BFT 34 Answers Pt. 2!

[brownie]

Track 9 - Serge Gainsbourg - 'Quand Mon 6.35 Me Fait les Yeux Doux' , from the album 'Gainsbourg Percussions' (Philips)

Michel Portal, alto, Eddy Louiss, piano, Pierre Michelot, b, Christian Garros;dr., Alain Goraguer, arranger and conductor. Recorded October 1964 in Paris

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000051YED.08.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

There was a small controversy about the musicians playing on this track, born out of a rumor that Jackie McLean played the alto part. It was reported that McLean had been flown in from New York just for that solo. He could not be officially listed since he was under contract then with Blue Note!

A lot of French fans - me included - were sure that it was Jackie Mc playing here. Shortly before I started assembling the tracks for this BFT, there even was a radio program devoted to Gainsbourg's jazz connections on the very serious France Culture radio. One participant claimed he had proof that it was indeed him! He mentioned his source as being the editor of the French monthly Jazz Magazine Philippe Carles. Since I wanted to make sure of the fact after including the track on the BFT, I called Carles for a final confirmation. Carles knew about the speculations but stated that it was not McLean!

He had been in touch with Michel Portal who was listed as playing tenor on this session in the Gainsbourg discographies. Portal confirmed that it was he who was playing the alto solos, following specific instructions from Gainsbourg to play a McLean-like contribution.

Gainsbourg was very much a fan of McLean and knew many of his albums by heart!

Gainsbourg also asked him to play a Desmond-like solo in another track from this 'Gainsbourg Percussions album. That's the 'Machin Choses' track. Portal does a better job at imitating McLean than Desmond, although his part on 'Machin Choses' is also excellent!

'Quand Mon 6.35' was the first song by Gainsbourg to have a suicidal connection! Not the last one!

Track 10 - Jean-Louis Chautemps - 'Sur And Sue Helen', from the album 'Chautemps' (Carlyne)

Chautemps, tenor, Martial Solal, p., trombone section. Recorded September 1988 in Paris

http://www.geocities.co.jp/MusicHall/1069/KWHP/1985-9/chautemps.jpg

Jean-Louis Chautemps is another treasure of French jazz. A well know musician in France, he is an unknown name outside of the country. A modest and intellectually brilliant player with a perfect tone, he has only one album under his name. This one.

I chose the track where he has Martial Solal on piano, another too modest musician who has had better luck outside France.

Solal is excellent in all,circumstances but I have a special loive for his duos (be it with Lee Konitz, Hampton Hawes, Joachim Kuhn and more recently with Dave Douglas).

Solal's piano solo is outstanding. At some point he appears playing with four hands. Several listeners suggested overdubbing and this proved likely but I could not find any proof.

Turns out that Chautemps made a rare appearance a few days ago with René Urtreger in a club on the Ile Saint-Louis. I spent a great even,ing listening to these masters. Also I took the opportunity to ask Chautemps about the recording technique involved. Chautemps confirmed the overdubbing on a section of Solal solo. Not a simple but a double (for a very short sequence) dub. Masterful!

Track 11 - 'Running in Rhythm, Take 2' , from the soundtrack of the film 'Tracks in the Sand' (Virgin Records)

Richard Williams, tp, Jimmy Knepper, tb, Yusef Lateef, tenor, Tommy Flanagan, p, Arthur Phipps, b, Max Roach, dr. Recorded March 1962 in New York

http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGCOVERS/music/cover200/dre700/e705/e7056369yd5.jpg

Soundtrack music for a film I never saw. The music appeared briefly on a CD released by Virgin Records. The liner notes gives 'Charles Mills' as composer for the music. In the very early days of the Organissimo forum, there was a discussion over the music. I indicated at the time that my theory on that Charles Mills whose name never appeared elsewhere was an alias for Charles Mingus.

This thread:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...cks+in+the+sand

The soundtrack has a Mingus feel and I have not changed opinions on this. Thought that participants who never heard this music might be interested in having a go at it!

Most of the players including Richard Williams, Max Roach and Jimmy Knepper have been Mingus favorites. Also Yusef Lateef who has rarely played better than when Mingus was around shines on this track!

Track 12 - Pinky Winters 'How About Me?' , from the album 'Happy Madness' 'Gitanes Verve'

Pinky Winters, vocal, Lou Levy, p, Eric von Essen, b, Joe La Barbera, dr. Recorded March 1994 in Los Angeles

http://www.pinkywinters.com/images/HappySmall2.jpg

Pinky Winters is a dramatically underrated singer. A friend who knows I can be pretty strict on jazz vocals introduced me to an earlier release. I was hooked!

I am not keen on those 'chanteuses' who seem to have invaded the jazz singing these days and I like the singers that have respect for the melody. Pinky is one of those rare birds!

The CD from which this was extracted has a story unto itself. The album was her first appearance on a major label. A superbly produced session recorded for Verve. It appeared in France and was to be released in the United States. Right at the same time, there was a major change in the Verve company management and the album was never released in the US.

Pinky's longtime companion Lou Levy provides a class accompaniement.

Track 13 - 'Tu Te Laisses Aller' Jean-Claude Fohrenbach Quartet, from the album 'Francofeel' (Djazz)

Fohrenbach, tenor, Alain Wilsch, g, Marie Boisseau, b, Eric Dervieux, dr.

Recorded October 2001 in Paris

http://www.djaz.fr/covers/DJ546-2_72.jpg

Another French pop song by a little known French sax player Jean-Claude Fohrenbach. When I became a jazz fan in the early '50s, Fohrenbach was the top name among the new sax players (this was just before the appearance of people like Bobby Jaspar, Barney Wilen and Jean-Louis Chautemps). He was everywhere. If I remember right he was in the sax section at the very first concert I attended back in 1953 with the Tony Proteau band.

Heard him several times in the next few years. Then he was out of my radar.

His name was resurrected when a double CD of rare sessions he led was reissued in the Jazz in Paris series.

'Tu te laisses aller' was one of the best songs from Charles Aznavour, like Brassens a popular name here and with practically no connection with jazz.

In this 2002 date, Fohrenbach goes into a bossa nova mood for a very enjoyable performance of this song!

Track 14 - 'Extra Mild' The Jomar Dragon Quartet Featuring Phil urso (Legacy)

Ron Washiungton, Phil Urso, tenors, Dag Walton, organ, Gene Klingman, b, Jo,Jo Williams, dr. Recorded in 1959

http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/cp_images/c360.jpg

A rare session that was reissued by the people at Fresh Sound. God bless them for making so many little known albums available!

Not a great date but one that is very enjoyable nonetheless. It has the distinction of having one of the lesser known Brother on hand.

Applauds to Tooter who recognised the Urso theme right away!

The Hammond organ player is not much but the two tenors (Urso is the second player I think) are very effective. Ron Washington also sounded real good here! Another Washington who did not record enough!

This was the second album from this Denver-based group which takes its name from the players who created the band (JO Jo Williams, MARvin Halliday, DAG Walton and RON Washington).

Track 15 - Tony Fruscella - 'Johnny Mandel Tune', from the album 'Brooklyn Jam 1952' (Marshmallow)

Fruscella, tp, Hal McKusick, alto, Gene DiNovi, p, Joe Schulman, b, Billy Exiner, dr.

Recorded in Brooklyn, 1952

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005QYI4.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Yes, it's poorly recorded but so were many of those jam sessions that flourished in the fifties. This was included to make this rare album availabkle to fans of Tony Fruscella. Not his best album but his rarest among the few published. It's Hal McKusick playing along. McKusick is pretty tentative at the start of his solo but manages to find his way pretty quickly. Great backing from Joe Schulman

Track 16 - Serge Gainsbourg 'Coco and Co', from the album 'Gainsbourg Percussions' (Philips)

Michel Portal, alto, Eddy Louiss, p., Pierre Michelot, b, Christian Garros, dr., Alain Goraguer, conductor, arranger. Recorded October 1964 in Paris.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000051YED.08.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

The disc started with Gainsbourg, it finishes with him! From the same album (Gainsbourg Percussions). The disc was recorded at evening sessions in october 1964. Although Alain Goraguer is listed as the piano player with Eddy Louiss on organ, I would tend to think it is Louiss on piano (no organ is heard)!

Gainsbourg wanted to have a club atmosphere and club noise was probably added for the appropriate ambiance!

One of Gainsbourg's songs that dealt with illegal substances! It is also full of jazz references!

All three Gainsbourg sides I selected are included in this reissue.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000001E5G.08.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

It gathers 20 jazz-oriented sides from him!

[catesta]

So, there was some Lou Levy on the BFT.

Too bad for me I picked him on a completely incorrect track.

[Д.Д.]

Track 10 - Jean-Louis Chautemps - 'Sur And Sue Helen', from the album 'Chautemps' (Carlyne)

Chautemps, tenor, Martial Solal, p., trombone section. Recorded September 1988 in Paris

Jean-Louis Chautemps is another treasure of French jazz. A well know musician in France, he is an unknown name outside of the country. A modest and intellectually brilliant player with a perfect tone, he has only one album under his name. This one.

I chose the track where he has Martial Solal on piano, another too modest musician who has had better luck outside France.

Solal is excellent in all,circumstances but I have a special loive for his duos (be it with Lee Konitz, Hampton Hawes, Joachim Kuhn and more recently with Dave Douglas).

Solal's piano solo is outstanding. At some point he appears playing with four hands. Several listeners suggested overdubbing and this proved likely but I could not find any proof.

Turns out that Chautemps made a rare appearance a few days ago with René Urtreger in a club on the Ile Saint-Louis. I spent a great even,ing listening to these masters. Also I took the opportunity to ask Chautemps about the recording technique involved. Chautemps confirmed the overdubbing on a section of Solal solo. Not a simple but a double (for a very short sequence) dub. Masterful!

Just ordered it. Thanks!

[Stereojack]

Thanks for a fine albeit difficult set, Brownie! I'm not feeling so bad that I only got a couple, since most of the musicians were unfamilar to me.

[Chuck Nessa]

These answers make me wish I participated.

[mikeweil]

Portal doing a perfect Jackie Mac imitation - who would have thunk it!

Never heard of Pinky Winters - one more for the wish list.

Never had any doubts about the quantity or quality of French jazz musicians, but this is a humbling compilation.

Great, brownie!

[catesta]

These answers make me wish I participated.

I told ya it was going to be special.

[brownie]

Thanks for a fine albeit difficult set, Brownie! I'm not feeling so bad that I only got a couple, since most of the musicians were unfamilar to me.

That was the idea behind most of the items I picked! You don't have to feel bad about not guessing them!

[brownie]

Just ordered it. Thanks!

The cover you posted is the one from the Universal reissue that came out several months ago!

Pretty sure you'll like the whole album!

[MartyJazz]

Thanks so much Brownie for a challenging and very enjoyable set. Now if I can only find my copy of the BFT #34 so I can listen to it again with the answers in front of me. I'm lately afflicted with "sometimers" - sometimes I remember things, sometimes I don't.

[couw]

this reminds me I still have to listen to this with the answers on the side. I did some amateur guessing while driving on the Autobahn and also read through the discussion while listening. Wish I had more time!

One thing is for sure: that's a KILLER opening track!!