Alix Combelle

[king ubu]

Combelle was mentioned in the Lafitte thread, recently.

Why not dedicate a separate thread to Combelle, I thought. He lived from 1912-1978. Here's AMG's short bio:

Alix Combelle was France's best-known tenor saxophonist of the 1930s and '40s, an excellent player influenced by Coleman Hawkins but able to hold his own on a few famous performances with Hawkins, Benny Carter, and Django Reinhardt. He started on drums, switching permanently to tenor (and occasional clarinet) in 1932. Combelle played with Gregor et ses Gregoriens (1932-1933), Arthur Briggs, Michel Warlop, and Ray Ventura, and often led his own groups. He visited the U.S. twice in the 1930s and was offered a job with Tommy Dorsey, but preferred to stay in Paris. Somehow, during the World War II occupation of France by the Nazis, Combelle was able to continue recording swinging jazz. He drifted into obscurity by the late '40s, although getting the opportunity to play with such visiting Americans as Buck Clayton, Jonah Jones, and expatriate Bill Coleman, and made his last full record as a leader in 1960. Fortunately, three CDs have been released by Classics that contain all of Alix Combelle's sessions as a leader during 1935-1943 with the who's-who of French jazz.

Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Here's an old photo of him:

and a later one:

Combelle played in the fabulous Django group that recorded four sides with Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins.

Combelle's work is available in several volumes of the Chronological Classics series (I have none of them so far).

ONe recording of Combelle's that I have is with Lionel Hampton, recorded during the later's 1953 tour to Europe. Released on Vogue, it features Combelle, along with another tenor saxophonist, Clifford Scott, and several other horns - I think Sangrey started a thread on this one in the recommendations section of this board.

Here's the cover of the european release:

(available from Amazon France here)

Are there other recordings that should be listened to? Brownie, do you know more about Combelle that what you posted in the Lafitte thread?

ubu

[king ubu]

Here's the thread of Jim's: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...2656&hl=hampton

(you'll see the cover of the US release, there - I think the US releases of these Vogue discs came out in the early nineties, while the "Original Vogue Masters", the one I pictured above, came out between 1997-1999)

ubu

[EKE BBB]

From my database, I have him with Django (Mosaic), Benny Carter (Americans swinging in Paris), Hawk (Coleman Hawkins in Europe - Timeless), Buck Clayton (Back to Buck - Ocium) and in the Jazz in Paris CD "Louis Armstrong and friends". Must check discographical data.

[brownie]

Alix Combelle is also the father of drummer Philippe Combelle who recorded with guitarist Jimmy Gourley.

[king ubu]

Alix Combelle is also the father of drummer Philippe Combelle who recorded with guitarist Jimmy Gourley.

I didn't know that! That recording of Gourley & Wilen, "Double Action", is a great one. Combelle plays drums, there.

ubu