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August 29 2022, week.

[LA COULEURS JAZZ WEEK #138]

… The Best Of!

On air on COULEURS JAZZ RADIO, Monday at 4PM, Tuesday 5PM, Wednesday 6PM, Thursday 7PM, + at 08:00PM Monday 10:00PM Tuesday NYC time; and finally on BRAM’ FM in the Tulle area, Tuesday at 9PM and Saturday at 4PM.

You will be able to discover the 12 best albums released these last days. An exclusive COULEURS JAZZ RADIO & BRAM FM with this week, after the credits “ 21st Century Schizoïd Ma  , by Médéric Collignon, godfather of this Radio belonging to the musicians, we shall listen to an extract of :

– « Duo & Trio » by the pianist Roberto Magris feat. Mark Colby on saxophone ;

This album follows “Match Point” celebrated and still selected on Couleurs jazz Radio.

The prolific and talented pianist from Trieste living in the United States, Roberto Magris, is back alternating as the name of his album indicates: Duo & Trio.

Cool World! is proposed as the opening of the album and as the opening of the Couleurs Jazz Week of this fall 2022. We are in the movement of cool jazz dear to Stan Getz for example or Herb Geller with whom Magris recorded two albums in the past. Here, the duet with Mark Colby should plunge you into a favorable state to listen to the 10 other tracks of the album as well as the 11 other extracts of the albums that this new program proposes.

We also recommend the excellent: “Papa’s Got A Brand New Rag” with its bouncy rhythms and “Blues For Herbie “G”” in which the opposition between Colby‘s calmness is expressed and makes sense in response to the exuberant flights of Roberto Magris‘ piano.

On half of the tracks on the album

MARK COLBY – tenor & soprano sax

ROBERTO MAGRIS – piano 

on the other half:

ROBERTO MAGRIS – piano 

ELISA PRUETT – bass 

BRIAN STEEVER – drums

PABLO SANHUEZA – congas

– « Rio Iguaçu » by the 5tet Brazilian Stories.

A double album produced by the brand new hexagonal label, BSP Productions to highlight the music of Latin America and in particular Brazil. It is not only about reinterpretations of traditional music of the rich Brazilian heritage, (Milton Nascimento, Airto Moreira, Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto Gismonti, Dorival Caymmi) but also about original creations respecting the codes and fundamentals of this music.

Reappropriation ? Legitimacy? Useless false debate. The arrangements and creations are of a very high quality, quite simply.

The pianist Mathieu Bélis and the bassist Stéphane Dardour met at the Bill Evans Piano Academy. Their teacher was Philippe Baden Powell…

The singer Maryline Rollet joined them and the Brazilian Stories project was born. Saxophonist David Florsch and drummer Bao Lao quickly joined the trio.

In selection on Couleurs Jazz Radio for our happiness.

Staff:

Maryline Rollet, vocals
Mathieu Bélis, piano
Stéphane Dardour, doublebass

David Florsch, saxophone
Bao Lao, drums.

– “ By Oneself ”by the guitarist Frédéric Favarel.

Because following the adage, “you are never better served than by yourself”: “By Oneself”, the first solo album of a guitarist who is very much in demand within prestigious bands is finally released!

The virtuoso guitarist who is never in demonstration and who has already signed six other albums as a leader, shows us here again all his musical sensitivity, his strong culture of jazz and music in general.

The covers of musicians like Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Kurt Weil or Wayne Shorter offer us a new approach of these jazz monuments. It takes culture even more than perfect technique to create so many new emotions. This is the essence of jazz. To constantly recreate something new from melodies that belong to the world’s musical heritage.

An album rich in subtlety, where the finesse of its creator-interpreter is revealed over the course of multiple listenings that we invite you to indulge in.

In selection on Couleurs Jazz Radio. The piece we have selected for Couleurs Jazz Week is the one that closes the album: “Think of One” by Thelonious Monk

– « The Long Run » by the Israelian 4tet of the flautist, Mattan Klein ;

Mattan Klein,talented musician, virtuoso flautist, renowned teacher, comes back with a new album released on the Ubuntu Music label: “The Long Run“.

The members of his 4tet are regulars: Toki Stern on keyboards, Yoni Ben Ari on bass and Joca Perpignan on percussion, as well as a special guest, guitarist Nitzan Bar. “The musicians on the album are colleagues and friends,” Klein says. “I sought a certain sound for the band that can only be achieved with the right combination of personalities and talents. Ironically, I had the pleasure of meeting most of my favorite Israeli musician friends in the United States….. At the time, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were like two separate planets.”

The album includes a touching rendition of Hermeto Pascoal’s “O Farol Que Nos Guia” “Jokes,” a Brazilian jazz composition by Toki Stern, as well as four original Klein compositions – the medleys “Luck-Key/Kind-Of” and “Azymotiv/Hakaza,” “Otem Reh(y),” a tribute to Hermeto Pascoal, and the title song. ” ‘The Long Run’ reflects how one must run long distances with their head held high,” Klein says. “Only such a perspective can provide the energy and motivation to sometimes overcome obstacles and challenges.”

Yours truly had the chance last August to hear Matten Klein and his 4tet at the

Nisville Jazz Festival perform this album.

Staff :

Mattan Klein: flute

Toki Stern: keyboards, Fender Rhodes

Yoni Ben Ari: bass

Joca Perpignan: percussions

Guest:

Nitzan Bar: guitar

– « Un jour de mai 1955 » by the guitarist Drom Blanchard ;

«Talking to me about gypsy jazz is like preaching to the choir.

Drom Blanchard is an excellent French guitarist well anchored in the tradition of gypsy swing. A successful album, even if the production is a bit weak in terms of sound.

No real surprise but we spend a good time listening to all 10 tracks. To note the presence of the piano and the trumpet, an excellent idea which brings a new breath to the album; fact sufficiently rare in the gypsy swing jazz genre to be underlined. Let us note finally that the album is only made up of original compositions, no cover of the master Django.

I recommend in particular the titles: Little Red Blues, Yoco Swing and Laota Michto “.

Thomas Houbron, for Couleurs Jazz Radio

Staff:

Drom Blanchard, lead guitar

Nicolas Sausa, rythmic guitar 

Xavier Nikqui, doublebass

guests :

Jules Le Risbé, piano

Louis Genoud, trumpet

– « Heart in Hand » by Ned Ferm & Kenny Wollesen ;

‘Heart In Hand’ is the new album and the first official collaboration of the American multi-instrumentalists Kenny Wollesen & Ned Ferm released on Stunt Records label.

Ned Ferm  is an American saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist based in Copenhagen for over 20 years. He has collaborated on more than 100 albums with Yusef Lateef, Roswell Rudd, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Tyshawn Sorey, Jakob Bro, Maria Faust …

New York drummer and percussionist Kenny Wollesen has built a solid reputation playing in jazz, folk, rock, pop and improvised music contexts with artists such as Bill Frisell, Tom Waits, John Zorn, Rickie Lee Jones, Ron Sexsmith, Norah Jones and John Lurie.

The arrangements are also signed Anders Christensen on double bass and Rune Kjeldsen on guitars. Wollesen is on drums, percussion, piano and electric vibraphone, and Ferm plays tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute, violin, Rhodes, as well as some percussion and choir.

A music that pays tribute to American folk.

Jazz-cool in short, affordable even for the less erudite ears.  A very well produced music and in a very beautiful way.

The titles Sonny Boy, Bloom, Satan Doll (nice title!), Agora are selected on your favorite radio.

Personnel :

Ned Ferm, saxophone, clarinet, flute, violon, Rhodes, percussions, choirs

Kenny Wollesen, drums, percussions, piano, electric vibraphone 

Rune Kjeldsen, guitars

Anders Christensen, doublebass

– « The Genius of Django» by maestro Django Reinhardt ;

Un magnifique coffret comportant 21 CDs entièrement remasterisés édités par l’excellent  Label Ouest

Une nouvelle expérience de la musique de ce génie de la 6 cordes et qui apporta sa pierre taillée à l’univers du Jazz.

21 CD – 383 titres – Un livret de 100 pages illustrées, retraçant la vie de Django Reinhardt.

Les sommets de l’œuvre de Django Reinhardt sont ici rassemblés pour la première fois en collection thématique : Intégrale Quintette à cordes, Nouveau Quintette, Electrified Django 1947, Rome 1949, Le dernier Django).

Le splendide coffret inclut deux CDs bonus (Only Strings et Strings & Winds) et un titre inédit – le dernier enregistrement connu du musicien avant son accident de 1928, avec l’accordéoniste Maurice Alexander.  
Le livret bilingue d’une centaine de pages décrit chacun des 21 albums avec également des interventions deSanseverino, Didier Lockwood, Biréli Lagrène, Philip Catherine, Stochelo Rosenberg, David Reinhardt, …

Des coffrets reprenant l’œuvre de Django Reinhardt sont nombreux. Celui-ci apporte un son nouveau au sens propre du terme, puisqu’un remarquable travail de restauration sonore fut entrepris par Jean-Pierre Bouquet de l’Autre Studio. Ainsi l’on redécouvre une image complète de l’orchestre permettant de distinguer clairement les différents plans sonores des solistes eou des desctions rythmiques.

Le guitariste Samy Daussat  totalement impliqué dans ce projet vérifia entre autres tâches, que tous les morceaux soient au diapason  ; ce qui permet pour la première fois une écoute à la bonne hauteur et à la bonne vitesse, ce qui n’avait jamais été entrepris dans une collection d’une telle envergure.

Ce coffret mériterait bien que nous lui consacrions « 21 émissions spéciales Django Reinhardt »… Nous y réfléchissons ! (Si des sponsors veulent contribuer…)

En attendant, il fallait choisir un seul morceau parmi près de 400 titres, pour la Couleurs Jazz Week… Subjectivement forcément, nous avons retenu « Minor Blues » extrait du 2ème CD Bonus, #21 « Strings on Winds » enregistré le 16 avril 1947 à Paris.

Django à la guitare lead est avec Vincent Casino, Louis Menardi et Jo Boyer à la trompette, André Lefosse et un inconnu au trombone, Michel de Villers au saxophone alto et à la clarinette, Jean-Claude Forenbach au sax tenor, Eddie Bernard au piano, Joseph Reinhardt à la guitare rythmique, Willy Lockwood à la contrebasse, et Al Craig à la batterie.

CD 1 à 8 : Le Quintette à cordes – Intégrale

CD 9 et 10 : Le Nouveau Quintette – Les années de guerre (1940-1943)

CD 11 à 13 : Electrified Django (1947)

CD 14 à 16 : Rome (1949)

CD 17 à 19 : Le dernier Django (1951-1953)  

CD 20 : Bonus “Only Strings” (1937-1939)

CD 21 : Bonus “Strings on winds” (1928-1947)

A magnificent boxed set of 21 fully remastered CDs published by the excellent Label Ouest

A new experience of the music of this six strings genius who brought his stone to the universe of Jazz.

21 CDs – 383 tracks – A booklet of 100 illustrated pages, retracing Django Reinhardt’s life.

The summits of Django Reinhardt‘s work are gathered here for the first time in a thematic collection: Complete String Quintet, New Quintet, Electrified Django 1947, Rome 1949, The Last Django.

The splendid box set includes two bonus CDs (Only Strings and Strings & Winds) and a previously unreleased track – the last known recording of the musician before his 1928 accident, with accordionist Maurice Alexander.  
The bilingual booklet of a hundred pages describes each of the 21 albums with also interventions of Sanseverino, Didier Lockwood, Biréli Lagrène, Philip Catherine, Stochelo Rosenberg, David Reinhardt, …

Box sets featuring the work of Django Reinhardt are numerous. This one brings a new sound in the true sense of the word, since a remarkable work of sound restoration was undertaken by Jean-Pierre Bouquet of the Other Studio. Thus one rediscovers a complete image of the orchestra allowing to clearly distinguish the different sound planes of the soloists and rhythmic desctions.

The guitarist Samy Daussat, totally involved in this project, verified among other tasks, that all the pieces were in tune; this allows for the first time a listening at the right height and speed, which had never been undertaken in a collection of such a scale.

This boxed set deserves that we dedicate to it “21 special Django Reinhardt programs“… We are thinking about it! (If sponsors want to contribute…)

In the meantime, we had to choose only one song among nearly 400 titles, for the Couleurs Jazz Week… Subjectively of course, we have chosen “Minor Blues” from the 2nd Bonus CD, #21 “Strings on Winds” recorded on April 16, 1947 in Paris.

Django on lead guitar is with Vincent Casino, Louis Menardi and Jo Boyer on trumpet, André Lefosse and an unknown on trombone, Michel de Villers on alto saxophone and clarinet, Jean-Claude Forenbach on tenor sax, Eddie Bernard on piano, Joseph Reinhardt on rhythm guitar, Willy Lockwood on double bass, and Al Craig on drums

CDs 1 to 8: The String Quintet – Complete

CD 9 and 10: The New Quintet – The War Years (1940-1943)

CD 11 to 13: Electrified Django (1947)

CD 14 to 16: Rome (1949)

CD 17 to 19 : The last Django (1951-1953)  

CD 20: Bonus “Only Strings” (1937-1939)

CD 21: Bonus “Strings on winds” (1928-1947)

– «Traveling Band » by the Mezcal Jazz Unit ;

Thequartet Mezcal Jazz Unit has been traveling the five continents for more than 35 years and has multiplied his encounters with local musicians, creating a jazz-world inspired by all these climates and artistic encounters. This last opus is a concentrate in 7 titles of these different colors collected during these travels, like the 7 shades of a giant rainbow.  

It is thus 7 emotions provoked by 7 places (Russia, Java, Vietnam, Germany, India, Central America, Oregon, USA) to be tasted and shared.
For the Couleurs Jazz Week we have chosen “Road To Baruipur” (Calcutta, India)

Staff :

Christophe Azema, saxophones

Jean Marie Frédéric, guitar

Emmanuel de Gouvello, bass

Daniel Solia, drums

– «The Seed » by the Hellenic guitarist, Thomas Mitroussis in quartet.

« To make me discover a guitarist is always to take me by the feelings. It is a nice surprise to discover the first album of this excellent Greek guitarist. Thomas Mitroussis proposes us a modern jazz, with at the same time classical, bop and rock influences.

Without putting too much in front of his virtuosity, nor by occupying all the space, Thomas Mitroussis proposes a dialogue with his three companions, centered around textures or sound atmospheres.

His guitar playing is resolutely modern, and he can make us think of Mike Stern, Sheryl Bailey or John Scofield…

The other musicians answer present and propose us all a great wealthy music.

The production is very neat. I can say without taking risks that this first album is a success.  Let’s escape, let’s relax!”

Thomas Houbron, for Couleurs Jazz Radio

Staff:

Thomas Mitroussis – Guitar

Kostas Yaxoglou, piano

Paraskevas Kitsos, doublebass

Dimitris Klonis, drums

– « The Time is Now » by The Jones Factor ;

« It is always a perilous adventure to record a small big band.

On the one hand you have to be sure of your musical strength and on the other hand it requires careful organization and a lot of time.

However, The John Factor Band does it particularly well.

Arrangements and orchestrations of quality that can remind us of the great ensembles (without the strings) of Oliver Nelson, Lalo Schifrin or Issac Eyes. 

On the other hand, the solo parts are without too many surprises nor without great virtuosity, the only slight downside to this project.

The production can also seem to us a little less accomplished. But once again, it is extremely difficult for a producer or sound engineer to find the perfect sound in this kind of context. In my opinion, for this to be a total success it would have been necessary to build it around a more accomplished musician like a pianist or a virtuoso brass player or even better a singer who could have magnified these superb arrangements.

The album, easy listening, is rich with blues, funk and jazz influences.”

Thomas Houbron, for Couleurs Jazz Radio

Staff :

Ken Gioffre – Soprano, Alto, Tenor Saxes, Flute

Bill Harris – Tenor Sax, Flute

Janet Lantz – French Horn

Tony Kadleck – Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Don Hayward – Bass Trombone

Scott Wendholt – Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Rob Aries – Piano

John Fumasoli – Trombone/leader

Dave Anderson – Bass

Joel Rosenblatt – Drums

– « Sirocco » by the bassist, guitarist Hubert Dupont ;

In 2019, Hubert Dupont bassist, composer and improviser invites in this adventure, Smaïl Kanouté contemporary and urban dancer, passed by the hip hop.

It is about the Sirocco, this hot wind from the South, coming from Africa and depositing its colored dust on the European coasts. The metaphor evokes the freedom and courage of those who travel long and terrible journeys, crossing the seas on boats of fortune and who have the breath to risk their lives for a better future.

Théo Fischer, a young artist met during the Comptoir‘s rap-jams and his live electronics is chosen for his polyrhythms as well as the lyrical saxophonist Christophe Monniot, with his delightful unpredictability and unreal colors and sound textures.

An original contemporary jazz to be discovered urgently on Couleurs Jazz Radio like this “Géante Rouge” chosen for the Couleurs Jazz Week.

Staff :

Hubert Dupont,  bass, fx, bass acoustic guitar, doublebass
Théo Fischer, live electro , beatmaker
Christophe Monniot, saxophones, fx, lyricon, synthesizers

– « Sketches of Miles  »  by the Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XII Feat. Theo Croker ;

A double tribute album to Miles Davis.

The music of this icon of Jazz History re-imagined with modern elements and original arrangements by Magnus Lindgren and Hans Ek.

In the role of Miles, one of his worthy legacies, Theo Croker, well known to us. He is assisted by his quartet. The whole wrapped by the excellent musicians of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

The 8 tracks divided into two CDs are all between 13 and 17 minutes long except for the 9’40 “All Blues” which will close this Couleurs Jazz Week.

The album is a “Hit Couleurs Jazz“. You can also listen on your favorite radio station, this brilliant version of “So What” with Magnus Lindgren on tenor saxophone

Personnel :
Theo Croker, trumpet

Danny Grissett, piano
Joshua Ginsburg, doublebass
Gregory Hutchinson, drums

Magnus Lindgren is on flute in« All Blues »

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