king ubu Posted July 28, 2003 Report Posted July 28, 2003 In the reissues forum we recently discussed Sacha Distel's "Jazz guitarist" (Jazz in Paris hors série 01): (see thread here) This is a very nice package. It includes two early live tracks by the Hubert Fol-Sacha Distel group, also including René Urtreger, then several very good tracks by the Sacha Distel-Bobby Jaspar group (again it's Urtreger on piano). The Jaspar tracks include a very fine, deeply felt version of "Everything Happens To Me" - one of Bobby Jaspars best recordings, I think. Then you get two albums, a nice one from the fifties with a small group arranged by Billy Byers, and one from '68 with arrangements by the suave, sophisticated Slide Hampton - very much of sixties vintage but it includes some very fine playing by Distel. What strikes me most, is Distel's clear, singing sound on the guitar. Then the manner in which he constructs his perfectly logical solos. Another, even better (imo) record by Distel, with John Lewis as co-leader, was reissued on Koch: This one features Barney Wilen and the rhythm sections of Percy Heath/Connie Kay and Pierre Michelot/Kenny Clarke respectively. Wilen turns in some astonishing solos on "Dear Old Stockholm" and "Bags Groove", while Distel is very good, too. And it seems I can't get enough John Lewis recently. Anyone who's interested in Distel should also consider Bobby Jaspar "& His Modern Jazz" which has a nice piano-less quartet date featuring Distel, and "Modern Jazz Au Club St. Germain" (Jazz in Paris) which features Distel and again René Urtreger. ubu Quote
DrJ Posted July 28, 2003 Report Posted July 28, 2003 I already have JAZZ GUITARIST on the way from Dusty Groove - can't wait! Quote
John Delaney Posted July 28, 2003 Report Posted July 28, 2003 There's a non vocal Sacha Distel on Pablo 2310 892 called 'My Guitar And All That Jazz'. This was a reissue of Carrere 67.975, recorded in Paris during 1983. I don't think this has made it to CD. I can't comment on the musical content as I have never heard it. John Delaney Quote
jazz1 Posted July 28, 2003 Report Posted July 28, 2003 In the reissues forum we recently discussed Sacha Distel's "Jazz guitarist" (Jazz in Paris hors série 01): (see thread here) This is a very nice package. It includes two early live tracks by the Hubert Fol-Sacha Distel group, also including René Urtreger, then several very good tracks by the Sacha Distel-Bobby Jaspar group (again it's Urtreger on piano). The Jaspar tracks include a very fine, deeply felt version of "Everything Happens To Me" - one of Bobby Jaspars best recordings, I think. Then you get two albums, a nice one from the fifties with a small group arranged by Billy Byers, and one from '68 with arrangements by the suave, sophisticated Slide Hampton - very much of sixties vintage but it includes some very fine playing by Distel. What strikes me most, is Distel's clear, singing sound on the guitar. Then the manner in which he constructs his perfectly logical solos. Another, even better (imo) record by Distel, with John Lewis as co-leader, was reissued on Koch: This one features Barney Wilen and the rhythm sections of Percy Heath/Connie Kay and Pierre Michelot/Kenny Clarke respectively. Wilen turns in some astonishing solos on "Dear Old Stockholm" and "Bags Groove", while Distel is very good, too. And it seems I can't get enough John Lewis recently. Anyone who's interested in Distel should also consider Bobby Jaspar "& His Modern Jazz" which has a nice piano-less quartet date featuring Distel, and "Modern Jazz Au Club St. Germain" (Jazz in Paris) which features Distel and again René Urtreger. ubu Got this one, but my fav in the Jazz in Paris series is Eddy Louiss "Bohemia after dark" with Eddie Gourley on guitar, Jean Francois Jenny Clark on bass, and Kenny Clark on drums. I was playing it just now, jeez these guys could swing, just amazing. A suitable title for this cd could be "The swinging machine" Before that I was listening to Rene Urtreger "En direct d'Antibes" again wow wow wow, dont ever tell me that Frenchman can't swing Quote
brownie Posted July 29, 2003 Report Posted July 29, 2003 There's a non vocal Sacha Distel on Pablo 2310 892 called 'My Guitar And All That Jazz'. This was a reissue of Carrere 67.975, recorded in Paris during 1983. I don't think this has made it to CD. I can't comment on the musical content as I have never heard it. John Delaney Never listened to that 'My Guitar and all that jazz' album. I know that Distel plays with some interesting jazz musicians, Eric LeLann on trumpet, Maurice Vander on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass and Andre Ceccarelli on drums, among others. But I'm afraid that jazz lost Distel when he became a very successful crooner back in the early '60s. He really was a great musician who had learned what jazz guitar was about after following the path of Jimmy Raney and Tal Farlow. Ubu has the list of all the Distel jazz goodies. Distel who is a young-looking 70-year old has recently recorded a new pop album 'En Vers et Contre Vous' where Dionne Warwick and Liza Minnelli show up for duo performances. The Mercury album is a double CD (one CD in French, the second in english). He makes rare appearances as a jazz guitarist nowadays. He plays at the Paris Le Petit Journal club from time to time. Jazz1, won't disagree with you about the 'Frenchman can't swing' bit. About Eddy Louiss' 'Bohemia After Dark', isn't it Guy Pedersen on bass, not JF Jenny-Clark? And it's Jimmy (not Eddie) Gourley. Quote
king ubu Posted July 29, 2003 Author Report Posted July 29, 2003 John: thanks, didn't know about that one. Will keep my eyes open! Anyone interested in this music: there's a wonderful disc by Jimmy Gourley & Barney Wilen, "Double Action", recorded in 87, wich Dominique Lemerle on bass and Philippe Combelle (related to Alix C.??) on drums. It was releases in 1999 on a label called Elabeth. Highlights include a great version of Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye" (this starts the record), "Embraceable You" and "Body & Soul" - very very nice to hear Barney Wilen do such tunes! Indeed, as Lon said someplace else on this board, we can't have enough Wilen! ubu Quote
jazz1 Posted July 29, 2003 Report Posted July 29, 2003 There's a non vocal Sacha Distel on Pablo 2310 892 called 'My Guitar And All That Jazz'. This was a reissue of Carrere 67.975, recorded in Paris during 1983. I don't think this has made it to CD. I can't comment on the musical content as I have never heard it. John Delaney Never listened to that 'My Guitar and all that jazz' album. I know that Distel plays with some interesting jazz musicians, Eric LeLann on trumpet, Maurice Vander on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass and Andre Ceccarelli on drums, among others. But I'm afraid that jazz lost Distel when he became a very successful crooner back in the early '60s. He really was a great musician who had learned what jazz guitar was about after following the path of Jimmy Raney and Tal Farlow. Ubu has the list of all the Distel jazz goodies. Distel who is a young-looking 70-year old has recently recorded a new pop album 'En Vers et Contre Vous' where Dionne Warwick and Liza Minnelli show up for duo performances. The Mercury album is a double CD (one CD in French, the second in english). He makes rare appearances as a jazz guitarist nowadays. He plays at the Paris Le Petit Journal club from time to time. Jazz1, won't disagree with you about the 'Frenchman can't swing' bit. About Eddy Louiss' 'Bohemia After Dark', isn't it Guy Pedersen on bass, not JF Jenny-Clark? And it's Jimmy (not Eddie) Gourley. Jazz1, won't disagree with you about the 'Frenchman can't swing' bit. About Eddy Louiss' 'Bohemia After Dark', isn't it Guy Pedersen on bass, not JF Jenny-Clark? And it's Jimmy (not Eddie) Gourley. Right I got a little confused between the Eddy Louis and Rene Urtregger cds Now I am listening to Eddy Louis "The trio" another WOW Again why is Eddy Louis not known in the USA, this guy is world class. Quote
Joe Posted July 29, 2003 Report Posted July 29, 2003 Didn't Distel also (co-)compose the standard "The Good Life", the song made famous by Mr. Tony Bennett? If so, what's the story there? Quote
Jim R Posted July 29, 2003 Report Posted July 29, 2003 I had a copy of the Pablo LP about 20 years ago. As I recall, it wasn't much of an album. The glitzy cover (with Distel in a black leather jacket) was probably its main selling point, I'm sorry to say. Now, how come nobody's mentioned who he was married to?... B) Quote
jazzbo Posted July 29, 2003 Report Posted July 29, 2003 This Jazz in Paris one looks great. . . I love the guitar sound he had then, I think it must be those pickups, right Jim? Okay, who was he married to. . . I guess I better do some research! Quote
Use3D Posted July 29, 2003 Report Posted July 29, 2003 Jazz1, won't disagree with you about the 'Frenchman can't swing' bit. About Eddy Louiss' 'Bohemia After Dark', isn't it Guy Pedersen on bass, not JF Jenny-Clark? And it's Jimmy (not Eddie) Gourley. Then Jazz1 says: Jazz1, won't disagree with you about the 'Frenchman can't swing' bit. About Eddy Louiss' 'Bohemia After Dark', isn't it Guy Pedersen on bass, not JF Jenny-Clark? And it's Jimmy (not Eddie) Gourley. uh, heh. Quote
jazzbo Posted July 29, 2003 Report Posted July 29, 2003 (edited) Well so far I see he was engaged to Bardot, but not married to her. . . . What did he do for an encore! Edited July 29, 2003 by jazzbo Quote
Jim R Posted July 29, 2003 Report Posted July 29, 2003 Distel did write the music for "The Good Life" (Jack Reardon was the lyricist). I couldn't find much info about Distel the writer... his website seems to require a plug-in that I don't have (a "plug-in"... get it? A little guitar humor there... ). Anyway, TGL is an absolutely gorgeous ballad, one of my all-time favorites, largely for its lush and meaty chord structure. Makes you wonder if he wrote any other tunes! Yeah, Lon, Distel had some nice guitars. I think he used mostly the Gibson P-90, as opposed to the Charlie Christian pickup that Kessel, Raney, Farlow and all the other 50's stars were inspired to use by CC himself. Even back in the 50's, the CC pickup (as seen in the customized L-5 in my avatar) was not easy to track down- especially in europe. Rene Thomas apparently searched feverishly for his Gibson ES-150 (CC model). As for Bardot... maybe I heard wrong. Hey- being engaged wouldn't have been so bad either! Quote
brownie Posted July 30, 2003 Report Posted July 30, 2003 What is this??? Organissimo invading 'People' magazine territory?? The truth about Sacha Distel's romances is that he has been happily married to former French ski champion Francine Breaud since 1963. They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary recently. There is a tune 'Francine' dedicated to her in the 'Jazz in Paris' double CD. Before 1963, there is a different story. Did not keep track of his various liaisons but - beside the celebrated affair with Brigitte Bardot - Distel had romances with - among many others - Juliette Greco and Sarah Vaughan. The Distel-Bardot affair was a brief one. They remained 'just friends. Distel and Bardot recorded in 1972 a French version of Stevie Wonder 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life' that became a big hit in France as 'Tu Es le Soleil de Ma Vie'. Quote
Michael Fitzgerald Posted August 6, 2003 Report Posted August 6, 2003 I don't believe anyone has mentioned this, but I just received the Jazz Guitarist set yesterday and at the end of disc 2, track 10 is hidden material - one minute of silence then French airplane announcements, then a nice guitar quartet piece. This doesn't seem to be an alternative take - in fact, there aren't any quartet sessions in the set. Don't know what tune it is - more thorough investigation will be needed. Anyone have further info? I don't *think* there's anything of significance to translate. Mike Quote
brownie Posted August 16, 2003 Report Posted August 16, 2003 Thanks for mentioning this bonus track. I did not notice it when I heard the double CD the first time around. The announcements must have been made during one of the inaugural flights of the Air France twin-jet Caravelle aircraft in 1955. Sacha Distel and his unidentified quartet play Django Reinhardt's 'Nuages' (Clouds), an obvious choice. There is a 1955 Philips recording mentioned in the Tom Lord discography as the initial release under Distel's name and should be this. I have my doubts however on whether this was actually recorded in flight as indicated by the announcer. The background noise is pretty quiet. If I remember well, the Caravelle was a pretty noisy jet. Quote
Brad Posted July 26, 2004 Report Posted July 26, 2004 In light of Sacha's recent passing, I thought it might be worth to refresh this thread. When I was on vacation in Paris I picked up the Jazz Guitarist set, which is a very fine set (although the big band material wasn't as good as the other selections in this set). Like Mike, I was surprised by the last unnanounced song but found it quite amusing. His style is somewhat reminiscent of Jimmy Raney. Quote
jazzman4133 Posted August 3, 2004 Report Posted August 3, 2004 (edited) The Sacha Distel "Jazz In Paris" is back at Dusty Groove. A grand 2 CD set. Edited September 4, 2004 by jazzman4133 Quote
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