Alain Jean-Marie is a French jazz pianist. He made his first recordings in 1969 (released in 1997 as piano biguines). At the same time he played regularly with the trio of Winston Berkley and Jean Claude Montredon. In 1973, he moved to Paris, where he accompanied jazz musicians such as Chet Baker, Sonny Stitt, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin, Lee Konitz, and Max Roach. In 1979, he debuted with his own trio (Al Levitt on percussion, Gus Nemeth and later Riccardo Del Fra on bass). Since the 1980s, he has regularly performed with Barney Wilen, including as a duo on albums such as La Notenbleue (1986) and Dreamtime (1992). In 1986, he regularly accompanied Dee Dee Bridgewater. In 1987 he recorded the album Latin Alley in a duo with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen…

Henri Crolla (1920-1960) was an Italian jazz guitarist and film composer. Born in Naples, Campania, Italy, to a family of itinerant Neapolitan musicians, he moved with his family to Porte de Choisy in France in 1922 following the rise of fascism in Italy. One of his neighbours was a young Django Reinhardt, with whose family he became close. He also put to music many poems from Prévert's Paroles with Joseph Kosma.

Sacha Distel was one of the top jazz guitarists and chanson singers in France. A prolific recording artist, Distel recorded more than 200 tunes including his biggest hit, "Scoubidou," in 1958. In addition to appearing in several French films, he became one of France's most popular television actors. Distel inherited his love of music from his mother, who played piano, and an uncle, Ray Ventura, who was a renowned bandleader and composer. Trained by Henry Salvador, guitarist/singer for Ventura's orchestra, Distel was a featured soloist with his school orchestra by the age of 13. He established his early reputation as accompanist for French vocalist Juliette Gréco.
Following a stint in the French military, he spent an extended period in New York, haunting jazz clubs in Manhattan and Harlem. Returning to France, Distel launched his solo career…

"The man who was Django’s prestigious partner in the first, immortal Quintette du H.C.F. has made an appearance (on wax) for Barclay with a series of recordings in which you can rediscover his pretty sound and abundant, easy ideas; in a word, his style which, though with less of a bite than before, has lost none of its grace." Those were the first lines of the review that a certain Michel Delaroche (in fact Boris Vian) wrote for the November 1955 issue of Jazz Hot; the subject was this album, the first that Stéphane Grappelli ("Grappelly" at the time) had made on violin under his own name since he'd left England.
The violinist had celebrated his definitive return to France at the Club Saint-Germain on the night of April 25th 1954; he would appear there on and off for the next seven years…

Featuring compositions and arrangements by film composer and jazz buff Michel Legrand, Stan Getz's Communications '72 is one in a long line of strings-and-voices albums the tenor saxophonist recorded. Starting with a Gunther Schuller-arranged session from 1955, Getz produced some impressive work in this context, with the incredible Eddie Sauter collaboration Focus standing out in particular. And even in the midst of some not-so-incredible backing on a few sets, Getz always comes up with impeccable solo statements. For his part, Legrand strikes an expert balance here among jazz combo, strings, and chorus, but the frenetic Swingle Singers-style choral parts don't always come off. While overpowering Getz on the otherwise lovely "Redemption," the vocal interjections sound too overarching in their mix of avant-garde and straightforward phrasing on "Outhouse Blues" and "Bonjour Tristesse"…

Louis Armstrong was recorded live so many times during the last two decades of his career that jazz fans tend to take many of these releases for granted. But this second volume from a 1965 Paris concert finds Armstrong expanding his repertoire a bit, including pop songs of the day in addition to expected fare like "Muskrat Ramble." The fluid muted trombone of Tyree Glenn is showcased in a swinging "Volare," vocalist Jewel Brown (Velma Middleton's replacement) offers a spirited rendition of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" backed by Billy Kyle's bluesy piano, while bassist Buddy Catlett takes his turn in the spotlight during "Cocktails for Two." The recent turnover in personnel not long before this concert tour hardly seems to have hampered Armstrong, who returns for an crowd-pleasing medley of "When the Saint Go Marchin' In" and the inevitable request for "Hello Dolly."

The Gitanes label has taken it upon itself to reissue on CD some of the late work of gypsy jazz giant Django Reinhardt. The tracks that make up Nuits de Saint-Germain des-Prés come from three Decca sessions dating from May of 1951 to January 1953, the final year of his life. The title comes from the reopening of the infamous club Saint-Germain des-Prés, whose reopening coincided with Reinhardt showing off his bop chops to a host of notable American jazzmen, including Benny Carter, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Parker, Don Byas, and others. The bands on all of these sessions are comprised of Young Turks, most notably a youthful Pierre Michelot on bass. The other constants are drummer Pierre Lemarchand and Hubert Fol on clarinets and saxophone; the latter's brother Raymond is the pianist on two of these sessions…

Michel de Villers made the beautiful evenings of La Rose Rouge before attending the Trois Mailletz with his accomplices Guy Lafitte and André Persiani. Attached to the swing, the saxophonist worked to demonstrate that good music and entertainment were perfectly reconcilable. A point of view shared by Boris Vian, artistic director of Philips discs. His clientele demanding dance records, Boris supervised the recordings. Entrusted to Villers, arranged by Persiani, these big band faces from 1958 and 1959 - we ignore the staff - instrumental adaptations of fashionable themes, still retain all their charm. In 1961, Jean-Christophe Averty produced a Claude Bolling Special Show for television. The show featured the pianist's nonette, a medium formation that sounded like great. In the absence of images, the music testifies to it.

Earl Hines is in great form during this 1970 studio session with bassist Larry Richardson and drummer Richie Goldberg. Four of the six tracks are standards which the pianist played many times during his long career, including a lively "Them There Eyes," a rather wild "There Is No Greater Love," and a striding solo interpretation of "You're Driving Me Crazy" that showcases Hines' formidable technique. Don Redman's moody "If It's True" had long since become an obscurity by the time of this recording, but Hines' subtle performance is a masterpiece. His one original is the brisk, foot-tapping boogie-woogie "Snugly but Ugly."

Many great jazz artists have recorded, with great success, a live album at the Olympia in Paris while they visited or lived on Paris. Among these greats is Rhoda Scott. Her vast discography on Barclay is more or less still in the master tapes vaults but the "Live At The Olympia" CD, reissued on the Jazz In Paris CD program, is very good pick in the vaults. Supporting Scott playing the Hammond B3, the trio are Joe Thomas on flute/tenor saxophone and Cees Kranenburg on drums. Scott has always had great nose for mixing musical genres and tunes on her records, and "Live At The Olympia" is no exception . The trio treats the standards Bluesette", "I Hear Music", "Wade In The Water", "Equinox" and "People" with great musical inventiveness and interplay - they really tells us a new story on known themes.

This compilation in Verve's Jazz in Paris reissue series features two long unavailable studio sessions by two somewhat obscure pianists. Art Simmons, who recorded as a sideman with James Moody in 1949 and also appeared on discs by Dizzy Gillespie, Don Byas, Trummy Young, Bill Coleman, and Clark Terry, made his recording debut as a leader in 1956 with English guitarist Terry Donahue, bassist Bill Crow, and drummer Dave Bailey. Although his cool style of playing is a bit conservative, his treatments of standards such as "My Funny Valentine," "Too Marvelous for Words," and "Nice Work if You Can Get It" are worthwhile. Ronnell Bright is primarily known for his work as pianist for Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson, though he did a few dates as a leader…

French guitarist Henri Crolla is heard with a variety of different groups in this compilation of recordings from the 1950s. Although the first ten tracks were recorded as a tribute to the late Django Reinhardt, Crolla stays in the background to allow violinist Stéphane Grappelli to dominate the brief rendition of "Swing 39." In "Minor Swing," Grappelli clarinetist Hubert Rostaing and alto saxophonist Andre Ekyan solo prior to the leader, with Crolla capturing some of the flavor of Reinhardt without copying him outright. But the ballad features without Grappelli are the most surprising tracks. Reinhardt's lovely but obscure "Anouman" showcases Ekyan with the rhythm section, minus Crolla, who evidently sat out this number…

Hubert Rostaing's clarinet sang elegant musical phrases. Its beautiful sound captivated Django Reinhardt and Rostaing took place in the Quintet of the Hot Club de France in 1940. Accompanist of Yves Montand, arranger and composer of film music, Rostaing recorded a delicious album for Vega records in 1957 in which his composer's talent is emerging. Martial Solal and Michel Hausser interpret his delicate swing music with great finesse, which is presented as a tribute to Benny Goodman. Maurice Meunier succeeded Hubert Rostaing with Django in 1947. Opened at bebop, he adopted the agreements and offered the instrument new perspectives. Now forgotten, Meunier produced a magnificent album for Barclay in 1956. William Boucaya, Raymond Fol, Rene Urtreger, Pierre Michelot, Christian Garros and Jean-Louis Viale support his modern clarinet.

Rare French jazz from the late 50s and early 60s - previously issued only as 7" eps, and finally properly issued for the first time! The standout material here is by Sonny Criss - pulled from 2 different EPs issued in 1963, recorded when he'd dropped out of the LA scene, and was rejuvenating his talents on the Paris scene of the early 60s. Criss' tone is fantastic here - slowly grooving on soulful small group numbers with either Georges Arvanitas or Henri Renaud on piano, plus a bit of guitar by Rene Thomas…

Bernard Peiffer was a popular pianist on the French jazz scene throughout a good part of the 1950s. Following intensive training as a classical pianist, Peiffer began playing jazz in distinguished company. While still a young man he played with Django Reinhardt, Hubert Rostaing and other European jazzmen and also with visiting Americans such as Rex Stewart, Don Byas and Sidney Bechet. By the end of the 40s he had become very well known in his native land, leading small groups and also working alone. Persuaded to visit the USA, he moved there in the mid-50s and thereafter commuted between the USA and Europe. An exceptionally accomplished technician, Peiffer’s solo playing was rich and sometimes florid. He was forward-thinking in his style, despite the swing era resonances of his early associations.