“Privat, Viseur and Muréna were important figures in the jazz manouche movement of interwar Paris, an amalgam of French valse musette and North American swing. La Contre Attaque du Jazz Musette, Vol. 1 samples their best compositions, revisited and –vitalized by accordionist Erwan Mellec (who favors an Italian-made Bugari), guitarist Thomas Le Briz and tuba player Benjamin Lebert, collectively known as Swing of France, here augmented by Stéphane Barbier’s spartan drums. Dominated by minor-key waltzes, the tunes contain serpentine melodies laced with intricate ornamentation and delicate flourishes, rendered with a loose, Roma-esque insouciance that belies the difficulty of performing them. “Yayou”, one of two originals, veers to Louisiana swamp boogie and Privet’s “Modern Valse” has banjo, but most tracks follow formula, Privat’s “Balajo” and Viseur’s “Jeannette” being two of the standouts.”
By Tom GREENLAND – NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
By Tom GREENLAND – NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
