American Jazz Quintet at Le Chat Qui Pêche

[Durium]

Jimmy Wormworth had met Al Levitt, the New York drummer, in the summer of 1956 while playing at the Pia Beck Flying Dutchman in Scheveningen, the beach resort of The Hague (The Netherlands) and when Jimmy returned to Holland the next year he was invited to play with his group in Le Chat Qui Pêche Club in Paris, August 1957. Jimmy Wormworth, now in his 70s, remembers the inspiring Paris jazzscene of 1957. Tomorrow part two of his Parisian gig with his recalls to Dutch piano player Nico Bunink.

Jimmy Wormworth: The American Jazz Quintet in Paris - 1957 - part one

Le Chat Qui Pêche was one of those numerous 1950s Parisian venues were jazz men could play. Madame Ricard ruled the cellar club and gave the musicans elbow-room. The US musicians liked to play there; the audience was quite different from what they were accustomed to in New York. Jimmy Wormworth and the his American Jazz Quitet (+ one) performed there during the month of August 1957 and met great musicians like Nico Bunink, the Dutch piano player that would make a career in the US playing with Charles Mingus, Zoot Sims and Stan Getz, to list some, but stayed fully underrated in his homeland.

Jimmy Wormworth: The American Jazz Quintet in Paris - 1957 - part two

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[BillF]

I recall Nico Bunick (sic) from a Mingus Candid album. I remember hearing Ted Curson (also on that album) play at the Chat Qui Peche in the mid 60s.

[Durium]

I recall Nico Bunick (sic) from a Mingus Candid album. I remember hearing Ted Curson (also on that album) play at the Chat Qui Peche in the mid 60s.

"Nico Bunick" (sic) - that's what the Mingus album says, but his real name is: Floris Nico Bunink

10-Keep Swinging blog

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[brownie]

Le Chat Qui Pêche, oh the memories...

- Oscar Pettiford (with Lucky Thompson) playing there, also Barney Wilen, Donald Byrd with Bobby Jaspar, Chet Baker, Don Cherry with Gato Barbieri... and many others...

- Nico Bunink (backing Barney Wilen one night at the Club Saint-Germain)

- the good Madame Ricard who was so protective with her young patrons (on her good days!)

Madame Marie-Thérèse Ricard, at right, with critic Maurice Cullaz and two unidentified visitors on the groundfloor of Le Chat Qui Pêche. (photo by Chenz, a familiar figure of the Paris jazz scene at the time)

I go past the club (now a tourist restaurant) on my daily walks around the area

Edited July 25, 2011 by brownie

[JSngry]

Le Chat Qui Pêche..literally translated as "the cat who fishes", right? Does it have a more..."idiomatic" meaning than that in common usage, like, is it a metaphor for something else? Always wondered about that...

And Maurice Cullaz - any relation to Alby Cullaz who played w/Hank on The Flip?

[brownie]

Wikipedia on the rue du Chat Qui Pêche.

The club is located next to that narrow street. It is actually on the Rue de la Huchette.

Alby Cullaz was Maurice's son. So was guitar player Pierre Cullaz,

[mikeweil]

I once saw Nico Bunink live in Frankfurt woith some American saxist - Charles MacPherson? Can't remember .... nice piano player.

[Durium]

Charles McPherson

Charles McPherson with the Rein De Graaff Trio

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Edited July 25, 2011 by Durium

[BillF]

I once saw Nico Bunink live in Frankfurt woith some American saxist - Charles MacPherson? Can't remember .... nice piano player.

Charles McPherson was on that Mingus album, too.