductive tale is wonderfully accentuated by the late-'50s cool or bop music of Miles Davis, played with French jazzmen -- bassist Pierre Michelot, pianist René Urtreger, and tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen -- and American expatriate drummer Kenny Clarke. This recording evokes the sensual nature of a mysterious chanteuse and the contrasting scurrying rat race lifestyle of the times, when the popularity of the automobile, cigarettes, and the late-night bar scene were central figures. Davis had seen a screening of the movie prior to his making of this music, and knew exactly how to portray the smoky hazed or frantic scenes though sonic imagery, dictated by the trumpeter mainly in D-minor and C-seventh chords. Michelot is as important a figure as the trumpeter because he sets the tone, as on the stalking "Visite du Vigile." While the mood of the soundtrack is generally dour and somber, the group collectively picks up the pace exponentially on "Diner au Motel." At times the distinctive Davis trumpet style is echoed into dire straits or death wish motifs, as on "Generique" or "L'Assassinat de Carala," respectively. Clarke is his usual marvelous self, and listeners should pay close attention to the able Urtreger, by no means a virtuoso but a capable and flexible accompanist. This recording can stand proudly alongside Duke Ellington's music from Anatomy of a Murder and the soundtrack of Play Misty for Me as great achievements of artistic excellence in fusing dramatic scenes with equally compelling modern jazz music. by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1    Générique    2:52
Miles Davis
2    L'Assassinat De Carala    2:12
Miles Davis
3    Sur L'Autoroute    2:21
Miles Davis
4    Julien Dans L'Ascenseur    2:13
Miles Davis
5    Florence Sur Les Champs-Élysées    2:53
Miles Davis
6    Dîner Au Motel    3:59
Miles Davis
7    Évasion De Julien    0:55
Miles Davis
8    Visite Du Vigile    2:05
Miles Davis
9    Au Bar Du Petit Bac    2:55
Miles Davis
10    Chez Le Photographe Du Motel    3:55
Miles Davis
Credits :
Double Bass – Pierre Michelot
Drums – Kenny Clarke
Piano – René Urtreger
Tenor Saxophone – Barney Wilen
Trumpet, Composed By – Miles Davis
Nota :
Original soundtrack of the Louis Malle's movie.
Reissue of the Fontana 10" LP 660 213.
Recorded December 4 and 5, 1957 at the Poste Parisien, Paris.
 

LES BLUES STARS - Pardon My English / HENRI SALVADOR - Plays the Blues (2000) Jazz In Paris 19 / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
Les Blue Stars   
1    Les Blue Stars–    Jumpin' At The Woodside 2:58
Written-By – Count Basie
2    Les Blue Stars–    C'est La Vie 2:33
Written By – Edward R. White / Mack Wolfson
3    Les Blue Stars–    Broadway At Basin Street 3:09
Written By – Sid Wayne / Al Frisch
4    Les Blue Stars–    Grapevine 2:32
Written By – Roy Alfred / Abner Silver
Les Blue Stars : Pardon My English   
5    Les Blue Stars–    I'll Remember April 2:21
Arranged By – Carl Jones
Written By – Don Raye / Gene De Paul
6    Les Blue Stars–    A Smooth One 2:25
Written-By – Benny Goodman
7    Les Blue Stars–    All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings 2:36
Written By – Harold Rome / Jean Blanvillain / Henri Herpin
8    Les Blue Stars–    Small Talk 2:40
Written By – Richard Adler / Jerry Ross
9    Les Blue Stars–    I'm Lost Without You Tonight 2:55
Written By – Helen Daniels / Joe Greene
10    Les Blue Stars–    Move 1:59
Written-By – Denzil Best
11    Les Blue Stars–    Did You Close Your Eyes (When We Kissed) 2:33
Written-By – Bob Merrill
12    Les Blue Stars–    Bernie's Tune 2:28
Written By – Bernie Miller / Mike Stoller / Jerry Leiber
13    Les Blue Stars–    Don't Be That Way 2:36
Written By – Mitchell Parish / Edgar Sampson / Benny Goodman
14    Les Blue Stars–    Please Be Kind 3:41
Written-By – Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin
15    Les Blue Stars–    Stardust 2:49
Written By – Mitchell Parish / Hoagy Carmichael
16    Les Blue Stars–    Promises And Lies 2:21
Written By – Larry Stock / Teddy Powell
Henri Salvador : Plays The Blues   
17    Henri Salvador–    Salvador Plays The Blues 7:01
Written-By – Henri Salvador
18    Henri Salvador–    Don't Blame Me 3:26
Written-By – Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
19    Henri Salvador–    Stompin' At The Savoy 3:39
Written By – Andy Razaf / Benny Goodman / Edgar Sampson / Chick Webb
Credits :
Double Bass – Pierre Michelot (faixas: 17 to 19)
Drums – Jean-Baptiste "Mac Kac" Reilles (faixas: 17 to 19)
Guitar, Vocals – Henri Salvador (faixas: 17 to 19)
Producer – Boris Vian (faixas: 17 to 19)
Vocals – Blossom Dearie (faixas: 1 to 4), Christian Chevalier (faixas: 1 to 4), Christiane Legrand (faixas: 1 to 4), Claudine Barge (faixas: 5 to 16), Fats Sadi (faixas: 1 to 4), Henri Tallourd (faixas: 5 to 16), Jeannine De Waleyne (faixas: 1 to 4), Jean Liesse (faixas: 5 to 16), Jean Mercadier (faixas: 1 to 16), Mimi Perrin (faixas: 5 to 16), Nadine Young (faixas: 1 to 16), Roger Guérin (faixas: 1 to 4)
Nota :
Recorded in Paris 1956 (1-4), 1957 (5-16) and April 18, 1956 (17-19).
Reissue of the Barclay EP 70 027 (1-4), Mercury LP 7182 (5-16) and Fontana EP 450 519 (17-19). 

SIDNEY BECHET - Sidney Bechet Et Claude Luter (2000) Jazz In Paris 22 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD compilation includes two separate sessions by the legendary soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet and a third date by clarinetist Claude Luter. Bechet's hearty vibrato dominates the four octet tracks, though his French band provides more than adequate support for him. Trumpeter Gerard Bayol and trombonist Benny Vasseur get in their licks in the laid back "On the Sunny Side of the Street." The quartet session is more interesting, just for the opportunity to hear drummer Kenny Clarke and bassist Pierre Michelot outside their normal bop recordings; the pianist is Eddie Bernard (who was also present on the octet recordings). Again, all eight songs are brief (under three and a-half minutes each) with the primary focus on the leader. The slightly more modern underlying rhythm comes through especially in "It Had to be You," which also includes a brief solo by Bernard and a short series of drum breaks to showcase Clarke's brushwork. Aside from the standard fare, Bechet's one original is the mournful blues "Ooh! Boogie!" The six song set by Claude Luter sounds as if it is in a bit of a time warp, like it was recorded in 1930 instead of 1948. It is unfair to expect Luter and his band to be playing at the level of an esteemed veteran like Bechet, but it is difficult to resist the comparison when the two musicians are placed side by side on a compilation. The musicians clearly gave their all on this set, though none of the six tracks come close to comparing with recordings by American jazz musicians. It's doubtful that anyone will purchase this CD in Verve's Jazz in Paris reissue series other than to hear the Bechet material. by Ken Dryden  
Tracklist :
1    Sidney Bechet And His Orchestra– Honeysuckle Rose 2:58
Written-By – Andy Razaf, Fats Waller
2    Sidney Bechet And His Orchestra–    High Society 3:17
Written-By – Porter Steele, Walter Melrose
3    Sidney Bechet And His Orchestra–    On The Sunny Side Of The Street 2:41
Written-By – Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
4    Sidney Bechet And His Orchestra–    I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me 2:39
Written-By – Clarence Gaskill, Jimmy McHugh
5    Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers–    Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams 3:08
Written-By – Billy Moll, Harry Barris, Ted Koehler
6    Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers–    It Had To Be You 2:41
Written-By – Gus Kahn, Isham Jones
7    Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers–    Baby Won't You Please Come Home 2:29
Written-By – Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams
8    Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers–    Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 2:36
Written-By – Sam H. Stept, Sidney Clare
9    Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers–    Ooh! Boogie! 2:54
Written-By – Sidney Bechet
10    Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers–    After You've Gone 2:29
Written-By – Henry Creamer, Turner Layton
11    Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers–    I'm Going Way Down Home 2:24
Traditional
12    Sidney Bechet And His Feetwarmers–    Margie 2:25
Written-By – Benny Davis, Con Conrad, J. Russel Robinson
13    Claude Luter Et Ses Lorientais–    Gate Mouth 2:45
Written-By – Louis Armstrong
14    Claude Luter Et Ses Lorientais–    South African Blues 2:54
Traditional
15    Claude Luter Et Ses Lorientais–    Snake Rag 2:53
Written-By – King Oliver
16    Claude Luter Et Ses Lorientais–    Weary Way Blues 2:39
Written-By – Ida Cox, Lovie Austin
17    Claude Luter Et Ses Lorientais–    Sweet Lovin' Man 2:48
Written-By – Lilian Hardin Armstrong, Walter Melrose
18    Claude Luter Et Ses Lorientais–    Panama 2:48
Written-By – Carl Sigman, William Tyers
Credits :
Banjo – Claude Philippe (faixas: 13 to 18)
Clarinet – Claude Luter (faixas: 13 to 18)
Double Bass – Guy De Fatto (faixas: 1 to 4), Pierre Michelot (faixas: 5 to 12), Roland Bianchini (faixas: 13 to 18)
Drums – André Jourdan (faixas: 1 to 4), Kenny Clarke (faixas: 5 to 12), Michel Pacout (faixas: 13 to 18)
Guitar – Jean-Pierre Sasson (faixas: 1 to 4)
Piano – Christian Azzi (faixas: 13 to 18), Eddie Bernard (faixas: 1 to 12)
Saxophone [Soprano] – Sidney Bechet (faixas: 1 to 12)
Trombone – Benny Vasseur (faixas: 1 to 4), Mowgli Jospin (faixas: 13 to 18)
Trumpet – Claude Rabanit (faixas: 13 to 18), Gérard Bayol (faixas: 1 to 4), Pierre Merlin (faixas: 13 to 18)
Nota :
Recorded in Paris on June 23, 1948 at the Pathé-Pelouze studio (13-18), May 16, 1949 at the Technisonor studio (1-4) and November 3, 1949 at the Pathé-Pelouze studio (5-12).
Reissue of the Blue Star 78rpm discs 93, 101, 107 (Claude Luter), 128, 129, 140, 142, 148 and 152 (Sidney Bechet). 

SONNY CRISS - Mr Blues Pour Flirter (1963-2000) Jazz In Paris 23 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Sonny Criss was relatively inactive as a leader in the first half of the 1960s, though he did produce outstanding music during two trips to Paris. The latter visit in 1963 resulted in these studio sessions, originally released by Brunswick and reissued in complete form (with three unreleased tracks) by Polydor, before reverting to the initial version on this Verve CD reissue. Powered by some of France's finest musicians, including guitarist Rene Thomas, bassist Pierre Michelot, drummer Philippe Combelle and pianist Georges Arvanitas, the hard bop alto saxophonist mixes it up with a set which contains classic jazz compositions, standards and an original. Arvanitas switches to organ for a peppy take of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and Criss' two part blues "Early and Later." But the leader's best solo comes during the smoking interpretation of "On Green Dolphin Street." Arvanitas' introductory vamp to the softly played "God Bless the Child" hints at "One for My Baby (and One for the Road)" before Criss makes his entrance. Highly recommended! by Ken Dryden  
Tracklist :
1     Don't Get Around Much Anymore 6:16
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell
2     This Can't Be Love 3:29
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
3     Early and Later, Pt. 1 4:20
Sonny Criss
4     Early and Later, Pt. 2 4:36
Sonny Criss
5     Once in a While 3:41
Michael Edwards / Bud Green
6     St. Louis Blues 5:01
W.C. Handy
7     Day Dream 4:42
Duke Ellington / John Latouche / Billy Strayhorn
8     On Green Dolphin Street 3:28
Ned Washington
9     God Bless the Child 6:07
Billie Holiday / Arthur Herzog, Jr.
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Sonny Criss
Double Bass – Pierre Michelot
Drums – Philippe Combelle
Guitar – René Thomas
Organ – Georges Arvanitas (faixas: 1, 3, 4, 6)
Piano – Georges Arvanitas (faixas: 2, 5, 7 to 9)
Nota :
Recorded 1963 in Paris on April 22 (5, 6, 7), April 23 (1, 3, 4) and April 25 (2, 8, 9).
Reissue of the Brunswick LP 87 519.