FAFASIFA

MARTIAL SOLAL

FAFASIFA               CBS, France, 1967

No need to present Martial Solal I assume. 

However this album is rather unusual.  Tracks A1 to A6 and B1 are “standard” Martial Solal Trio (as far as one could call Solal’s music “standard”). B2 is solo Solal.  What to say?  The man is probably the greatest European contribution to jazz piano.  A truly original musician.

The unusual tracks are B3 to B6 where Solal plays harpsichord (B3,5,6) or both organ and piano (B4)

Tracklist

A1          Fafasifa                            2:17

A2          Reflets Mobiles               2:58

A3          Indianapolis                     2:40

A4          Atmosphère                    3:07

A5          Aquaplane                      2:33

A6          Henri's                            3:00

B1          Musique En Cinq Sets    3:15

B2          Faux Fuyants                  2:59

B3          Volez, Balles                   2:56

B4          A Pas De Loup-Garou    3:13

B5          Virevoltant                      3:06

B6          Billes De Joie                 1:25

Credits

A1-6, B1 :            Martial Solal, piano

                             Gilbert Rovere, contrebasse

                             Charles Bellonzi, percussion

B.2:                      Martial Solal, piano solo

B3,5:                    Martial Solal, harpsichord

                             Gilbert Rovere, contrebasse

                             Charles Bellonzi, percussion

B4:                       Martial Solal, electric organ and piano

B6:                       Martial Solal, harpsichord solo

These unusual tracks on side B should be of interest to collectors of Library Music.
Production M.P.I. Also released as different 10" on the French library label Musique Pour L'Image.

To the best of my knowledge and after some research on the Web, it seems that this album has not been re-issued on CD.  Correct me if I’m wrong.

(Covers taken from Discogs)

LE ROI DU JAZZ PIANO

ERROL PARKER – SOMETIMES I’M HAPPY

LP FONTANA Special – 826.512QY       France, 1969

Let’s start the year with a fairly rare LP by French pianist ERROL PARKER.

The LP was issued in 1969 on the French “Fontana Special” label which was Fontana's budget label.  In UK it was advertised as "The world's finest budget stereo series!".

However by 1969, Errol Parker was in New York, experimenting with musical concepts bearing no resemblance to the straight swing / stride piano on this LP. 

I assume the session took place  in 1960.   It is not listed in the discography at the end of his autobiography but in the chapter entitled “October 1960”, he mentions that his current trio featured Georges Luca (bass) and Charles Saudray (drums).

I did a bit of cleaning but did not want to alter the music (piano trios are pretty sensitive to too much noise removal).  FLAC files.

Tracks A3 and A6 are the same on the LP although A3 is listed as Cherokee.   Budget series …

Tracklist

A1       Soulful

A2       The Late Late Show

A3       Cute (listed as Cherokee but actually the same as track 6)

A4       Angel Eyes

A5       Day By Day

A6       Cute

B1        Sats

B2        Like Someone In Love

B3        Tea For Two

B4        For Heaven'S Sake

B5        Sometimes I'M Happy

Credits

Piano – Errol Parker

Bass – Georges Luca

Drums – Charles Saudrais

TRANSCRIPTION

JOE SEALY TRIO

LP Radio Canada RCI 304 – 1969

A jazz pianist with a long career going back to the late 50’s, Joe Sealy is unjustly little known outside of Canada.  Still active today, his early influences were Oscar Peterson of course (they’re both Canadians and Sealy studied piano with Peterson’s sister), and Horace Silver.

Two bluesy originals by Mr Sealy in a style reminiscent of Ray Bryant, Junior Mance, Ramsey Lewis …, some classic soul jazz tracks (Silver’s Song for my Father, Burell’s Chilli con carne, Ode to Billy Joe …) and a few standards make it a well-balanced and enjoyable album.

These Transcription LPs were sent by RCI to radio stations in several countries with which – I assume - Canada had cooperation agreements.  My copy comes from the Comoros Islands!

Tracks

Side A

Chili

 For all we know

Soft Winds

Golden Earrings

 Dumpling

Side B

Song for my father

Spring is here

 For once in my life

Early Morning Blues

 Ode To Billy Joe

Personel

Joe Sealy – piano

James Sadler – bass

Tim Cahoon - drums

(from the Web)

Rip from the original LP (sorry for the small pop on “Song for My Father”, it was too late when I noticed, I had left Brussels – and my records - already)

ANOTHER LOST GEM !

MICHEL SARDABY - BLUE SUNSET

LP DEBS ‎– HDD 508     FRANCE – 1967

Michel Sardaby was born in 1935 in Martinique. He learned to play the piano when he was 5 years old, in the brasserie of his father in Fort-de-France, where music was constantly played. At the age of 10 Michel was already seen as a piano prodigy, playing fast boogie woogie like no one else. In 1953 the family moved to Paris.  Michel went to the Institut des Arts Appliqués, the Boulle School.  He graduated in 1956 and decided to become a professional jazz pianist.  Throughout the 60s, he played piano with many French (Guy Lafitte ...), European (Rene Thomas ...) and US-expatriate musicians (Dexter Gordon, Sonny Criss, Kenny Clarke, Ben Webster, J.J. Johnson, Chet Baker, Art Taylor, Jimmy Gourley ...).  He has a special feeling for the blues which led to collaboration with Sonny Boy Williamson and T-Bone Walker during their visits to the Old Continent.

Blue Sunset  is the first album Michel Sardaby recorded under his name.  It was recorded in 1965 and produced by fellow West Indian Henri Debs. It can be considered a lost classic piano trio LP.

Michel Sardaby is not a prolific pianist, in terms of recordings.  His discography is limited but of an outstanding level of quality.

Tracklist

A1                   Blue Sunset     4:26    

A2                   Always Room For One More  5:20    

A3                   Empty Room  3:58    

B1                   Wendy           5:13    

B2                   Lament For Billy        3:45    

B3                   Come From Nowhere 4:34    

Credits

Piano – Michel Sardaby

Bass – Gilbert Rovere*

Drums – Philippe Combelle

Liner Notes – Maurice Cullaz, Mike Hennessey

It was re-issued in 1999 by Sound Hills (Japan) including 6 bonus tracks from live sessions one year earlier but the CD is currently OOP.  A European re-issue would be most welcome.
This rip is from my own Debs LP.

MAINSTREAM JAZZ PIANO

16 SWINGIN’ STANDARDS

PLAYED BY JOHN EVANS AND REINHOLD SVENSSON

LP OMEGA SL-49  (rec. 1958, issued c. 1961)

When it comes to unearthing really obscure jazz records, few could beat our friend Paul D.  Today’s posting is a delightful album that should please all fans of Mainstream Jazz Piano.  

It is also very rare!

One side is devoted to Belgian pianist Jean Evans (aka John Evans for the English-speaking public), the other to a Swedish pianist: Reinhold Svensson.

There is no detail of the sessions on the record sleeve but Paul D. volunteered the following info, courtesy of W. Bruyninckx’s discography:

• Side A : John Evans (p) prob. Clement De Mayer (b) prob. Armand Van De Walle (d, perc) à Bruxelles en 1958.
  
• Side B : Reinhold Svensson (p) Pär Grip (b) Robert Edman (d) à Örebro en Suède en 1958.

The Brussels session was recorded around the same time as a series of Francis Bay Big Band albums on the OMEGA label.  Omega's Francis Bay series (recorded at the Brussels World's Fair) was the label's most ambitious original recording project. Omega travelled to Belgium to produce these spectacularly lifelike recordings. 

Jean ("John") Evans played piano in the Francis Bay Band.  His side (all from "Porgy and Bess") was intended to be OSL 36, but instead a second pianist was added (via Phonotapes, Omega's Swedish distributor) and the combination became OSL 49. 

Evans’ rhythm section was Francis Bay Big Band rhythm section.  They would later on become the nucleus of the BRT Jazz Orchestra and you may also recognize them as rhythm team of  The Clouds.

John Evans (Antwerp, 1927 – Brussels, 1984) was born Jean Evens but changed his name to John Evans as it sounded “more  jazz”.  He accompanied and married singer Martha Love, who recorded also with Francis Bay Big Band.  In addition to this session for OMEGA, he also recorded under his own name for Directional Sound (1958) and Palette (1983).  He recorded extensively with Francis Bay (source: Dictionnaire du Jazz en Wallonieet a Bruxellles).

Reinhold Svensson (Husum, 1919 – Sundbyberg,1968), blind from shortly after birth, trained as a piano tuner and ultimately became a jazz pianist.  He recorded from the early 40s until the early 60s. Some of the greatest names in Swedish Jazz played in his band (Putte Wikmans, Rolf Ericson, Lars Gullin to name a few.)..

SL-49 alternate cover

Putting my national pride aside (I 'm one of the last Anciens Belges), I feel that Reinhold is a more advanced pianist compared to Evans.  I really dig his reading of I’ll remember April (Am I the only one to hear a slight Tristano’s influence there?).

Reinhold Svensson

Tracks:

Evans: It Ain't Necessarily So / Summertime / I Love You Porgy / A Woman Is a Sometime Thing / There's a Boat Dat's Leaving For New York / My Man's Gone Now / Bess You Is My Woman Now / I Got Plenty o' Nothin'

Svensson: What Is This Thing Called Love? / Long Ago and Far Away / Too Late Now / All of Me / Love Walked In / Love Me or Leave Me / I'll Remember April / Tenderly

PHOTON IN A PAPER WORLD

STANLEY COWELL TRIO 
BLUES FOR THE VIET CONG
LP Polydor (UK), 1969

This one had proven rather elusive. I’ve scanned the web for it but never came across it.

It’s a long time I wanted to listen to Stanley Cowell‘s first album.  It is significant to note that Cowell’s first date as a leader was recorded in UK on a “major” (Polydor), an opportunity that probably would not be conceivable in the States.  It is therefore understandable that later on, Cowell (and Tolliver) decided to set up their own independent label, to provide an outlet for creative Afro-American artists neglected by the recording industry in the US.

The European re-issue on CD (as Travelin' Man – on Black Lion in 1992) has been long OOP and from what I’ve read the sound quality wasn't that good (the re-edition of Brillant Circles was dreadful).  Arista/Polydor does not seem to have any defined re-issue programme (who does it belong to, now?).  

According to Discogs there was a  re-issue in Japan in 1988 but good luck to find it.

Now, the obvious thing to do was to ask the man who has everything or almost ...  And yes, Paul D. had it, not the crappy European CD re-issue, not even the expensive Japanese … no, Paul has the original UK release on Polydor, bought some 40+ years ago when the LP was released!  This bloke knows his stuff and has known it for a long time.  In 69, I was still listening to British blues!

So here it is, ripped from the original LP, with the sound quality we’ve come to expect from the Belgian Wizard.

I could not find much info on the album on the Web.  Probably one of Cowell’s least known work.

Ohio-born and classically-trained pianist Stanley Cowell (1941), who relocated to New York in 1966 and played with Marion Brown (1966-67), Max Roach (1967-70), Bobby Hutcherson (1968-71) and Charles Tolliver (1969-71), crafted cerebral and occasionally romantic compositions that straddled the border between hard bop and free jazz on Blues for the Viet Cong (June 1969), in a trio, such as the seven-minute Departure, the eight-minute The Shuttle and the nine-minute Photon In A Paper World, (…) (Source: http://www.scaruffi.com/jazz/cowell.html).

This is what I found on AMG : Stanley Cowell's debut as a leader features his piano (and on two selections rare early outings on electric keyboards) with a trio also including bassist Steve Novosel and drummer Jimmy Hopps. Cowell's style at the time was often modal and already quite powerful. 

Then Scott Yanow adds “After hearing seven of his often-somber pieces, Cowell's stride version of "You Took Advantage of Me" (inspired by Art Tatum) is a welcome change of pace”.  One could wonder whether he has ever heard the records.  I would not qualify most tracks as “somber”.  As for “You took advantage of Me”, it’s the fourth track (the last on Side A of the LP), so it does not come after seven often somber pieces.  Interestingly, “You Took Advantage of Me” may bring to mind Jaki Byard, another great modern pianist who would occasionally dwell into older styles such as Stride (or even ragtime).  And by the way, both Byard and Cowell worked with Rashaan Roland Kirk, a musical genius whose concept of jazz was all encompassing, from the original field holler, the blues and to gospel to hard bop, funk and free.  But his music never lost touch with the very essence of jazz: swing and joy!

Tracks:
A1 Departure 7:08
A2 Sweet Song 3:02
A3 The Shuttle 8:07
A4 You Took Advantage Of Me 4:47
B1 Blues For The Viet Cong 4:18
B2 Wedding March 2:49
B3 Photon In A Paper World 9:03
B4 Travellin' Man 3:43

Piano, Electric Piano, Written-By – Stanley Cowell
Bass – Steve Novosel
Drums – Jimmy Hopps
Engineer – Carlos Olms / Producer – Alan Bates, Chris Whent
Recorded in London on June 5, 1969

LORRE

ERROL PARKER
(original BRUNSWICK LP # 87914, FRANCE, 1963)

I always wondered why there is so little Raph Schecroun / Errol Parker posted in the blogworld.

There are many reasons probably.  First of all he was never that well-known outside of France. His earlier recordings as a bop-influenced pianist (and organist) under his real name of Raph Schecroun or as Errol Parker have often been overlooked and rarely re-issued. 

The albums he recorded during his second incarnation, as a bandleader / drummer mostly, on his own Sahara label in the US - are perhaps better-known in the small world of adventurous jazz aficionados.  These albums are often better known because of the participation of "names" - or future "names" as they weren't all that well-known at the time (Robin Eubanks, Wallace Roney, Donald Harrison, Steve Coleman, Graham Haynes, Philip Harper, Byard Lancaster, and Jimmy Owens, among others).

Most of the Sahara catalogue - if not all - has been re-issued on CD but is still pretty hard to find.

It is a shame because the two incarnations of Errol Parker are worth listening too.

It is hard to believe that it is the same musician who recorded this album and the one I posted a few months ago (A Night in Tunisia). 

For details of his life and career you can read this obituary published in LIBERATION (in french) or this article in english.

Or, even better provided that you can find a copy, read his autobiography A Flat Tire On My Ass, the Autobiography of Errol Parker,  also available in french as De bohème en galère : les pérégrinations d'un musicien de jazz à New York, Éditons Filipacchi, 1996.

 The album posted today is probably his most famous album, it contains the track LORRE which was a huge commercial hit. 

Tracklist:  lorre / goody goody / unison / I only have eyes for you / old folks / up and down b side three blind mice / stella by starlight / blue afternoon / I cover the waterfront / satin doll / pick up yoursel



Recorded in Paris May 9 & 10th 1963 with Georges LUCA bass and Kansas FIELDS drums.


Ripped and cleaned by Paul D.  WAV files.  So you know you can expect superb sound quality!
Don't forget to thank him, ripping and cleaning old scratchy LP is a labour of love.


I may post in the near future this other rare ERROL PARKER album that I found last year in a souk in Morocco. 
It still needs a good cleaning though.