“This 2-CD set of big band swing from postwar France concentrates on instrumental dance band recordings, with only a handful of vocal tunes, and those delivered either in English or Slim Gaillard/Cab Calloway-style scat singing. That takes a little bit of the fun out of it for me, since I always prefer to hear "foreign" artists singing in their own language, and prefer big band vocals to big band instrumentals. Still, it's fun to discover the breadth of French dance band in the late '40s and early '50s, and there are a lot of artists here that go well beyond the scope of well-known bandleaders like Jacques Helian and Ray Ventura, who worked in the field before the war. Amid musicians such as Aime Barelli, Christian Bellest, Fernand Clare, Georgie Kay and Maurice Moufflard there are Count Basie and Benny Goodman imitators aplenty, with a number of hot soloists developing in their ranks. In later recordings, some bands took up the challenge of erudite arrangers such Stan Kenton and Artie Shaw (notably Noel Chiboust and his orchestra, as well as Jerry Mengo, who became a major force in '50s French pop, including some sessions with rockers like Eddy Mitchell...) Also included are bandleaders such as Eddie Barclay and Alix Combelle, who may be familiar to fans of French pop from this era. An intriguing companion to other French jazz collections such as Fremeaux's outstanding "LES ZAZOUS - 1938-1946" and "SWING DE PARIS - 1922-1951".”
Par DJ JOE SIX PACK – AMAZON.COM
Par DJ JOE SIX PACK – AMAZON.COM
