Bireli Lagrene - Blue Eyes (1997)

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Bireli Lagrene - Blue Eyes (1997)

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Throughout his career, Bireli Lagrene has often confounded expectations. He started out as a brilliant young Django Reinhardt impressionist; a few years later, he switched to rock-oriented fusion, and then returned to straight-ahead jazz with a more original (if blander) voice than he had displayed in his Django days. On this 1997 set Blue Eyes, a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Lagrene not only plays with swing and subtlety in a conventional quartet (with pianist Maurice Vander, bassist Chris Minh Doky, and drummer André Ceccarelli), but sings a few numbers quite effectively. The 13 selections include such standards as "The Lady Is a Tramp," "My Kind of Town," "Come Fly with Me" and "Luck Be a Lady" and are all associated with Sinatra; the treatments given by Lagrene and his quartet are melodic, tasteful and full of cheer. (allmusic.com)

This straight-ahead jazz session from guitarist Bireli Lagrene, pianist Maurice Vander, bassist Chris Minh Doky, and drummer Andre Ceccarelli features songs identified with Frank Sinatra. It was recorded in June 1997 as a tribute to the singer who influenced each of the quartet's members as they were growing up and listening to music from all around the world. Audiences know Lagrene, a 31-year-old Frenchman who was born to a Gypsy family, as a mainstream guitarist in the Django Reinhardt tradition. On this session Lagrene sings four of the songs; his vocal quality and phrasing are remarkably similar to that of the late Frank Sinatra.
The individual tracks offer much opportunity to hear the individuals: Chris Minh Doky has an appreciable bass solo on "It's Alright With Me," drummer Ceccarelli trades fours on "A Foggy Day," pianist Vander stretches out on "Here's That Rainy Day," and of course Lagrene's guitar graces each song. The highlight is a version of "Come Fly With Me" that runs more than seven minutes and fits in solo work from each artist. Highly Recommended. (allaboutjazz.com)