king ubu Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 The name of Daniel Humair has turned up in the Dexter Gordon corner. So I thought why not start a thread dedicated to Humair, who with no doubt is among the very best jazz drummers to come out of yurp! Humair was born and raised in Switzerland, won a prize at the 1955 edition of the Zurich amateur jazz festival, and in 1958 went to Paris. Ever since, he has been viewed as a French musician (rightly so I assume) and has become an important character in Frech jazz. Here's a short biography in French, from his website. His recordings are many, he turns up for instance on Barney Wilen's great live album from 1958, "Barney" (that gig was released in its entirety with 1.5 discs of bonus material on a 2CD set some years ago), with Kenny Dorham, Duke Jordan and one of the Rovère brothers on bass. Also since 1959, Humair has played with Martial Solal, the great algerian/french pianist, and he has been part of the HUM trio (Humair/Urtréger/Michelot) since then, too. As a freelance he appeared with, among others: Jim Hall, Lee Konitz, Art Farmer, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon, Franco Ambrosetti, Georges Gruntz, Johnny Griffin, Herbie Mann, Anthony Braxton, Hampton Hakwes, etc. (list taken from the bio linked above). He then formed a trio co-led with Joachim Kühn and Jean-François Jenny-Clark. In more recent years, he did a few good recordings on the defunct Sketch label, including "Liberté Surveillée" with Marc Ducret, Ellery Eskelin & Bruno Chevillon (they did a tour as well), "Baby Boom", and a reunion of the HUM trio, just in time before Pierre Michelot died. That 3CD package includes their first album from the early days, a second one done a few decades later, and a third, new recording. And of course Humair shines throughout! Some of his paintings can be found on his website as well: Tomorrow night, he'll play at the Triton in Paris with Christophe Monniot (one of the saxophonists that was part of the touring version of "Baby Boom") and Jean-Philippe Muvien, on March 23 he plays with the Surman-Célea-Humair trio (another project he's currently involved with, they played at the Rencontres d'jazz de Nevers in 2005), and other gigs with Louis Sclavis and Michel Sclavis are also scheduled (he played with sort of a pre Romano/Sclavis/Texier band in Willisau 1997, Portal was added and Humair was on drums instead of Aldo Romano - I like that concert just as much or better than any Romano/Sclavis/Texier I've heard, and I think that's mainly because I like Humair a lot better than Aldo Romano...) And then, the trio of Jean-Philippe Muvien (g), Jean-Paul Célea (b) and Humair has a new disc out as well: Muvien -Humair - Celea "Trio Live" 25/01/07 (Allgorythm 2007) 16.10EUR Jean-Philippe Muvien est le nouveau musicien sur lequel il faut compter au sein de la scène Jazz. C'est parce qu'il est un homme de toutes les cultures - scientifiques, philosophiques et artistiques - qu'il est aussi un grand musicien. Sa grande complicité avec Daniel Humair remonte à ses jeunes années passées sur les bancs du conservatoire, alors même que l’illustre batteur y dispensait ses cours. Ensemble, le duo de compositeurs, aussi bien unis par une rare complicité, que par une reconnaissance mutuelle de leurs talents respectifs, est à l’origine de compositions intelligentes, sensibles et drôles. Après avoir, signé « Air libre » paru sur Allgorythm, le nouveau label créé par Jean-Philippe Muvien, le duo a décidé de reproduire l’expérience au sein du trio formé avec le contrebassiste Jean-Paul Celea. Si le précédent album faisait intervenir un effectif plus large (Louis Sclavis, Vincent Le Quang, Maja Pavloska, Vincent Peiranni), enregistré en studio, ce dernier marque à retour au fondamentaux du jazz : le trio. Jean-Philippe Muvien, guitare Daniel Humair, batterie Jean-Paul Celea, contrebasse Lou and the Pote Agé Palindrome Westminster Vive Les Jongleurs Complètement Complètement Autre Motif Couscous Purée Référence : ALLGO2 - 3760139180031 - 1 CD : 46’23 - Enregistré au Triton en Novembre 2005 Paraîtra le 25 janvier 2007 Source (listen to samples there, too): http://www.allgorythm.com/catalog/product_...roducts_id=1544 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunky Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 His recordings are many, he turns up for instance on Barney Wilen's great live album from 1958, "Barney" (that gig was released in its entirety with 1.5 discs of bonus material on a 2CD set some years ago), with Kenny Dorham, Duke Jordan and one of the Rovère brothers on bass is this still available ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 His recordings are many, he turns up for instance on Barney Wilen's great live album from 1958, "Barney" (that gig was released in its entirety with 1.5 discs of bonus material on a 2CD set some years ago), with Kenny Dorham, Duke Jordan and one of the Rovère brothers on bass is this still available ? No, I don't think so. It was a 2CD set on BMG, I think (or RCA? or both... pre-Sony/BMG days, for sure, late 90s I think). There, I found it: Barney Wilen Barney At The Club Saint-Germain (Paris 1959) - The Complete RCA Victor Recordings RCA Victor/BMG 7432 154421 2 (2 CDs, 141 Min., rec. 4/59) CDuniverse lists a very expensive japanese edition of just disc 1, but the tracklisting at least gives 8 cuts, which would mean it has 4 bonus titles (original album was just four tracks, the 2CD edition has 16!). Definitely amongst the best Barney, and what with KD, Jordan & Humair... well worth searching for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 CDuniverse lists a very expensive japanese edition of just disc 1, but the tracklisting at least gives 8 cuts, which would mean it has 4 bonus titles (original album was just four tracks, the 2CD edition has 16!). Definitely amongst the best Barney, and what with KD, Jordan & Humair... well worth searching for! I was not aware this had been edited as a double CD! I have the two separate CDs, in addition to the original French RCA LP! I was at the Club Saint-Germain when that group played there back in 1959. One of the first time I caught Humair live! Since this is about Humair, I have just linked a video on the Roland Kirk thread of the rhythm section of Gruntz, Pedersen and Humair accompanying Roland Kirk in 1963 in the same dutch club where they accompanied Dexter. Kirk's Lover man Informatively, Humair and Kirk did not get along. Humair who can be pretty abrasive thought Kirk was one of the rudest person he ever met Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Guy, the 2CD version just has a flimsy box wrapped around the two CDs, both packed in regular jewel cases with separate booklets and notes. Nothing you miss if you have them as single discs, I think. Weird story about Humair/Kirk... I think Humair is sort of a diva personality, from what I've heard/read. I like the Gruntz/Humair cuts on the Dog Years Kirk box best (though the whole package is splendid). There's also an old French CD compiling various tracks by Humair backing several bands/guest artists, among them two tracks with Eric Dolphy. Can't remember the title, a local library has that one and I have but a copy of it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 I've found the details: Daniel Humair: Surrounded 1964-1987 BLUE FLAME; 40322 (CD3621) (released 1991) Featuring Eric Dolphy, Kenny Drew, David Friedman, Johnny Griffin, J.-F. Jenny-Clarc, Joachim Kühn, Eddy Louiss, Tete Montoliu, Gerry Mulligan, Michel Portal, Mike Richmond, Martial Solal, Henri Texier, René Thomas, Phil Woods, a.o. Review from AMG Always more a team player than a natural leader, this compilation serves as a perfect introduction to one of the finest European drummers. Spanning almost a quarter of a century, the CD features an impressive cast, which testifies to Daniel Humair's stature and versatility: Eric Dolphy, Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods, Johnny Griffin, Michel Portal, Martial Solal, and more. His opening statement on the first track, Dolphy's "Les," does not leave any doubt about the drummer's singular and commanding drive -- which can also be appreciated on burning versions of Charlie Parker's "Au Privave" and J.J. Johnson's "Wee." Humair's exuberance is tempered by his sensitivity, and Surrounded gives listeners a chance to admire his subtlety, which shines through his amazing cymbal work, but also in more subdued situations. His duet with pianist Solal, where he totally puts himself to the service of the pianist and music, serves as a perfect example. The other duet with Portal is a rare opportunity to hear him in a free setting, since his musical bent has always privileged a clear connection with the jazz tradition. And if the impressive display of talent was not enough to convince the most recalcitrant listeners, a first-rate unaccompanied drum solo brings the album to a close. This admirable document on Humair's evolution and various musical interests is highly recommended. ~ Alain Drouot, All Music Guide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 nothing to add, I just want to see if I can get my name on all the "last posts" - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKE BBB Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 I've found the details: Daniel Humair: Surrounded 1964-1987 BLUE FLAME; 40322 (CD3621) (released 1991) Very interesting disc. Got it for my Tete Montoliu research, but have enjoyed it all through! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 I've found the details: Daniel Humair: Surrounded 1964-1987 BLUE FLAME; 40322 (CD3621) (released 1991) Very interesting disc. Got it for my Tete Montoliu research, but have enjoyed it all through! You were able to find a real copy of that? Something else: together with George Gruntz and Franco Ambrosetti, Humair was among the founding members of The Band, later and still today active under the name of Gruntz as his "Concert Jazz Band" - a big band of mostly US pros that get together on an on and off base or for different projects and records. Humair has as far as I know only appeared on the band's earliest albums on MPS, all of them never on CD. There was a best of collection though, as part of the Motor Music late 90s MPS CD reissues (those went a bit further off the mainstream than the more recent reissues, including CDs by Sun Ra and George Russell). That disc is terrific, but not mainly so because of Humair, to be honest... there are guest appearances by people like Elvin Jones and Joe Henderson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Friedman Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 The 3 CD set of the HUM Trio you have pictured in the first post of this thread is outstanding. It is particularly interesting to hear how the trio sounds over a period of 39 years. The 1st CD features a session from 1960. The 2nd CD has a session from 1979. The 3rd CD has a 1999 recording session. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKE BBB Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 I've found the details: Daniel Humair: Surrounded 1964-1987 BLUE FLAME; 40322 (CD3621) (released 1991) Very interesting disc. Got it for my Tete Montoliu research, but have enjoyed it all through! You were able to find a real copy of that? (..) Yes, I was. A year ago or so. But sorry, I can't recall from which online store I got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Ubu, if you're interested with that one, I'll try to get it for you. I see secondhand copies here from time to time... Really worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Ubu, if you're interested with that one, I'll try to get it for you. I see secondhand copies here from time to time... Really worth it! I confess having a burn of it, but if you could find the real thing, yes please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 OK, the radar is ON! Ubu, what's that 'Je suis à vous' line you carry these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Basten II Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 OK, the radar is ON! Ubu, what's that 'Je suis à vous' line you carry these days? It means i'm all yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eloe Omoe Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 I've found the details: Daniel Humair: Surrounded 1964-1987 BLUE FLAME; 40322 (CD3621) (released 1991) Featuring Eric Dolphy, Kenny Drew, David Friedman, Johnny Griffin, J.-F. Jenny-Clarc, Joachim Kühn, Eddy Louiss, Tete Montoliu, Gerry Mulligan, Michel Portal, Mike Richmond, Martial Solal, Henri Texier, René Thomas, Phil Woods, a.o. Is that a double CD? I have the original 2-LP version, and I wonder how they could squeeze everything into a single CD. luca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Is that a double CD? I have the original 2-LP version, and I wonder how they could squeeze everything into a single CD. luca It's a single CD. Missing from it are 'Rhythm' ning' (with Roger Guerin) and 'Pressing A Deux' (with Michel Portal). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 OK, the radar is ON! Ubu, what's that 'Je suis à vous' line you carry these days? It means i'm all yours No need to teach French to the French... It's a line from "L'année dernière à Marienbad", alas just from the play they're watching right at the beginning, and not the line Ms. Seyrig tells to dear ubu... Actually I think it's "et maintenant [short pause] - je suis à vous" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eloe Omoe Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 It's a single CD. Missing from it are 'Rhythm' ning' (with Roger Guerin) and 'Pressing A Deux' (with Michel Portal). In the meantime, I've found my double LP. There are four tracks missing (the duo with Portal should be on the CD): Rhythm-a-ning: Roger Guerin (tp), Pierre Michelot(b), D.Humair(dr) April 12, 1966 Bram Van Velde: Franco Ambrosetti (tp), John English (tb), François Jeanneau (as), David Friedman (vib), Henri Texier (b), Daniel Humair(dr) January 17, 1981 Crac: Jean-Louis Chautemps (ts), J.F. Jenny-Clark (b), Daniel Humair (dr) May 25, 1981 Posez Baguettes: Jean-Pierre Drouet, Pierre Favre, Daniel Humair (perc.) August 22, 1982 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 It's a line from "L'année dernière à Marienbad", alas just from the play they're watching right at the beginning, and not the line Ms. Seyrig tells to dear ubu... Actually I think it's "et maintenant [short pause] - je suis à vous" Thanks for the explanation. The actual line is: 'Voilà, maintenant je suis à vous...' -_- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 It's a single CD. Missing from it are 'Rhythm' ning' (with Roger Guerin) and 'Pressing A Deux' (with Michel Portal). In the meantime, I've found my double LP. There are four tracks missing (the duo with Portal should be on the CD): Rhythm-a-ning: Roger Guerin (tp), Pierre Michelot(b), D.Humair(dr) April 12, 1966 Bram Van Velde: Franco Ambrosetti (tp), John English (tb), François Jeanneau (as), David Friedman (vib), Henri Texier (b), Daniel Humair(dr) January 17, 1981 Crac: Jean-Louis Chautemps (ts), J.F. Jenny-Clark (b), Daniel Humair (dr) May 25, 1981 Posez Baguettes: Jean-Pierre Drouet, Pierre Favre, Daniel Humair (perc.) August 22, 1982 Too bad the CD is missing anything, I wasn't aware of that! It's a line from "L'année dernière à Marienbad", alas just from the play they're watching right at the beginning, and not the line Ms. Seyrig tells to dear ubu... Actually I think it's "et maintenant [short pause] - je suis à vous" Thanks for the explanation. The actual line is: 'Voilà, maintenant je suis à vous...' -_- Yes, you're correct of course. Where is it from, what corny play is that they're watching? Sure some French classic, Corneille, Racine? (I'm clueless... 6.5 years of French in school, and no effing clue about French literature afterwards... totally useless teachers!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eloe Omoe Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Too bad the CD is missing anything, I wasn't aware of that! In the same series, there was also a great 4-LP box by Martial Solal ("Live 1959/85", with Konitz, , John Lewis, Grappelli, Humair, NHOP and many others), from which 2 CD have been extracted. Even in this case, I suspect that some tracks went missing (but I've never seen those CDs - I only have the LP box set). luca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Too bad the CD is missing anything, I wasn't aware of that! In the same series, there was also a great 4-LP box by Martial Solal ("Live 1959/85", with Konitz, , John Lewis, Grappelli, Humair, NHOP and many others), from which 2 CD have been extracted. Even in this case, I suspect that some tracks went missing (but I've never seen those CDs - I only have the LP box set). luca Wow, never heard of that! Can you post some more details? Here are the covers of the two CDs: Vol. 1 seems to feature Solal with Roger Guérin (trumpet), Daniel Humair (drums), Gilbert Rovère (bass), N.H. Pedersen (bass), Lee Konitz (sax), Charles Bellonzi (drums) and Vol. 2 includes "La Ronde de John Lewis , interprété en duo par Martial Solal et ... John Lewis! Aussi une fascinante interprétation de Fascinating Rythm de Gershwin avec Stephane Grapelli, sans compter d'autres merveilles" (source) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eloe Omoe Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Wow, never heard of that! Can you post some more details? Here are the covers of the two CDs: Vol. 1 seems to feature Solal with Roger Guérin (trumpet), Daniel Humair (drums), Gilbert Rovère (bass), N.H. Pedersen (bass), Lee Konitz (sax), Charles Bellonzi (drums) and Vol. 2 includes "La Ronde de John Lewis , interprété en duo par Martial Solal et ... John Lewis! Aussi une fascinante interprétation de Fascinating Rythm de Gershwin avec Stephane Grapelli, sans compter d'autres merveilles" (source) First two LPs are called "Les Introuvables", and feature tracks with Roger Guérin (quartet, 1959), some trios with Guy Pedersen and Daniel Humair, Gilbert Rovere and Charles Bellonzi, Cesarius Alvim and Humair, Rovere and Humair and two pieces with a big band (one from 1962, the other from 1985), plus three solo tracks. The third LP is subtitled "Standards en solo... ou comment s'en débarrasser", and has six tracks from 1974 to 1982. The last LP ("Rencontres") has duo tracks with, in turn, Grappelli, Konitz, John Lewis, Didier Lockwood, NHOP and Jean-Louis Chautemps. First LP is about 44 minutes long; the second is 48, the third is 37 and the fourth is 40. Something must be missing anyway. The cover of the LP box set is the white one. luca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Wow, how much I'd love to hear this set! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.