This CD is part of a commemoration of the First World War. Composer, bandleader and arranger James Europe introduced jazz to France whilst stationed there in 1918: he had recorded prior to this. This set is split between two quite different French outfits, with the Spirit Of Chicago Orchestra endeavouring to achieve a pure ragtime approach to early jazz, and to my untrained ears they do sound pretty close to the originals, though it would have been better to have had those originals available for comparison. There are versions of ‘Ballin the Jack’, W.C. Handy’s ‘Memphis Blues’, the venerable ‘Ja Da’ and ‘Down Home Rag’, alongside a couple of numbers with titles referencing Jim’s association with celebrated dancers Vernon and Irene Castle, a ‘Broadway Hit Medley’, and a version of ‘La Mar-seillaise’, reconstruted, as much as possible, from the way Europe played it on first arriving on French soli (and the locals had a little difficulty recognizing it as such, apparently).
Par Norman DARWEN – BLUES & RHYTHM
Par Norman DARWEN – BLUES & RHYTHM
