BFT 34 Answers!

[brownie]

Track 1 - Serge Gainsbourg 'Générique' , from the soundtrack of the film 'Les Loups dans la Bergerie'' (Philips)

Roger Guérin, tp, Raymond Guiot, fl, George Grenu, alto, William Boucaya, bar, Alain Goraguer, p, Pierre Michelot, b, Christian Garros, dr. Goraguer arranged and conducted the music. Recorded October 28, 1959 in Paris.

Thought this short item would be an appropriate opening for this BFT. Loved the clear and precise arrangement going over the sound of the tympani beats. This was supposed to be a fitting start and I was pretty pleased with myself for having picked this.

Until right after the first discs were shipped.

Nonparticipant couw immediately came out and mentioned that it was done before. By couw himself on his own BFT 4! That was before I started taking part in those games! Damn couw!

Well two time for this disc is not really bad.

It's good music for a pretty lousy film which I saw when it was released: 'Les Loups dans la Bergerie'. It was Serge Gainsbourg's second soundtrack. First of his film music was for the 1959 Jacques Doniol-Valcroze film 'L'Eau A la Bouche'. This was one of my very early encounter with Gainsbourg's music. 'L'Eau a la Bouche' was not a masterpiece but still very much better than Les Loups which seems to have disappeared by now and has not been shown for years. Doniol-Valcroze by the way was editor of the famous film review 'Les Cahiers du Cinéma' and was expected to do much better than his film!

Roger Guerin who recently celebrated his 80th anniversary played the trumpet part with cool aplomb!

Track 2 - Mal Waldron 'The Git Go' (from the album 'Soul Eyes', BMG)

Joe Henderson, ten, Mal Waldron, p, Reggie Workman, b, Andrew Cyrille, dr., recorded August 1997 in Antwerp (Belgium)

The album came out and went despite its allstar cast!

Reggie Workman has a remarkable introduction until Mal Waldron states the theme just ahead of Joe Henderson. It's the only appearance of Joe Henderson on the album but he makes the most of it!

Mal Waldron, Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille provide a topnotch support for Henderson's preaching improvisation. Cyrille then lets his drums sing!

The album also includes tracks that have superb vocals by Jeanne Lee and Abbey Lincoln!

Track 3 - Vander/Michelot/Lubat 'Cécile, Ma Fille' from the album 'Nougaro Sans Paroles' (Sergent Major Company)

Maurice Vander, p, Pierre Michelot, b, Bernard Lubat, dr. Recorded in 2000 at Longueville, France.

This is one of the late singer Claude Nougaro's loveliest song. (Cecile, My Daughter) written after the birth of his first child. The music was composed by Jacques Datin. Maurice Vander who was Nougaro's accompanying pianist for years shows the mastery and delicacy of his playing.

And Pierre Michelot's accurate phrasing is plain magnificient here.

A nice moodsetter that gets even better after each playing.

Track 4 -Anthony Ortega 'Boomerang', from the album 'Neuf' (Evidence)

Jean-François Canapé, tp, Daniel Casimir, tb, Gilles Mahaud, french horn, Ortega, as, Xavier Bussy, Sylvain Kassap, reeds, Manuel Rocheman, p, Didier Levallet, b, Jacques Mahieux, dr; Arrangements by Levallet and Kassap. Recorded July 8, 1994 in Paris.

Anthony Ortega is another terribly underrated musician with too few volumes (most hard to find) albums to his credit and is a forgotten figure by now in the US.. However as one of the veteran and most respected sessionman he has taken part in the recording of numerous albums.

He also makes regular appearances in Europe and specially in France.

Ortega is an original voice in contemporary jazz.

This is is an ensemble date that was recorded with several excellent French musicians including pianist Manuel Rocheman and bassist Didier Levallet

Track 5 - Conte Candoli All Stars 'Muggin' the Minor', from the album 'Little Band, Big Jazz' (Crown)

Candoli, tp, Buddy Collette, tenor, Vince Guaraldi, p, Leroy Vinnegar, b, Stan Levey, dr.

Recorded February 3, 1960 in Hollywood

This was supposed to be an easy to identify selection since the album had been discussed in a thread of its own several months ago. I discovered it when Fresh Sound reissued the album last year. Turned out that the thread was revived right after the completion of this BFT.K

The all clear playing of Conte Candoli was one of the assets of the session. The surprise

for me came fgrom the tenor playing of Buddy Colette, a musician I have liked for years for his playing on the numerous reeds he is an adept practicioner. The album was a rare opportunity to enjoy him on tenor. Thought he was in the Harold Land groove.

Superb accompanying by Guaraldi, Vinnegar and Levey. Could not go wrong with that support!

Track 6 - 'My Romance' Jacques Pelzer Open Sky Unit, from the album 'Never Let Me Go' (Igloo)

Pelzer, alto, Barney Wilen, tenor, Michel Graillier, p, Bart de Nolt, b, Micheline Pelzer, dr.

Recorded October 1990 in Brussels

Lovely theme, 'My Romance', a Rodgers and Hart classic!!

I could not leave Barney Wilen out of this BFT and decided to include this session led by Jacques Pelzer who made a reputation in jazz more for his career as chemist/pharmacist who provided legal and illegal substances to so many musicians, specially Chet Baker, than to his talent as a musician.

But Pelzer shows here why he was also respected as a musician and shows his affinity to Benny Carter and Lee Konitz!

Another rare album made for the Belgian label Igloo which had mainly local distribution.

Wilen turns out a very evocative and well constructed solo that is the highlight of this interpretation.

'My Romance' is his only appearance on tenor here. He plays soprano on the other tracks.

The late Michel Graillier on piano (another close friend and accompaznist of Chet Baker) proves he was among the best of the European players.

Wilen appeared on only four out of the ten sides. A pity he never recorded with Chet Baker. This could have turned out very interesting!

Track 7 - 'Au Bois de Mon Coeur' 'Giants of Jazz Play Brassens' (Philips)

Harry Edison, tp, Eddie Davis, tenor, Marcel Zanini, Michel Attenoux, reeds, probably Dorothy Donegan, p, Brassens, g, Pierre Nicolas, b, Moustache, dr.

I wanted to include several aspects of the French songs. Georges Brassens was probably the most popular French singer of the second half of the 20th Century. An anarchist poet, he wrote some of the best chansons andc remains a revered figure.

None of his songs could be related to jazz so the album he recorded with jazz musicians turned out to be a very happysurprise. It was also some kind of a hit!

'Au Bois de Mon Coeur' was a personal favorite song by Brassens and I was delighted to hear Brassens play the guitar introduction himself on this track. The song also gave way to some of the strongest guest appearances by Eddie Davis and Harry Edison!

Track 8:- 'Quiet Moments' Serge Casero Quartet Featuring Georges Arvanitas 'Around Dexter' (Moon Records)

Casero, tenor, Arvanitas, p, Michel Altier, b, Charles Bellonzi, dr. Record October 19, 1995 in southern France

- I could not find a printable photo for this CD! -

The most obscure track of this compilation. The leader was just a name I saw from time to time and this CD turned out to be my introduction to his playing. The CD takes its inspiration from Dexter Gordon and comes out prettygood. Nothing really exceptional, just pretty consistant playing with the help of another French piano great Georges Arvanitas on piano! Another unrecognised piano great who disappeared last year!

Edited April 3, 2006 by brownie

[catesta]

Nice!

Guess what that Candoli (track 5) is backordered through cduniverse.

I suspect there is no chance of finding the Mal Waldon on cd?

Very impressed with track #3.

Edited April 3, 2006 by catesta

[catesta]

Wow!

[brownie]

I suspect there is no chance of finding the Mal Waldon on cd?

Very impressed with track #3.

That Mal Waldron has been missing in action for a couple of years. Copies seem to collectors' items nowadays but I have not seen a fresh one in a long time!

The 'Nougaro Sans Paroles' CD has been reissued last month by Nocturne

Easy listening jazz at its best!

[mikeweil]

Yes, that mal Waldron is one to look out for, even though I'm not totally happy about the bass sound. Cyrille - how precise and modern he is! One of the best modern jazz drummers. A shame I didn't get him ....

[P.L.M]

That Mal Waldron has been missing in action for a couple of years. Copies seem to collectors' items nowadays but I have not seen a fresh one in a long time!

It one of the two discs that was produced by BMG BELGIUM.

It was recorded in 1997 in ANTWERP by GUIDO MAES & produced by ROB LEURENTOP & JOHAN VAN DEN ABEELE.

The part of STEVE COLEMAN is overdueb from NEW YORK.

It's more or less a sort of "best of" of his compositions.

To say the truth, I've never like this album.