Track 1
The Randy Weston Trio - Fire Down There (trad)
Get Happy, Riverside, 1956
Randy Weston (piano), Sam Gill (bass), Wilbert Hogan (drums)
I wanted to start the BFT by a tribute to Randy Weston. Popularized a year later by Sonny Rollins as St. Thomas, the tune is a traditional song/calypso from the Caribbean islands, recorded even prior to this recording by Louis « The Charmer » Farrakhan.
Track 2
Conte Candoli All Stars - Macedonia (Candoli, Guaraldi)
Little Band Big Jazz - Crown, 1960
Conte Candoli (trumpet), Buddy Collette (trumpet saxophone), Vince Guaraldi (piano), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Stan Levey (drums)
I discovered this beauty of a record as I was intrigued to listen to Collette and Guaraldi altogether. But it's the playing of Candoli that caught me off guard, serene, assured and moving. I only know Candoli from West Coast Jazz with Getz and Pepper's Gettin' Together, but I wil have to find more one day.
Track 3
Jazz-Hip Trio - Hyperespace (Roger Lucioni)
Jazz en Relief, Riviera, 1967
Jean Bernard Eisinger (piano), Roger Lucioni (bass), Daniel Humair (drums)
Lovely record from the late 60s. Eisinger and Lucioni composed most of the original tunes and it's pity they have not recorded/composed more (they pursued their career as MD in the South of France). And Humair is having a great time as always. I have been lucky to find a copy for about nothing (the auctioneer went litterally mad) and it sure deserves a reissue.
Track 4
Jazz International - Buyer's Blues (Billy Byers)
Jazz International, Vogue, 1956
Allen Eager (tenor saxophone), Billy Byers (trombone), Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet), Martial Solal (piano), Benoit Quersin (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums)
Belgium, UK, France and US nationalities are present. I think the original title is under Solal's name who makes a beautiful Ellingtonian intro on this track, as pointed out by Thom who also identified Eager ! Reissued on CD as Transatlantic Meetings which also includes Roy Haynes Modern Group.
Track 5
Stéphane Kerecki Quartet - Tirez Sur Le Pianiste (Charlie Et Lena theme, Georges Delerue)
Nouvelle Vague, Outnote, 2014
Emile Parisien (soprano saxophone), Stéphane Kerecki (bass), Fabrice Moreau (drums)
The second tribute of the BFT is to Charles Aznavour who was brilliant in this Truffaut movie. This relatively recent record offers a beautiful jazz rendition of tunes from Nouvelle Vague composers such as Antoine Duhamel and Georges Delerue in a minimalist format with 2 songs with Jeanne Added. Highly recommended.
Track 6
Georges Arvanitas - Black and White (Anne-Marie Bernert)
The Hound of Music, PSI, 1978
Claude Guilhot (vibes), Georges Arvanitas (piano), Jacky Samson (bass), Charles Saudrais (drums)
There is a nostalgic and positive vibe in the interplay of that track that I always enjoyed a lot. I return more regulalry to Soul Jazz, Arvanitas&Woods or Arvanitas&Webster, but there are few tracks on this record that really deserve great attention.
Track 7
Joachim Kühn & Rolf Kühn - Sounds Of Feelings (Joachim Kühn)
Bloody Rockers, BYG, 1969
Rolf Kühn (clarinet), Volker Kriegel (guitar), Joachim Kühn (piano), Günter Lenz (bass), Stu Martin (drums)
I can't say that there has been a seal of approval on this one based on the discussions ! I really like the sound of the electro clarinet on this record and the ideas of both Kühn. Kriegel is a bit ever-present but that's the kind of crazy/energetic developments that match the title of the record quite well. Last time I managed to see Joachim Kühn was really fun with a trio with Rabih Abou Khalil and I plan to see Kühn in 2 months.
Track 8
Kora Jazz Trio - N'na (Abdoulaye Diabaté)
Part Two, Celluloid, 2005
Abdoulaye Diabaté (piano), Moussa Cissoko (perc), Djeli Moussa Diawara (kora, guitar), Mamadou Koné (perc)
It's clearly not a trio on this tune, but the tracks with the kora of Diawara are also sublime. The tune is composed by the pianist Diabaté that MG has identified. I admit having been a bit underwhelmed by their first effort, but Part Two is a great great combination of Malian, French, and jazz influences. They just released Part Four a few months ago on Cristal Records.
Track 9
Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited – Shumba (Thomas Mapfumo)
Gwindingwi Rine Shumba, Chimurenga Music, 1981
Thomas Mapfumo (voc,guitar), Jonah Sithole (guitar), Leonard 'Pickett' Chiyangwa (guitar), Charles Mayana (bass), Sebastian Ferado (drums)
There is nothing better than early Mapfumo. Except maybe very early Mapfumo when he was leading the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band. I strongly advise you to also listen to their compilation Take One. The current record features his typical Chimurenga style where the guitar plays in the style of a mbira and it is boiling !
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