ParisLovesJazz -- What's On and Who's Playing in Paris Jazz Clubs and Bars

On Hold

2011-01-25T21:50:00.001Z

Hey Hey Hey

well, life intervenes, and I'll be on tour for a while, so this blog will be on hold.

Meanwhile you can always click over on the right hand side of the screen to see our list of Paris Jazz venues, and if you do a search for a venue or a style in the search box there is a good chance you'll find something that will interest you in the old posts

Enjoy all the music - I'll see you back here soon

cheers
Bremner

What is the Best Jazz Club in Paris?

2011-01-24T14:27:00.000Z

Ouch... that's so hard. Asking me to choose which is the best Jazz Bar in Paris!! That's like choosing the best pastry in a Paris bakery, or choosing which bakery in Paris makes the best croissant!

No, but seriously... the problem is there is so much choice... and each club has a different flavor -

do you want to be up close to the musicians in an intimate dark cavern like Caveau Des Oubliettes,

or do you want dinner and fancy tablecloths while listening to the big band sounds at Le Petit Journal de Montparnasse, or how about hearing some young new players in the cool, modern metallic walls of the Dynamo,

or have the pleasure of wandering right into the ancient heart of the city and visiting the elegant old Franc Pinot,

or walk the historic literary streets of Montparnasse and end up at The Swan Bar

The choice is simply overwhelming. No matter what part of the city you are in, or what type of music excites you, there is something on offer.

But, if I do have a personal favourite, it would have to be the gorgeous jazz venue of Balle Au Bonds - and it's not even a dedicated Paris jazz venue... but when they do schedule jazz then what could be better than this as a location -

it's a 'peniche' (a converted barge) moored just permanently just down from Isle St. Louis, in the heart of Paris, and when they have have jazz there is nothing more heavenly then sitting down in the concert hall, with the river lapping at the edge of the hull, some great music and a cocktail and a lovely companion..

for a fairly comprehensive list of other Paris jazz venues and concert halls and bars you can check out our list here, so you can choose your own favourite

oh, and by the way - the best croissant in Paris is undoubtedly found at Stohrer's bakery on rue Montorgueil... why are they so good? Well, apparently they invented the now famous little pastry over 200 years ago...

Paris Jazz Meet-Up #2

2011-01-14T18:58:00.004Z

Jazz Meet-up #2

Cabaret Jazz at Le Dynamo
9 Rue Gabrielle Josserand
two minutes walk from
Metro - Aubervilliers-Pantin on Line 7
Saturday, Jan 22, 20h30
14 euros

read more about it at http://www.meetup.com/Paris-Loves-Jazz/

This Jazz Meet Up is happening at the fantastic Dynamo, home of the wonderful Banlieues Bleues Festivals.

LE CABARET DES MUSIQUES A OUIR.
The performers say - "Wilkommen, welcome, bienvenue au cabaret free désinvolte, au music-hall déjanté, dadaïste et féérique, au moulin (rouge) du musette et de la chanson populaire recyclée rock !Brigitte Fontaine et Areski, Billie Holiday, Eric Lareine, Loïc Lantoine, Georges Brassens, Ferré, Dutronc, Boris Vian, les Clash ou Zizi Jeanmaire… " (and I'll translate that freely - "Wilkommen, welcome, welcome to the casual free cabaret, music hall crazy, Dadaist and magical at the red windmill and musette of recycled pop song! Brigitte Fontaine and Areski, Billie Holiday, Eric Lareine, Loïc Lantoine, Georges Brassens, Ferré, Dutronc, Boris Vian, the Clash or Zizi Jeanmaire ."

You can hear extracts from their new album HERE.

or see a video of these fun loving guys

Le Dynamo is a ‘just outside of Paris’ jazz club in a totally cool space. Two minutes walk from the Metro Stop Aubervilliers-Pantin on Line 7. As Paris becomes ever more expensive artists and musicians and whole festivals are moving just past the borders of the city - like Williamsburg in NYC (..perhaps not quite as 'cool' as Williamsburg, but you get the idea...) So Montreuil and Pantin are becoming slowly filled with artists and artisans and new theatre and music spaces. You can see the great new building here

or visit the site of Le Dynamo HERE

The Concert starts at 8.30pm (20h30) and costs 14 euros - I'll be there early to eat and drink, since they serve organic beer and 'petits plats'. So join me for that - or meet for the show about 8.15pm (20h15) to see the concert (but hey, it's Paris and it's jazz, so they'll probably get going a little later...) Look for me in the crowd - you can see a photo at www.bremnerduthie.com

Wow! Live jazz in Paris rocks and rolls at Studio de l'Ermitage

2011-01-08T17:52:00.003Z

OK, well these are my new 'favouritist bands ever'!

I went to see Benjamin Moussay and Ping Machine at l'Ermitage last night, accompanied by some new friends from the meet-up group http://www.meetup.com/Paris-Loves-Jazz/

Those bands brought down the house.

Benjamin's trio was a wildly successful mix of ....uhhhh... early Genesis meets Chick Corea? Dave Holland meets Frank Zappa? Whatever! It was great music presented with humour and a delicacy of touch that just charmed the audience.

here they are in the recording session for their last album

they'll be back next in Paris on June 2nd at the Parc Floral Paris Jazz Festival
I really cannot recommend them enough... if I tried to do that I'd be here all day

And Ping Machine - well, they rocked! 13 members on the tiny stage of the Studio de l'Ermitage playing original compositions by their guitarist, Fred Maurin. Think 'Zorn meets Grand Funk Railroad and they compose for a Hitchcock movie'. They had a moment of big band dullness in the middle (from the looks of panic on some of the members I think they might have thrown one under-rehearsed number into the set) that sent some people out of gig, but then they picked up in a big way.

here they are live - the video doesn't capture the full wonderful madness of the compositions which span free-jazz to funk and are wonderfully interpreted by the very tight group.

they have a date coming up at the Olympic Cafe on the 24th of February, and they're also playing at Parc Floral this summer.

Check them out!

And if you're looking for other options then check out our complete list of Paris venues

January 7th, Benjamin Moussay and Ping Machine, live jazz in Paris

2010-12-31T10:11:00.000Z

A new experiment at Paris Loves Jazz. Often folks drop me a line and suggest meeting up in Paris to see a jazz show. I thought I'd change the dynamic and suggest some places to meet up. Come and check out a show and we'll talk music and share a drink and some great tunes.

You can find out more info at http://www.meetup.com/Paris-Loves-Jazz/

Jazz Meet-up #1

Benjamin Moussay is an imaginative young piano player with a rich sensual sound and lovely melodies. His trio is an exciting group of young players who belt out new compositions and standards. He'll be doubling up with the fearsome power of the 13 member strong 'Ping Machine', a group playing original compositions written and orchestrated by Fred Maurin. Ping Machine is one of the defining groups of the new jazz scene in France.

They're playing at Studio de L'hermitage, on January 7th

here's Benjamin in concert with his trio

and here's Ping Machine

and if you don't feel like that's your cup of tea, then consult our complete venue listing here

Benny Golson's 'Whisper Not'... my New Year's present for ParisLovesJazz readers

2010-12-21T20:36:00.000Z

Bonne Annee from Paris!!

Here's a nice romantic song to bring in the New Year.

Benny Golson has said that he wrote "Whisper Not" in only 20 minutes, and that the title meant "nothing" he just liked the way the two words sounded together. (Leonard Feather would later write lyrics.) From such ordinary beginnings in 1956 emerged a jazz standard. Its earliest recordings came on Golson's debut as leader (New York Scene) and on albums by the Dizzy Gillespie big band and Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers while Golson was a member of each of those congregations.

Here's my arrangement of Benny Golson's amazing standard - live in concert with my Quartet

Jazz in Paris in January 2011 - what's on in January in the jazz clubs and bars of Paris

2010-12-20T22:41:00.002Z

Ayiee! Paris in January is busy busy busy with Jazz. There are great jazz concerts in venues all over Paris in January - traditional, avant-garde, nu-jazz, blues - you name it, it's all over town!

My little blog can't begin to give you a complete listing of the Paris jazz venues and concerts in January, but, what I can do is pick out some highlights, and maybe give you some good advice on what looks good.... and maybe even what might be nice to do before or after for a great night out in Paris seeing live jazz.

So.

December 31st (that sort of counts as January, doesn't it...)
At Sunside - Rhoda Scott is pumping out the good time grooves on her Hammond B3 at 8:30pm and 11pm

and if you're going to be at Sunside for either of those gigs, then you should probably be wandering the lovely romantic streets in the Marais sometime before or after... it doesn't matter where you go - it's all beautiful all the time. My favourite restaurant is Les Philosophes. Sitting on one of the most beautiful corners in the city they serve up reliably traditional fare in a quiet but romantic setting - perfect for a night out in Paris.

On January 22nd the Musee Branly continues their cycle of concerts 'Blue Indigo' with a concert by Steve Lehman

You'll find the Musee Branly at 37 quai Branly, metro Alma Marceau, and if you decide to go to this gig, well then you have no choice but to spend time before just across the river in the stunning museum - Palais de Tokyo. This modern art gallery is an old edifice from the 20's and had its guts ripped out to host the new museum... only they didn't put new guts back in, so now the paintings hang amidst the wonderfully destroyed remnants of the girders and concrete of the original building. The Palais de Tokyo has a great restaurant and rotating shows of modern art.

On January 25th, at the magnificent Chatelet Theatre, the Orchestra National de Jazz is doing a show called Billie Holiday, Shut up and Dance. Now, I admit I don't know anything about this concert, but I'm going to recommend it based mostly upon their amazing press image

and upon the wonderful venue, one of my favourite theatres in Paris, le Theatre de Chatelet

Here's some footage of the Orchestra crossing over every kind of genre category

And, if you check out this concert, well, you have absolutely no choice not to indulge in one of my favourite restaurants in Paris. The stunning 'Zimmer' (I was there this weekend indulging in their famous Choucroutte). It's easy to find, since it's actually in the same building as the theatre. And it has history pouring out of it. Everyone... and I mean everyone... has eaten under it's ornate ceiling - Sarah Bernhardt, Jules Verne, Richard Strauss, Mahler, Picasso, Lautrec, Stravinsky...etc etc etc..

And finally in January I'll quickly point out a few more good bets.

On the 7th, you can come and headline in Paris!! That's right - Duc Des Lombards has their weekly jam session - bring your instrument and make some new musical friends

On the 9th, at the Salle Pleyel, on the Champs Elysees, Michael Portal is playing - that might be a beautiful gig

On the 11th, there's Jazz Manouche at Baiser Sale, Rocky Gresset and Gilles Naturel are swinging that one.

And here's a fabulous and quirky one - on January 22nd, at the Dynamo, there's a 'Fabulous Imaginary Cabaret' with the Les Musiques a Ouir. I won't even try and translate this wonderful description

"Wilkommen, welcome, bienvenue au cabaret free désinvolte, au music-hall déjanté, dadaïste et féérique, au moulin (rouge) du musette et de la chanson populaire recyclée rock !Brigitte Fontaine et Areski, Billie Holiday, Eric Lareine, Loïc Lantoine, Georges Brassens, Ferré, Dutronc, Boris Vian, les Clash ou Zizi Jeanmaire… "

I know where I'll be that night!

Have a wonderful stay in Paris... and if you want more ideas check out our 'best venues' page. And don't hesitate to drop me a line at parislovesjazz@gmail.com if you want to ask any questions!

December in the Jazz Bars and Jazz Clubs in Paris

2010-12-07T15:03:00.001Z

What's on in December in the jazz bars and jazz cafes of Paris? Music all over the city with so many different styles and approaches.

December 11th the Musee de Quai Branly offers the next concert in their series 'Blue Indigo' - Mike Reed's 'People's Places and Things'.

Here's Mike's group

If you're looking for a more traditional approach then le Petit Journal de Montparnasse is offering a selection of different styles - Dixieland, Big Band, Delta Jazz - all served up with the offer of either a full dinner and concert or a drink and the show. They are shuttered from the 24th till the 28th of December.

If you want to get out of the centre of town and check out a lovely jazz venue the you might want to see Vincent Courtois and Louis Sclavis, at the Atelier du Plateau. I had the pleasure of performing there a few years ago and it was a lovely quirky intimate space. Vincent is on Dec 17th, and it's only 12 euros.

Here is Louis Sclavis in Vienna

If you want to check out one of the downtown clubs, the Duc Des Lombards has a fine list of players. I'll probably check out Tamir Hendleman on the 13th of December. This Tel Aviv pianist represents a new generation of Israeli jazzmen and in this video he has one amazing touch

And finally, for the Paris Gypsy Jazz fans, there is a high profile concert at the Salle Pleyel, 'No El Manouche a Pleyel', on the 22nd of December at 8pm. It features, for the real enthusiast, the great-grandson of Django Reinhardt himself, playing up his own version of the family's musical heritage. Tickets are 45 or 60 euros.

Here is a very young Levis working out his chops with some friends

The concert also features the slightly more mature Thomas Dutronc.

and of course, if none of these please you - then check out our ">complete clubs listings and keep an eye out on the blog, I'll be putting more choices up in the coming days, and I'll have a listing for jazz clubs and bars in Paris in January 2011.

Django Lives - The Best Gypsy Jazz in Paris

2010-12-06T20:31:00.003Z

Well, I admit that a little bit of Gypsy Jazz guitar in Paris goes a long way for me. Maybe it's because I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the Gypsy jazz in the Paris venues and concert halls and cafes and bars and street corners and ack!!.... really it is possible all over Paris to hear 'iffy' players hacking through the legacy of Django Reinhardt. But a few places still do it well....

Jazz Manouche, a la Django Reinhardt, is indeed all over the place in the city, but to be honest, it generally sits at around the 'ok' to 'really not ok' level of talent. Not that I don't love the actual sound when it works, but it's pretty rare to see someone recapture anything like the level of virtuosity & just plain fun of Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli in the '30's. (Alright, perhaps no one will ever equal Reinhardt's virtuoso power on the guitar). I made a special trip to see Django's grandson play his variety of Gypsy jazz guitar, and it was...well...it was somewhere around the 'ok' level. Maybe the problem is that when a band is trying to imitate this incredible sound that we all have in our ears, they always come up short.

But all gripes aside, one amazing and fun place to see this style of playing in Paris is La Chope des Puces in the north of the city. It's a great combination: an incredibly quirky neighbourhood that also just happens to be the Paris center for bargain shopping & antiques (the largest flea market in the world!)

& a traditional zinc cafe with (actual) gypsy guitarists who are obviously having a great time entertaining the crowd. They're really fine players who capture the style while putting on their own personal touch. I can happily while away the afternoon in this cafe.

The café is a shrine to Hot Jazz and Django--walls covered with photos, mementos & posters and no bandstand to speak of--guitarists perch where there's room. The bar isn't big, you're really in the players' laps as you cluster around the zinc counter. The place recently had a 're-do' so it is now a bit spacier (and pricier) than it was, but it still holds the same feeling.

To check out La Chope head for the last stop on line 4: metro Porte de Clignancourt on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Follow the crowds for a five minute walk past the wall of Paris (ie the huge elevated highway that rings the city). Once you're in the madness of the flea market head up to 122 rue des Rosiers (NOT the rue des Rosiers in the centre of Paris).

And, if you're not quite like me and want to delve more deeply into the world of Jazz Manouche then plan your trip for June and attend the official Festival Django Reinhardt

Paris Jazz...

2010-12-03T19:29:00.000Z

A fun offering from France for the holiday season. My quartet and I threw together a rendition of the classic Charles Trenet chanson, 'Menilmontant'... (named after an extremely cool and historic neighbourhood just a little way down the boulevard from where I live in Paris).

it's a great tune..

for more about my work - visit www.bremnerduthie.com , or scroll down the page for jazz listing for Paris for December and some great other upcoming jazz gigs in Paris.

Play me some of that old time music, boys.... Big Band Swing Jazz in Paris

2010-12-02T00:08:00.042Z

Le Petit Journal de Montparnasse programs old time standards, small orchestras, blues bands, gospel singers and dixieland. No minimalist ECM long form free impro happening there.

Which, if you're into the first, and not into the second, is a very good thing. . On December 9th, at 9:30pm.... (well, this is Paris, where everything starts late...so say 'around 9.30pm') Claude Bolling will be bringing his spectacular Big Band to the stage to run through quite a few standards.

The funny thing, is that often the French are really better at preserving American traditions than the Americans... Respect for 'Tradition' (with a capital 'T') is so huge here in Francethat the French have no problem dedicating themselves to preserving this kind of music. They adore the new, but they never forget their traditions. And if they don't swing quite as hard as the original, well, they give it their all and they look like they're having a lot of fun.

Here they are working their way through one of my fav's - Benny Goodman's 'Flying Home'.

Show and dinner is 70 euros, or just a drink and the show is 25 euros, and there's a youth price of 15 for a single drink and the show.

if that doesn't pop your cork, then check out our complete listings guide, or look on the main page for other recommended gigs.

And if you go, drop us a line afterwards and tell us how it is... I'll probably be down the street watching a long form minimalist ECM free impro...

Jazz in St. Germain - a weekly event at the Hotel D'Aubusson

2010-12-01T08:11:00.000Z

Well, I'm not much for smooth jazz, but these two have a lovely sound and technique, and if one is going to be relaxed and calmed by beautiful sounds in a lovely environment, there is not much better place then the centre of St. Germain de Pres, in the centre of Paris. (St. Germain is really the heart of 'perfect Paris'... it is another world from where I live way up in the north of the city, on the other side of Sacre Coeur. Up here we talk about going 'into Paris', - a ten minute trip - when we need go to St. Germain)

Christian Brenner is a pianist and vibraphonist who has a weekly gig at the Cafe Laurent at the Hotel D'Aubusson (one of Simone de Beauvoir's old accomodations - pretty classy, Simone!).

On December 4th Christian's guest will be the lovely vocalist Isabelle Carpentier. I think these two might make some beautiful music together.

Christian Brenner at the Cafe Laurent

Isabelle Carpentier at Duc des Lombards

if these don't strike your fancy - check out the complete club listings, or take a look at our other recommended gigs.

The Upcoming Week in Paris Jazz bars and clubs

2010-11-30T09:45:00.001Z

Some new artists and some heavyweights appearing in the upcoming week or so in Paris jazz bars. If these don't interest you then check out the complete club listings for more options!

At Sunset/Sunside, right in the heart of the city, on a lovely pedestrian street on the right bank there are some nice acts this week. On Friday night, at 10pm, Nico Wayne Toussaint, the French blues singer and harmonica player is performing (should be a nice way to end a cold friday with some hot blues) Here's Nico playing some particularly down and dirty harmonica

And on Saturday night as part of their 'New Sounds' fest, Brice Martin and Claude Bartholomy are shaking up the downstairs at Sunset with some outside vocal and sax sounds

and finally this week I'll probably be checking out the Tony Tixier Septet at Duc Des Lombards. Friday night he's doing two sets - 8pm and 10pm. 25 euros

for addresses and websites check out the complete club listings

Blue Indigo - Jazz in Paris at the Quai Branly Museum

2010-11-29T08:58:00.003Z

Jazz in Paris from around the world

Le Quai Branly is a wonderful new museum on the left bank. One more example of new cutting edge architecture for the city. They specialize in exhibiting world cultures and the interior is a treat to wander through - it's a maze of rooms and alleys and interiors that make you feel like you are discovering the different worlds. And, in Spring the little park in front is a welcome retreat from the bustle of the city. This season they are presenting a jazz series that is a welcome change from the regular jazz venues and jazz cafes around town.

Over the course of the 2010-2011 season they are presenting a series they call Blue Indigo, a season of concerts that symbolically retraces the original roads through the Deep South (with John Hebert’s Byzantine Monkey, Matana Roberts’ Coin Coin) to the East Coast (Tyshawn Sorey Quartet, Steve Lehman Octet, Craig Taborn, William Parker & Gerald Cleaver Trio), and the Midwest (Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things, Chicago Underground Duo).

Bleu Indigo also reaches out to the black Atlantic archipelago, either towards South America (Sao Paulo Underground), Africa or Europe (Steve Lehman Octet, Matana Roberts’ Coin Coin).

The museum says, "This is the first season of a series of concerts dedicated to a hybrid musical genre born at the beginning of last century and venturing into it. This original and innovative program features young talents from across the Atlantic. Most of them have projects that have never been heard in France but all beat new paths for today’s creative music. This musical art, now part of our musical heritage, remains legendary and even visionary."

SATURDAY 11TH DECEMBER 2010 6 P.M.

People, Places & Things : people, places and things. With his quartet, drummer Mike Reed strives to decode the energizing messages of his native Chicago in the last fifty years and to find in it invitations to today’s most fabulous voyages.

Steve Lehman Octet

Steve Lehman © Scott Friedlander

SATURDAY 22ND JANUARY 2011 6 P.M.

co production with the Sons d’Hiver festival

Saxophonist Steve Lehman’s octet. He is a master in the art of sound chiaroscuro developed by French composer Tristan Murail with his spectral music. For Lehman, his music is exclusively seeking, typically New York and contemporary in its way of being both coherent and bold.

Website of the festival Sons d'Hiver (new window)

Matana Robert's Coin Coin

Matana Robert © DR

SATURDAY 26TH FEBRUARY 2011 6 P.M.

For several years, saxophonist and clarinettist Matana Roberts searched for her American, African and European musical ancestors between Louisiana,

Togo

and

Scotland

. But her decidedly lyrical art is less evocative than a story blurred by such tragedy, than evocatory of the stories endlessly told to reinvent a future life.

Chicago Underground and Sao Paulo Underground

Sao Paulo Underground © DR

SATURDAY 9TH APRIL 2011 6 P.M.

The Chicago Underground and the Sao Paulo Underground are twin ensembles created by cornettist Rob Mazurek, who lives between both cities and always favours dialogue between preferably turbulent drummers and percussionists, and all noises, effects and treatment that electronic machinations now offer.

Craig Taborn, William Parker and Gerald Cleaver Trio

SATURDAY 25TH JUNE 2011 6 P.M.

The piano, bass and drum trio is just as much a canonical jazz form with harmonious sequences of actions, as a mirror to go through. These three improvisation masters linked to most projects who have disrupted this art form in the last 20 years, know the paths to musical wonderlands.

for more information got to Quai Branly Jazz Indigo

Musée du Quai Branly

37, quai Branly

75007 - Paris

Tel: 01 56 61 70 00

Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 11am to 19h

Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 11am to 21pm

Jazz Radio in Paris

2010-11-23T23:05:00.002Z

Jazz Radio Stations in Paris

the supreme radio station in Paris for jazz fans is TSF, which used to be a communist station until it was bought in 1999 by Frank Tenot & Jean-Francois Bizot. their playlist tends towards the great standards, but keep an ear open at 8pm Monday to Friday, when programming manager Sebastien Vidal interviews a who's-who of Paris players & visitors.

in the morning, catch excellent historic recordings and stories from former France Musique director Pierre Bouteiller...on TSF every weekday morning at 9am for the rare early-rising jazz enthusiast!

So, while you're getting ready to go out, here are some excellent radio shows to tune into when you're in Paris:

FIP usually has a policy of pure schizophrenia (Sinead O'Connor followed by the Golden Gate Quartet followed by The White Stripes followed by John Coltrane) but from 7:30pm 'til 9pm, the chaos chills into the daily Jazz show.

On Sundays, there are too many options: you can check out Ascenseur pour le jazz (which may translate to "Elevator Music" but trust us, it ain't)--10pm 'til midnight on FRANCE INTER . Or you can try EUROPE 1's Sunday show, Pour ceux qui aiment le jazz (from 11pm 'til 1am). Or you can listen to RTL's L'heure du jazz (one hour show starting at 11pm).

FRANCE MUSIQUE also has a Sunday show (midnight 'til 1am) and you can also tune in weekdays for an hour at 6pm for Le jazz est un roman (great show title, this one), as well as Wednesdays from 4pm 'til 5pm and Fridays from 11pm 'til midnight.

where to find them on the dial:
TSF 90.0 fm
Europe 1 104.7 fm
FIP 105.5 fm
France Inter 87.8 fm
France Musique 91.7 / 92.1 fm
RTL 104.3 fm

Paris Jazz celebrates the late lamented Albert Ayler - Dec 2nd

2010-11-21T15:45:00.003Z

If you want to step out of the regular Paris jazz clubs and jazz bars and see some live jazz in Paris in a wonderful space then check out this event at the contemporary art museum 'Le Fondation Cartier'

Albert Ayler (July 13, 1936 – November 25, 1970) was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer.

Ayler was among the most primal of the free jazz musicians of the 1960s; critic John Litweiler wrote that "never before or since has there been such naked aggression in jazz" He possessed a deep blistering tone—achieved by using the stiff plastic Fibrecane no. 4 reeds on his tenor saxophone—and used a broad, pathos-filled vibrato. On Dec 2nd, at 8pm (for the cost of only 7.50 euros) the Fondation Cartier in Paris will be holding an 'hommage' to the memory and music of Albert Ayler.

His trio and quartet records of 1964, like Spiritual Unity and The Hilversum Session, show him advancing the improvisational notions of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman into abstract realms where timbre, not harmony and melody, is the music's backbone. His ecstatic music of 1965 and 1966, like "Spirits Rejoice" and "Truth Is Marching In" has been compared by critics to the sound of a brass band, and involved simple, march-like themes which alternated with wild group improvisations and were regarded as retrieving jazz's pre-Louis Armstrong. He was found dead in New York's East River in 1970.

The Fondation Cartier in Paris (a wonderful modern building just to the south of the city centre) holds a regular

series of performance events they call soirees 'Nomadic'. it's hosted by Joelle Leandre, a bassist who specializes in continuing the free jazz tradition of Albert Ayler.

Here's a youtube link of Albert Ayler playing with his quartet at the historic and sad occasion of the funeral of John Coltrane

And here is Joelle Leandre at with her 'stone quartet'

information and reservations every day except Monday - from 12 to 8pm
33 - (0)142185672

Our List of the Best Jazz Bars and Clubs in Paris

2010-11-20T22:54:00.034Z

Our complete list of Jazz Clubs in Paris. Where to hear the best live jazz musicians in Paris. From A to Z with all Paris Jazz Clubs

Some of these venues are famous Paris jazz bars, some of these places are down and dirty Paris jazz clubs. The opinions here are entirely ours. PLEASE send us your comments to help us keep things up-to-date. (also, if you have any suggestions how to get the accents for our French words working correctly, we're all ears.)

L'Archipel: 17 blvd de Strasbourg 10th, 01.48.00.04.35 Metro Chateau d’Eau Does double service as a cinema...which means the chairs are comfy, but there's no room to dance (or drink). Two rooms (the blue and the red), and one cheerful ticket-taker. Entrance 9-15 euros.

Atelier Charonne: 21 rue de Charonne 11th, 01.40.21.83.35, Metro Bastille or Ledru Rollin. Focus on jazz Manouche. Free, straight-up shows that start some time after 8:30pm.

Autour de Midi...et Minuit: 11 rue Lepic 18th, 01.55.79.16.48 Metro Blanche Entrance varies (free to about 10 euros.)

Baiser Sale: 58 rue des Lombards 1st, 01.42.33.7.71 Metro Chatelet Upstairs from the tiny bar and terrasse, there's a nice-sized room for jams and bands. Almost always worth a visit. (price range usually 10 to 20 euros)

Babilo (alt Bab-ilo): 9 rue du Baigneur, 18th, 01.42.29.99.19, Metro Jules Joffrin. Weekend jazz, including Sunday 6:30pm jam sessions (kinda Brazilian, so I hear, though i haven't gotten there yet myself.)

Balle au Bond: floats on the Seine near Notre Dame - in winter, it is on quai de Tournelle, in summer on quai Malaquais, 01.43.40.02.10 Metro Saint-Michel/Saint-Germain-des-Pres. Jazz on a boat - unpredictable schedule, but this barge stays docked in central Paris, the drinks aren't too expensive, and it has a helluva view.

La Bellevilloise: 19 rue Boyer, 20th, 01.46.36.07.07 Metro Menilmontant or Gambetta. I'm heading there this weekend. More soon!

Le Bilboquet: 13 rue Saint-Benoit 6th, 01.45.48.81.84 Metro Saint-Germain-des-Pres Opened in 1947, affiliated with Boris Vian in its early days, this is a must-see, the classy joint if you're staying in a nearby hotel, especially in spring when the glass doors are folded back and music pours out onto the street. Consider coming here for a leisurely dinner or stop in for an after-dinner drink (no cover charge but a glass of wine is 18 euros).

Blue Note: 14 rue Mulle 18th, 01.42.54.69.76, Metro Anvers. Jazz & sounds of Brazil.

Boule Noire: 120 blvd Rochechouart 18th, 01.49.25.89.99 Metro Barbes-Rochechouart. Once a dancehall & cabaret, then a cinema, then a serious punk dive, now a little more stable as a mostly alt-pop/rock venue...but every now and then, a jazz cat books in here.

Le Cafe K: 156 rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin 10th, 01.46.07.15.15 Metro Gare de l'Est. Free Friday night jazz (starts fairly early, around 19h.) --

Cafe Laurent: 33 rue Dauphine 6th, 01.43.29.43.43 Metro Odeon or Pont-Neuf. Shows start around 9:30pm (approx 10 euros)

Caveau de la Huchette: 5 rue de la Huchette 5th, 01.43.26.65.05 Metro Saint-Michel. One of the classics, on the 'tourist-hell' strip surrounded by Greek and Italian restaurants (and no, the questionable food is not why the neighborhood is called the Latin Quarter). French 1950s trumpet player Boris Vian played here; it was quite a black turtlenecked scene in its day.

Le Caveau des Oubliettes: 52 rue Galande 5th, 01.46.34.23.09 Metro Saint-Michel The name refers to the medieval dungeons, where ne'er-do-wells were thrown down a hole and forgotten (oublier). And the Caveau is indeed a dank little cavern...But unlike some of the bigger jazz caves in this city, the Caveau showcases free music, with just the right ambiance between student dive and jazz club. The players are young and pull in the local student population. Where else can you hear a twenty-year-old Parisian do a solo sax riff inspired by the Sound of Music, while celebrity-sighting Keziah Jones?

Cav du 38 Riv' : 38 rue de Rivoli 4th, 01.48.87.56.30 Metro Hotel-de-ville Shows at 8:30pm except on Sundays, when it's often not jazz but baroque music & starts at 5pm. On weekends & Mondays, do check the website in case there's a private party.

Cithea: 114 rue Oberkamph 11th, 01.40.21.70.95 Metro Parmentier. Mostly DJs, but occasional jazz.--

Cite de la Musique: 221 ave Jean-Jaures 19th, 01.44.84.44.84, Metro Porte de Pantin Depends entirely on the month. Check the schedule for specially programmed musicians--often big names, more towards the experimental spectrum. In the warmer weather, visit the music-based museum exhibits, then go for a stroll through Parc de la Villette, where amazing samba bands, dreamy sax soloists, and a few inevitably rhythm-free bongo players vie for attention on weekends. Unbeatable location for a picnic!

Club Drouot: 20 blvd Montmartre 9th, 01.53.34.63.04 Metro Richelieu-Drouot Free, doors open around 7 but show only starts around 9pm, so don't knock yourself out. --

Czech Centre's Paris-Prague Jazz Club: 18 rue Bonaparte 6th, 01.53.73.00.22 Metro Saint-Germain-des-Pres Wow I have to get back to this spot, haven't been for years (I mean YEARS...last time I was there, I still needed a visa to get into Czech Republic...!) And looking at this season's programming, I've been missing some cool stuff. Very central location, too.

Duc des Lombards: 42 rue des Lombards 1st, 01.42.33.22.88 Metro Chatelet. One of the classics, and for good reason--even with its recent facelift, the Duc still brings 'em in from far 'n wide. For some reason, the place is open for lunch...but forget the food. Come here for the show--whoever it is, they're usually on twice per night, about 8pm and about 10pm.

L'Entrepot: 7 rue Francis de Pressense 14th 01.45.40.60.70, Metro Pernety. Not in the usual neighborhood, but once you get here, this funky renovated warehouse includes a great restaurant (with a big quiet patio!), a quirky bar/cafe, and cinema projections. Call first to see what's on--local community shows sometimes take over the programming.

L'European 5 rue Biot 17th, 01.43.87.97.13, Metro Place-de-Clichy. Just around the corner from the big cinemas at Clichy.

La Fabrica'son: 157 blvd Gabriel-Peri in the Malakoff suburb just outside of Paris, 06.46.46.18.03 I aim to get there soon to check out the jam sessions.

La Fenetre: 77 rue de Charonne 11th, 01.40.09.70, Metro Charonne. Mostly a theatre but they're booking more and more jazz these days. Plus Monday jam session, 9pm, 5 euros.

La Fontaine: 20 rue de la Grange-aux-Belles 10th, 01.42.45.36.27 Metro Colonel-Fabien These days, Daniel isn't programming as much jazz as he used to because upstairs residents have complained about the noise. But every now & then, there's a great show. Last June, waiting to the band to get going, we leaned on the copper-topped curving bar and gawked at the house drinks (the girlie 'La Fontaine' cocktail consists of kirsch, orange juice and peach liquor...ouch). Friendly barman Daniel started booking jazz here three years ago, because he likes the music and wanted to learn more about it. He calls the bands his 'education'; the first night we dropped in, he'd managed to cram a funky five-piece band (including piano, drumset, and wide-screen Mac laptop) into the tiny space beyond the bar. The young, mostly local crowd drank wine (which costs a reasonable 4 euros a glass), and nobody minded that Daniel had to manoeuvre between the sax player and the bassist to carry drinks to the terrace.

Le Franc Pinot: 1 quai Bourbon 4th, 01.46.33.60.64 Metro Saint-Paul/Pont Marie http://www.franc-pinot.com/ This charming non-smoking venue on Ile Saint-Louis, just off Pont Marie, hosted a wide range of jazz players just about every night in a split-level basement that dated back to the 18th Century.

Harry's New York Bar: 5 rue Daunou 2nd, 01.42.62.71.41 Metro Opera. The piano room is downstairs, which is less atmospheric than the old-style drinking establishment at street level, where I encourage you to order a Bloody Mary or a Daiquiri and pretend to be Ernest Hemingway or Janet Flanner. After 10pm, Tues-Sat, mosey downstairs to see who's tinkling the piano keys.

Le Houdon: 5 rue des Abbesses 18th, 01.46.06.35.91 Metro Abbesses. Free jazz nights Friday & Saturday nights; imagine a New York Village jazz dive and an old-fashioned Montmartre café got together & produced a love child: you'd get Le Houdon.

Jawad K Fe: 114 rue de Bagnolet 20th, 01.43.67.73.35 Metro Gambetta. Afro-beat jazz most Fridays and Saturdays--free, starting after 9pm. --

Jazzcartoon: 138 rue Montmartre 2nd, 01.42.36.00.47 Metro Bourse. Depends entirely on the week and the whim, Thursday through Sunday, entrance around 12 euros.

Kiosque flottant Bel Horizon: Quai Francois Mauriac, port de la Gare 13th, 01.53.61.23.29 Metro Quai de la Gare. Especially nice in warmer weather...

7 Lezards: 10 rue des Rosiers 4th, 01.4.87.08.97 Metro Hotel-de-ville. I know it's long gone now but I just don't have the heart to take it out of the listing...those warm jazz ghosts just linger on.

Lionel Hampton Jazz Club: 81 blvd Gouvion Saint-Cyr, 17th, 01.40.68.31.42 Metro Porte Maillot (25 euros includes a drink) Inside the Hotel le Meridien Etoile, this upscale joint has been open since 1975. Jazz every night at 22h30, including Big Band, Swing Orchestra, and the occasional soloist. Named for the American bandleader.

Living B'Art: 15 rue de la Vieuville, 01.42.52.8.34, Metro Abbesses. --

LMP (Lavoir Moderne Parisien): 35 rue Leon, 18th, 01.42.52.09.14 Metro Marcadet-Poissoniers Jazz, World, French chanson, and anything else that strikes their fancy, this hipster venue of the 18th is affiliated with nearby L'Olympic Café, at 20 rue Leon. For the summer through to mid-September, drop by on Wednesday or Sunday evenings for the street festival (note that when viewing the schedule on the website, what's listed will more or less match what’s actually happening, though probably it'll start a LOT later than scheduled.) Alternately, just cruise by L'Olympic any evening you're free, if you're in the 'hood. Odds are, something will be going on in the basement room--just ask the bartender.

New Morning: 7 rue des Petites Ecuries, 10th , 01.45.23.51.41 Metro Chateau d’Eau. One of the legends, a jazz and world club inside a vast old print shop.

L'Ogre a Plume: 49-51 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 11th, 01.48.06.64.39, metro Parmentier. Free performances on Saturday nights starting at 9pm. --

Salle Pleyel: 252, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, 8th, 01.42.56.13.13, Metro Ternes. Newly-restored, this is now one of the best theatres in the city, accoustic-wise.

Studio de l'Ermitage: 8 rue de l’Ermitage 20th, 01.44.62.02.86 Metro Menilmontant/Pyrenees. Not always happening, call to be sure.

Sunset: 60 rue des Lombards 1st, 01.40.26.46.26, Metro Chatelet Lined in metro-tunnel tiles, the white shiny glare is one of the most atmopheric (or oddest) jazz atmospheres in town - this venue books prestigious bands and the accoustic is much better than you'd expect...

Sunside: same address as above, on the main floor, above the basement tunnel of Sunset. A plain brick-walled space that books some of the best names in the city. Nicer ambiance than downstairs.

Swan Bar:165, Boulevard de Montparnasse, 75006, 01 44 27 05 84. RER Port Royal, metro Montparnasse. This is a great little club up in the historic Montparnasse area. The fabulous cocktail bar is run with a cheerful and creative hand by the lovely Isla, and Lionel does the booking. They show a whole range of jazz styles and the bright, friendly ambience is a nice change from some of the over-smokey cellars that abound in the city.

Le Triton: 11 bis, rue du Coq Français (just out of Paris in Les Lilas) 01 49 72 83 13 , Metro Mairie des Lilas. Good accoustics, great atmosphere, and a sympa little patio & restaurant...add good programming to the mix, and you've got one hell of a good reason to head out just past city limit. Get out at metro Mairie des Lilas, walk down past the "mairie" city hall building, and turn left on French rooster street. Full program on their website.

Café Universale: 267 rue Saint-Jacques 5th, 01.43.25.7.20 RER Luxembourg. Not my favourite venue (something about those weird sticky seats just puts me off), but popular for its free vocal jam nights (where local talent takes on standards and the occasional surprising song choice) and sometimes packed with English-speakers.

Also, if you want to travel slightly out of the city, there is the Quai du Blues, just outside of Paris on Ile de Jatte, 17 blvd Vital-Bouhot, Neuilly, 01.46.24.22.00 Metro Pont de Levallois. Check http://www.quaidublues.com/ for schedule.

A 'just outside Paris' jazz club event - Tuesday Nov 23

2010-11-18T14:40:00.004Z

And this is a ‘just outside of Paris’ jazz club in a totally cool space. As Paris becomes ever more expensive artists and musicians and whole festivals are moving just past the borders of the city - like Williamsburg in NYC (..perhaps not quite as 'cool' as Williamsburg, but you get the idea...) So the north-east suburbs of Montreuil and Pantin are becoming slowly filled with artists and artisans and new theatre and music spaces - the artists are, (as one of my favourite pieces of graffiti once said) 'the shock troops of gentrification'.

The aptly named Banlieu Blues fest presents in November a festival of jazz and blues just outisde Paris - Dynamo (La Dynamo de Banlieu Bleus – which wonderfully translates as something like THE DYNAMO OF SUBURBAN BLUES!). There will be wine and maybe food if you get there early....

I love their funky modern building.

Tuesday, November 23 · 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

(and when I say ‘just outside Paris’ remember that Paris proper is a tiny city, so ‘just outside’ only means a 15 minute metro ride from the centre of Paris) or a 10 minute walk past the official edge of the city.... (which is the huge highway that rings Paris) so take a chance and check it out..)

Banlieue Blues

9 rue Gabrielle Josserand
Pantin, France

GREGORY OTT TRIO, JULIAN DAIAN QUINTET

Gregory Ott trio
Based in Alsace, the trio of pianist Greg Ott opens the third Dynamo fest.

Gregory Ott studied at the Conservatory of Strasbourg and started his trio in 2003 looking for a way to play jazz open to all musical backgrounds

Gregory Ott piano, kevin Reveyrand bass, drums Matthew Zirn

and the Julien Daian Quintet
from Marseille a whole new set of young French jazz up and comers

Young saxophonist Julien Daian offers jazz and uninhibited influences ranging from hip hop to rock to the Balkan music and jazz in its most traditional - a hybrid sound where everyone is welcome whatever his tendencies, a " New York melting pot a la francaise. "

Julien Daian saxophones, trumpet Aristide Goncalves, Thomas'siska ' Cassis piano, bass Tommaso Montagnani, Octave Ducasse battery, DJ Borz samples

Fee: 8 euro

And (full disclosure ) I can assure you of some amazing bass sounds for the Julien Daian quintet, since it features the amazing sound of Tommaso Montagnani,

who graced my CD of standards ‘The Sky Was Blue’ – listen to him light up the solo for Benny Golson’s ‘Whisper Not’, or the Talking Heads 'Heaven'

here's some youtube of Gregory and Julien

and Julian and a guest singer lighting up the scene with Suzanne Vega's Tom's Diner

I'll be posting some more listings for the downtown clubs later this week, but if you're searching for stuff yourself then cruise over to our Clubs listing where you'll find links to most of the jazz clubs and bars in town.

This week in Paris Jazz Clubs - a rainy November in Live Jazz in Paris

2010-11-15T20:51:00.004Z

Well, I'm going with this concert as the one to see this week. An all out marathon of jazz and jazzy players at the historic (well, 10 years old historic...) Le Triton this Saturday, Nov 20th, from 4pm to 2am the next morning. It's a nice, intimate space (not so much a Paris Jazz Bar, but a real Jazz Club) where you'll feel part of the action and where the crowd will be regulars of the venue and supporters of the little record label they have.

It is just outside of the walls of Paris. But if you plan it right then you can also take advantage of the trip to visit historic Belleville. Get off the Metro at 'Belleville' or 'Goncourt' and then walk uphill for a few blocks before getting back on at 'Jordain' to head out to 'Mairie des Lilas'. If the weather is nice then make a side trip over to see the view over Paris from the lovely 'Parc de Belleville' and have a glass of wine on the terrace of the Mer a Boire. I can't imagine a nicer way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

It's a pretty eclectic line up. There's the feminine tango sounds of Las Malenas

and the lovely, serious new music tones of Guillaume Roy

the gorgeous latin/arabic sounds of the Hadouk Trio

and later the rock tinged fusion sounds of Guillaume Peret and the Electric Epic

If you go, then really go early and catch the brunch - it'll be some charming impromptu kitchen with a nice drinkable house wine served by eager, friendly jazz lovers. Take in the atmosphere of Parisian jazz lovers working to make this kind of music possible.

And if it doesn't strike your fancy then check out our listings of all the Paris jazz venues here

The Best Bar in ...

2010-11-13T13:32:00.002Z

A quick non-Paris amazing jazz club note -

I have been on the road on the other side of the water for the last three weeks. From New York City to New Orleans and back via Memphis, Nashville and Detroit. Making music and also just some touring around. Got stuck in Detroit (sadly broke an axle on my 1964 Skylark

just outside Toledo.... so I got a tow truck to take me up to Detroit).

I toughed it out by booking myself into the fabulous newly renovated Book Cadillac hotel

and and spent 3 days wandering around the surreal dying city

checking out the amazing music scene. And I stumbled into the best Jazz bar in Detroit. Cliff Bell's.

I was attracted by the extraordinary exterior, so I found a well lit parking spot down the street, politely sneaked past the two crack cocaine deals going on in front of the ruined buildings nearby and entered a mecca of old world style and sophistication. I think I can honestly say Cliff Bell's is one of the most beautiful bars I have ever seen. And they mix a mean cocktail.

I had the luck to walk in on a faculty/student concert from the Wayne State University Jazz program. They still have great musicians in Detroit. The kids already had a sense of personal style and the courage to take chances and make great music.

So, next time you miss the turn-off for Paris and find yourself in the empty wilderness and crumbling skyscrapers that is downtown Detroit, you'll find yourself a welcoming home at Cliff Bell's.

Must See! Saturday Night Cool - Lee Konitz headlines in one of my favourite Paris Jazz Clubs

2010-11-11T15:34:00.004Z

If you're looking for a great experience watching live jazz in Paris or visiting one of the many live jazz clubs and bars in Paris then I would advice you check out a concert this Saturday night (November 13th at 8pm, 25 euros) at Sunset/Sunside - one of my favourite jazz bars in the city.

Lee Konitz and Dan Tepfer

Lee is generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, and one of the few altoists to retain a distinctive sound in the 40s, when Charlie Parker exercised a tremendous influence on other players.

Konitz began his professional career in 1945 with the Teddy Powell band as a replacement for Charlie Ventura. The engagement apparently did not start out smoothly, as Ventura is said to have banged his head against a wall when Konitz played.

In 1949 he teamed up with the Miles Davis group for one or two weeks and again in 1950 to record Birth of the Cool. Konitz has stated that he considered the group to belong to Gerry Mulligan, and credits Lennie Tristano as the true forebearer of "the cool".

In the early 1950s, Konitz recorded and toured with Stan Kenton's orchestra. In 1961, he recorded Motion with Elvin Jones on drums and Sonny Dallas on bass. This spontaneous session, widely regarded as a classic, consisted entirely of standards. The loose trio format aptly featured Konitz's unorthodox phrasing and chromaticism.

Konitz has been quite prolific, recording dozens of albums as a band leader. He has also recorded or performed with Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Elvin Jones and others.

Konitz has become more experimental as he has grown older, and has released a number of free and avant-garde jazz albums, playing alongside many far younger musicians. He has released albums on contemporary free jazz/improv labels such as hatART, Soul Note and Omnitone.

Dan Tepfer is actually the son of some of my favourite Paris people – The Tepfers ran an open salon in Paris for years, ‘L’Atelier de la Main d’Or’', named after the lovely cobblestone alley where they had their studio. They invited musicians, poets, dancers and performers of all stripes to come in and show their work. And Dan is their talented progeny.

Here are a couple of youtubes of Lee Konitz and of Dan Tepfer - Dan is performing on the stage of his parents' atelier in Paris

Lee Konitz, back in the day

and now still in fine form

Enjoy, and don't forget to check out our extensive list of other great jazz clubs in Paris, the city of lights! I'll be back in Paris on the weekend and updating the 'best of' page again after that

Louis

2010-11-08T03:51:00.000Z

OK, it's not Paris Jazz Clubs and it's not about live Jazz in Paris - but it's amazing. This video kills me everytime I watch it..... so I'm posting it again so everyone can see it...again and again.... You understand after this how Louis Armstrong was not only an amazing innovator in jazz instrumental styles, but an extraordinary innovator in vocal stylings.

Dinah!!

Who needs Jazz clubs in Paris - Go home with a real Paris Jazz Musican

2010-10-16T21:34:00.006+01:00

Bored of simply seeing live jazz in Paris bars and clubs.... well, now the house concert has finally hit France!

And man, I love the way they say this in France - 'participation aux frais au chapeau' just means 'we'll pass the hat', but somehow it sounds so much more refined when they say it.

If you would like to get down and dirty and get really intimate with the Paris jazz scene, then why not risk your best tourist-French and call and make a reservation to hear these two fine players in an intimate setting in a home in Paris. (click on the image to get the details in a larger window)

and if you're worried about what to say - here's an example sentence that should get you in

'Bonjour - je veut bien faire une reservation pour le concert avec Benjamin Duboc et Sylvain Guerineau'
to which they will reply some version of
'oui, et votre nom'
or
'desole, c'est complet' (sold out).

If you get the affirmative answer then just tell them your name, hang up and turn up on the 23rd prepared to see some wonderful playing

here are videos of each of the musicians

Benjamin Duboc on Bass

and Sylvain Geurineau on sax

I would urge you to go and not to be shy!! The French adore having enthusiastic encounters with foreigners. They might regard us as slightly imbecilic and obviously second-class human beings, but they have vast sympathy for the sad error of being born outside of France.

And they are the best hosts in the world - charming, welcoming and helpful. I imagine there will be wine and beer for sale and some snacks and a chance to meet the musicians after.

and, of course, if you're looking for a more traditional club, check out the venue listings here
Enjoy!

15,000 Visitors to Paris Loves Jazz

2010-10-14T18:40:00.003+01:00

15,000 people searching here for live jazz in Paris and live jazz clubs and bars in Paris

Wow. How did that happen! I started this blog a while ago to communicate my amazement at all the extraordinary music going on in the city. Coming from North America, where unless you live in NYC, you're lucky if a city has two or three clubs that specialize in jazz, I was blown away by the dozens of clubs that cover the Paris landscape. It seemed logical to talk about the great times I was having experiencing all the variations of jazz and improvised music by players of all ages and backgrounds across the City of Lights....

I'm glad it worked out....

Visitors to Paris

2010-10-14T17:55:00.006+01:00

Through this blog I not only get the pleasure of writing about and visiting the Paris jazz clubs and seeing live jazz in Paris, but I get the pleasure of meeting some spiffy visitors to the Fair City. Jazz musicians, singers and jazz lovers drop me a line, and, when I can, it's great to cross paths and show them some of the sights and the sounds, or just meet up to swop stories and see a band. Occasionally I even get to make music with them.

Last year I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful west coast Sax player Paul Wainwright.

Paul has has played with hundreds of renowned musicians and singers such as Kenny Loggins, Stevie Nicks, Michael Buble, Martha Reeves, Jim Byrnes, Donny Walsh (Mr Downchild), Vic Damone, and opened for Herbie Hancock, Manhattan Transfer, Etta James, k.d. lang, Melissa Etheridge and The Great Guitars (Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel, Charlie Byrd)... he has some great stories about his travels and music, and we dropped by Sunside/Sunset to hear some music.

Later that week he dropped by my place (a lovely little cobblestone alley in the north of the city) and to my delight my street was closed that day for a festival and a marching jazz band was wandering up and down. I felt like Paris was doing it's best to impress Paul.

And this summer, lo and behold, I went on tour, and I got a chance to play with him. On my tour of Canada I played a bunch of dates across the country in support of the new album 'The Sky Was Blue' , and Paul helped me set up a couple of shows in the lovely town of Victoria, BC, where he is based.

He loaded me with CDs and so I've spent the last month listening to the sounds of his very tight little 3 piece 'big band' - I love his new album ...it's a bit bigger with Steve Duben on Bass, John Ferraro on Drums, Tom Lang on Guitar and Morry Stearns on Keyboard and it is up here for listening or purchase.

Paris is truly a moveable feast .....

Fall in the Fair City - Jazz Clubs in Paris in Autumn - September and October

2010-09-24T19:12:00.009+01:00

Springtime in Paris Jazz is pretty sweet - but even sweeter is Fall, especially for jazz clubs in Paris and live Jazz in Paris as all the well-tanned Parisians return revitalized from their 5 week holidays and set out to begin a new season of eating well and drinking well and heading out to see fine musicians around the city.

Even the Jazzers get their time to recharge. Under France's mandated assistance to artists and performers and musicians, all employers of these artsy types have to set aside 10% of their wages to assist them later in taking a summer holiday - the wonderful 'Conges Spectacles' program, where even the poorest of Jazz musicians can take two weeks and bring his family to the seaside.

So, expect some energetic performances in the next weeks in Paris.

Upcoming - first, a plug for an old friend - the extraordinary force of nature - Manda Djinn. A wonderful American jazz and gospel singer who has been in Paris for ever and knows her way intimately around the Paris jazz scene - and so can cherry pick some of the best players.

Manda DJINN et Alberto PIBIRI Trio
Friday, October 1, 2010 at 8:00pm
La Chopette Restaurant
168 rue d'Alesia-75014 Paris

Here is a neat video of Manda at Duc des Lombards

Next up this nice looking world music/jazz fest at a venue I like. L'Alahambra It's not far from the trendy Canal St. Martin quartier, so you can drop in to Chez Prune for glass beforehand and people watch.

Here is some info on each of the events in the series --

Moussu T. pulls in a selection of world music influences - mostly African worldbeat - and mixes them with a southern French tradition of Chanson

the gravel voice of Eric Lareine plays with language and phrasing amidst some lovely textural settings

The gypsy stylings and vocal acrobatics of Sashird Lao take scat to a new level

the last concert of the series, Romain Dudek passes what I would normally consider the scope of this blog - i.e. I'm not sure if it's Jazz - but he's certainly pushing outside some form - this video features him mostly doing vocal work - but other's have Romain working on hard on tearing apart rock guitar cliches

that's it for specifics for this upcoming week - to find links to all the individual clubs programming check out the 'Venues' page

and....... we're back!

2010-06-03T02:04:00.002+01:00

So, heading back to Paris - after almost a year a way - back to the mecca of Jazz and Jazz Clubs and music all the other good things that Paris can bring...

Look for updates to this site in the next days and weeks

We'll be taking a look at Summer Festivals and the bar scene over the summer months

Vive Le Jazz!

Bremner

A Song a Day - Court and Spark

2009-07-10T19:45:00.001+01:00

today's song is track 3 on the album - Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell

Court and Spark is the amazing Joni Mitchell album where she begins to seriously indulge her interest in Jazz, weaving jazz chords and harmonies into a pop setting. It went to the #2 spot on billboard in 1974 and stayed there for a month. Its a beautiful album. But, oddly enough, the musicians who I worked with in France, being serious, serious jazz guys, had never heard of it, or heard this track. Which left us free to start afresh, so to speak. The word street rap was thrown around (in a very thick Parisian accent) and the guitarist edited down the chords to a basic blues progression, and then we come up with this arrangement - which, oddly enough, features serious jazz musicians taking a jazz inspired pop song and simplifying it and taking aspects of rap and blues and layering those on top. I'm still not sure what I think of it - one day I love it, since I get to hear the bones of the song anew, and the next day I think - 'what the hell were we thinking...'

you can always hear more from the album, and buy digital downloads of individual tracks at itunes.com, or pick up a physical version of the CD by emailing me or dropping by www.cdbaby.com

Jazz in Paris and live jazz clubs in Paris for the last weeks of July

2009-07-06T15:35:00.005+01:00

A quick run down on another festival and an update on what's up with the clubs in the next two weeks. We've had a blast of hot weather in the last two weeks, so either the cool paris jazz club basements have been great to escape into, or the clubs that feature a little bit of air conditioning (not a standard feature in Paris) have been very popular!

A couple of upcoming highlights
Sophia Domancich is playing at L'Archipel on the 11th of July (www.larchipel.net,
17 bd de Strasbourg – 75010 Paris Metro Strasbourg / St Denis)

- you can hear her new work HERE.

Sophia has spent years in the jazz world, often working with West Indian and African singers and has jammed with players like Bobby Few and Steve Lacy. She's spent a decade working with some of the top players in the British Scene. I like her work a lot - its dramatic and almost orchestral and filled with emotion without being sentimental or losing any sense of musicality. She'd be a top pick for the upcoming week.

And we might as well keep things in a feminine note - ongoing at Sunset/Sunside there's the American Music Festival (which, confuses me since that's mostly what they play at Sunset Sunside, but whatever...) featuring Monica Passos, who is actually riffing on Brazilian and south american forms - she's an upbeat funky samba inspired singer currently based in Paris - check out her work HERE

Or watch her shake her circus thing here -

La caravane de Mônica PASSOS
by jeanlouislaforet

And ongoing in the summer festival update - I live up in the 18th Arrondisement in Paris, which is where real people live in Paris (I know, I know that's small minded and biased....) and we have our own wonderful fest up here 'Music and Gardens'

If you want to get out into Paris and see the Parisians in their most relaxed and community orientated I recommend this highly. Great music, families, wine and cheese and lovely settings in the old parks of Montmartre. I'll post the complete schedule in our 'What's On' Page, but check out Elise Dabrowski, in the Jardin of the Museum of Montmartre at 5pm (17h) on the 11th of July - its free, its lovely, and you get the added advantage of wandering through some of the most beautiful streets in the city.

Enjoy!!

A Song a Day - 'Again'

2009-07-01T19:33:00.002+01:00

today's song is (logically enough) track 2 on the album - Again by Lionel Newman

I fell in love with the song when I heard Mel Torme's version. I love the long and complex melodic lines and the enigmatic, ironic text. We were playing around with this and finally Thierry (who is from Madagascar and has played with Brazilian bands) suggested a slight Samba rhythm on the drums. Benoit joined in and suddenly we had this uptempo lilting version.

Apparently the song comes from a 1937 gangster movie called roadhouse, which is described as a 'noir cabaret'. I have yet to find a copy, but I'd love to see it one day.

you can always hear more from the album, and buy digital downloads of individual tracks at itunes.com, or pick up a physical version of the CD by emailing me or dropping by www.cdbaby.com

Paris Jazz Clubs and Live Jazz in July

2009-06-30T22:21:00.004+01:00

So its the season of festivals in Paris, but the jazz clubs in Paris and the live jazz in the city in the smaller venues won't be cooling down until August, when a good portion of the city closes down and heads for the countryside.

I'm just back from doing a run of concerts outside the city, so I'll start by giving a list of the festivals coming up - I'm super busy with rehearsals so it'll have to be one a day - and in a few days I'll start catching up with what's on at the clubs. Don't forget you can find a fairly comprehensive list of venues and their websites and contact info on our VENUES page.

All right then - festivals

First and foremost is the wonderful Paris Jazz fest going on right now in the lovely Parc Floral - here is a link to their English Language site. Its on every weekend, and I'm going to post the complete listings on our 'WHAT'S ON' page.

don't forget that its normal practice to come out to these festivals with a blanket, a bottle (or two) of wine and a picnic... I remember the first time I came to an outdoor festival in France and there was a security check - being from north America I assumed they were searching for alcohol - in fact the two security guards pulled my bottle of red out of the bag... and then complimented my taste in wine, and put it gently back and waved us back in....... ahhhh, nice to live in the land of the civilized...

enjoy

Song a Day

2009-06-30T17:28:00.002+01:00

putting up a song from the new album every day.

today's song is the lovely 'Lover Come Back to Me'

This slow interpretation was a reaction against the many versions of this song which are upbeat and bouncy, even though the words are totally desperately tragic. We took the first words of the song, 'The Sky Was Blue', as the title of the album - enigmatic, and kind of bittersweet.

you can always hear more from the album, and buy digital downloads of individual tracks at itunes.com, or pick up a physical version of the CD by emailing me or dropping by www.cdbaby.com

I'm Big in Japan

2009-06-01T20:00:00.002+01:00

I'm just going to take a moment away from Jazz in Paris and Paris clubs. Since last night I googled to see if my new album of standards' digital distribution had been set up yet by my distributor - the wonderful indie group cdbaby - and instead found this eye popping page.

[ 前の作品 | 次の作品 ]
The Sky Was Blue
発売元：
曲リスト
トラック試聴購入 / 価格
01： Lover Come Back to Me
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
02： Again
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
03： Court and Spark
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
04： Chelsea Hotel No. 2
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
05： Secret Heart
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
06： Pale Blue Eyes
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
07： Some of These Days
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
08： Whisper Not
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
09： Angel Eyes
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
10： Love Me or Leave Me
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
11： Sweethearts On Parade
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
12： Heaven
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円
13： Court and Spark (Slight Return)
試聴試聴
曲を購入
150円

I can't really describe how much ridiculous pleasure it gives me to see the first commercial appearance of the album be in Yen and Japanese (see the actual page here http://download.music.yahoo.co.jp/shop/ic/11/281856353-316831191 )

I know the price because on tour in Japan I only ever figured out a couple of letters, but the sign for Yen ( 円 ) was the obvious one to need to understand. To memorize it I thought of him as a shy little character with one foot turned in awkwardly. I still find him a cute, endearing little guy. The price for one track is about the price for the pair of Japanese socks I'm currently wearing (don't know if that has any existential meaning)

So, I'm now expecting the big phone call from Tokyo. Hopefully the album will go to #1 with the harajuku crowd so I can tour smokey bars filled with folk who look like this:

or this

or this

meanwhile the album is now up for sale in a more comprehensible format at itunes and directly from cdbaby (just click on the links to get there), and you can listen directly to all the tracks at Myspace. No physical discs yet... just the ethereal digital realm...

Jazz in the Paris Jazz Clubs in the last weeks of May

2009-05-15T20:29:00.007+01:00

Well, I know its hard to persuade yourself to go into the dark confines of a Paris jazz club in these beautiful spring days, but there is a lot of live jazz going on in Paris, so I'll try and get you off those evening outdoor terraces. Just thank your lucky stars that the new no-smoking rule is being observed nowadays - those jazz clubs used to be dark and very, very smokey

Alright - last week I recommended a few free-jazz events - so this week perhaps we'll stay in the more traditional world.... but I want to encourage folks to explore a bit, so first I wanted to post a couple of events out of the centre of town. The north of Paris is a wonderful area to wander in - filled with artists and trendy stores and also very multicultural - so here is one little interesting evening...

this sounds like its going to be a beautiful and interesting night of music -- Tristan Mace and Walter Thompson -

I recommend you check out Tristan's myspace page here or Walter Thompson's site here. Tristan plays the Bandoneon, made famous by Astor Piazzola. And Thompson has developed a sort of performance like gestural language for creating music with small ensembles. And the space 'La Regard du Cygne' is a lovely intimate little theatre. Its up on Belleville in a wonderful part of town in the north of Paris - lots of great little restaurants all around. Get off at the Belleville metro and walk up the hill - its about 15 minutes walk, but just a great funky, stylish neighbourhood. 23rd of May at 8pm at Regard du Cygne, 210 rue de Belleville, Paris 20ème (click here for a map) (closest metro is Jourdain or Place des Fêtes)

Again up in the north of the city around Belleville, at the Studio de L'Hermitage there is a jazz vocalist - Maria Maccarini - who is doing Cole Porter classics from a fun pop point of view -

you can hear her work here at myspace . She's playing on the 18th/19th/20th at this venue at 8 rue de l'hermitage (click here for a map)

Next up - Back in the centre of town Sunset Sunside offers a CD launch from the amazing label ECM (known almost as much for their wonderful design, as for the music within the CDs). Jeff BALLARD on drums,Larry GRENADIER on double bass and Mark TURNER on tenor sax. 22nd of May at 8pm, 25 euros. Its nice stuff - hear it at myspace Here's their own blurb

"Fly is a new thing. The trio has the intimacy of a close up conversation and the depth of three free minds exploring and expanding on each other's ideas. Uncluttered creativity." - Chick Corea

Sky & Country is the ECM debut of the highly-regarded collective trio that drummer Jeff Ballard has memorably described as “an intimate band with teeth”. Modern jazz history is not short on highly charged sax/bass/drums trios, including those of Sonny Rollins, Albert Ayler and Sam Rivers, but Fly is differently cast. Equal rights for all instruments is one goal. The saxophone seeks parity with bass and drums, and its refusal to fill all the space with sound brings another set of tensions into play. As writer Nate Chinen observed in a JazzTimes article, “This is music that that expands and contracts, effortlessly and dramatically and that balances the cerebral components of group improvisation with the more gut-level element of groove.”

and finally at Duc Des Lombards on the 21st of May, there's this lovely Japanese singer: Emi Oshima (click to hear).

I was startled to hear this great stylistic sound, sung in flawless English and French - I was on tour in Tokyo a year ago and had my share of stilted versions of standards in quirky English. But this is really lovely - very smooth and with nice arrangements. (venue details on our 'venues' page)

click over to our 'what's on' page to see our top recommendations for this month and enjoy the lovely spring weather.

Live Jazz and Jazz Clubs in Paris in May, '09

2009-05-05T15:16:00.006+01:00

There is so much going on in live jazz in Paris and all the jazz clubs around Paris. This should be cool (for those who like some outside and free sounds)

The Kris Wanders Outfit
Kris WANDERS saxophone
Johanes BAUER trombone
Peter JACQUEMYN double bass
Mark SANDERS drums

wednesday May 13th at Instants Chavirés
12 euros
Les Instants Chavirés - 01 42 87 25 91 - 7 rue Richard Lenoir - Montreuil (M° Robespierre)

Click HERE for a Map

One of the most powerful tenor saxophonists, Kris Wanders was at the birth of European Improvised Music in the 1960's.

A member of the seminal Globe Unity Orchestra his collaborators of the time included Peter Brotzmann, Louis Moholo and Fred van Hove, Willem Breuker, Kees Hazevoet, Peter Kowald, Stu Martin, Han Bennink, Gunther Hampel , Irene Schweitzer, Joost Buis, Johannes Bauer, Dave Liebman etc… Now a resident of Melbourne, Australia,

Its just outside the 'walls' of Paris (that is, just beyond the huge highway that surrounds the city). But the metro will get you there in about 15 minutes from the centre of town, and personally I would take the metro to the next stop and walk back along Rue de Paris to get a taste of the new artist suburb that is Montreuil.... a very working class district which is being colonized by graphic designers, writers, dancers etc etc etc... very different from the centre of town.

And now I'm going to have to insist that you check this out - its a festival taking place in my favorite theatre in Paris, and maybe the world. The Bouffes du Nord was a run down space that specialized in wrestling and porn when the famous theatre director Peter Brook found it in the 70's. They renovated it.... a 'little' bit... and left it as a beautiful, state of the art, crumbling ruin of a modern theatre. And now every year 'Le Voix est Libre', on the 12th, 13th and 14th of May, takes it over and shows all sorts of variants on jazz and improvised musics. I'm going to post the complete schedule on the 'what's on' page

They really mix it up - world musicians jamming over vivaldi, and all sorts of different approaches to the improvised music. But it can be an unforgettable evening. Also, Bouffes Du Nord Theatre is right beside the Sri Lanken district of Paris, so arrive early to eat some wonderful south Indian food, or traditional french meals in the theatre restaurant.

and finally for those with a yearning for something more 'straight up' I'll point you towards the concert with the wonderful Archie Shepp at the Duc des Lombards. He's on stage from the 13th to the 16th. Things might get a little outside since he's playing with one of my favourites - Dave Burrell. Check out our venues page for addresses and websites

and enjoy the spring weather....

the ides of April - Springtime in the jazz venues of Paris

2009-04-12T04:40:00.008+01:00

A quick rundown on the next couple of weeks in the jazz clubs of Paris and live jazz in Paris. First things first though - Hurry! Hurry!! Get to the city quick! Because it is April. And it is Spring! In Paris! Its such a beautiful month here. You just can't go wrong with April in Paris (the song was right!) So grab one of those cheap flights and get your ass over here - it'll be worth it!

and now, Jazz Clubs and Bars and Cellars and Festivals in Paris ---

First - how can I pass up the chance to pass the word on about a fellow Canadian in Paris.

The lovely Ndidi O is a British Columbian singer (hailing from Burns Lake... now that's a tiny little town) with a Nigerian heritage. You can hear her at myspace and she'll be singing on the 28th and 29th of April at Duc Des Lombards and then in a few other venues around town

And before that (also at the Duc) there's the wonderful James CARTER Quintet featuring Corey WILKES ( James Carter - sax ; Corey Wilkes - trumpet ; Gerard Gibbs - piano ; Ralph Armstrong - double bass; Leonard King – drums)

They're playing on the 21st - 25 Euro a ticket... Check out our venues page for address and phone numbers, and here's a clip of them at the Vienna Jazz Fest

Now - if you want to get off the beaten track then I totally recommend this little fest

its deep in the heart of the African neighbourhood La Goutte D'Or up in the 18th. Not the most touristy of areas, but one of the most interesting places in Paris. Names after the light white wine that grew in the vineyards of the hills outside of the old city walls, now its a mishmash of working class homes, subsidized housing, fashion districts and artist lofts. And the Lavoir Moderne is a stronghold of everything Avant Garde that is still left in Paris.

here's a brief rundown on the untranslatable info on the festival. Head up early, get some great couscous, split a bottle of red. It'll be surprising and amazing.

16th April - A night of song, new creations. Open to Griot singers of today, where words leap and language comes alive - accordion, mandolin, theatre artists, poets

17th April, The Big Feelings
Solo voice and double bass. Elise Dabrowski brings a pure and unique sound to her rare musicality.

and a 'drunken' theatre show of childish and wise improvised scenes

18 avril A 'hommage' to George Brassens poet and songwriter extraordinary, with the cream of the crop of young french chanson singers.

Réservation : 01 42 52 09 14 ou
resa@rueleon.net – 06 24 18 83 41 ou reservation@musicaouir.fr
www.rueleon.net

My New Jazz Cabaret Work... with standards by Kander and Ebb, Shelton Brooks,

2009-04-05T23:23:00.000+01:00

edited video of my latest Jazz Cabaret work - The Barker's Spiel. Songs of Tom Waits, Nirvana, Jacques Brel...

first presented at the London Fringe Festival, The Barker's Spiel plays with cliches and stereotypes of cabaret and Jazz and lounge singers, mixing and matching singers and songs.

the London Free Press says

"Bremner Duthie promises that miracles will happen as he opens his new show The Barker's Spiel at the London Fringe. He also offers a "side order of belief" and a "tiny sliver of hope."From carnival barker to Las Vegas performer to Berlin Cabaret singer, Duthie gives us the scoop on life as an entertainer. Everyone's looking to be entertained -- and Duthie serves up wares such as white-fingered monkeys and red velvet hats, juggling, singing and dancing…..

We're back - we're nationwide! The best jazz Bars and Cafes in Paris

2009-04-04T13:52:00.011+01:00

Well, I guess with the web these days that would be 'worldwide'

So, before I get down to reviewing the jazz clubs in Paris or talking about the new jazz in Paris, let me just say that finally my album of standards is mastered, and now graphics for the album are in design and a version is winging its way towards the digital distributor and we're filling out forms to pay for the rights to the songs.... All the things that you have to do after you do all the artsy stuff of singing and making music. If you want to take a listen then check out the link on the right to the album - its called 'The Sky Was Blue' (the first words from that wonderful standard 'lover come back to me'...

meanwhile in Paris. There is sooooo much to see and do in April. I'm going to start off with another wee shout out for this great site http://www.parisjam.com/jam.php It's all in French, but the language is pretty simple, and it'll give you listings for all the 'open mic' jams that are happening around town. For example 'Autour de Midi.. et Minuit' (which is a great little basement club just down from the legendary cafe where 'Amelie Poulain' worked in Montmartre) - they have a Jam for swing and Be-Bop players every tuesday beginning at 10pm. So if you're tempted why not pack up your instrument, or beg, borrow or steal one here and become part of jazz history playing in the clubs of Paris. All the jams I've been to are welcoming and cheerful affairs...

As you know if you've read this blog before I'm not a huge fan of Jazz Manouche, or Django Reinhardt style playing. But I'll admit that could be because every guitarist in France thinks they can 'naturally' play this music so I've seen a lot of indifferent Jazz Manouche... however this little festival looks interesting

I don't know the players, but the cafe is a totally charming spot to see jazz and the neighbourhood is one the most romantic in Paris and even some half decent playing can be improved with a good bottle of wine and a steak frites.

This should be cool -

John Edwards

- photo jmm sur http://intownweb.cc-parthenay.fr

John is releasing an album of solo bass and is doing a CD release concert on the 11th at Souffle Continu (Souffle Continu - 20 / 22 rue Gerbier - 75011 Paris - T. 01 40 24 17 21, M° Voltaire ou Philippe Auguste, soufflecontinu@gmail.com) - I love the name of this club - how would we translate that? - Either Never-Ending-Breath, or the technical players term 'Circular Breathing'... Anyway, John will be on at 18:30 (6.30pm) Here's a clip of him playing with Evan Parker

And finally, a little big band -

Inama is a Sextet of young french players. I'll be heading out to hear them for the first time live - you can get a taste of them at http://www.myspace.com/inamamusique - a sort of free jazz with elements of pop and rock thrown in there. They're on stage a couple of time in the next weeks. on 10/04/09 at 20h00 (8pm) at Centre Culturel Mongallet
4, passage Stainville, 75012 PARIS, 9/7€ and 25/04/09 à 20h30, LA CHAPELLE DES LOMBARDS, 19, rue de Lappe, 75011 PARIS, 10/8€

enjoy April in Paris

I never knew the charm of spring
I never met it face to face
I never new my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling
That no one can ever reprise

Out of it

2009-03-14T13:42:00.003Z

Hi All
I'm stepping away from reviewing jazz in Paris and jazz clubs in Paris for a few weeks since I'm deep in rehearsals for the upcoming shows, so I won't be posting here again till April - but browse the old listings and our venues page up on the right and you'll find lots of suggestions for great ongoing music and clubs and players in Paris. And I'll be back shortly!
all the best
Bremner

Champagne at the Chope - Gypsy Jazz in Paris at the Puces

2009-02-22T17:07:00.006Z

Django Rules in Paris! - Our beloved gypsy Chope has reopened to join all the other great jazz clubs in Paris after 4 long months of renovation...yesterday, all the regular faces were there, toasting the spirit of Django with champagne. even the sometimes-taciturn bartender was all smiles, as Ninine Garcia stepped back into his usual corner and served up his trademark manouche guitar.

as for the renovation, well...the tiny tattered bar area is larger, but the shiny new flatscreen televisions, so that everyone can watch the music from every corner of the room, seem like a good idea taken too far. and the walls are now decorated with some beautiful guitars behind kitsch glass vitrines, which takes some getting used to. everything's a bit too new right now...but that'll wear off soon enough, when the crowds hit, this summer. on the upside, the red wine is a thousand times better than it used to be, there's now more space for cutting the rug, and the toilets, ah, they really did need some renovating.

any weekend, head up to the Puces de St-Ouen, and have a drink at the Chope des Puces,122 rue des Rosiers, music every Sat & Sun, 2pm - 7pm (free--contribute to the hat)

Django Symphony

2009-02-10T06:35:00.003Z

Now this is going to be a cool addition to the live jazz concerts in Paris..

Symphonic Django/ Django Symphonique is the first ever edition of the legendary Django Reinhardt´s music orchestrated for symphony orchestra. The idea originated from Jon Larsen and was developed in cooperation with the festival Christianssand String Swing. The arrangements are by Per Ekdahl and were first performed live by Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra featuring Florin Niculescu (RO) and Stochelo Rosenberg (NL) as soloists.

check out more info here at their website

and as a plus, its on at the Cirque d'Hiver - an amazing historic building in the middle of the city.

Live Jazz in Paris and Jazz clubs in Paris for January 2009 - Happy New Year

2009-01-10T22:38:00.012Z

So, 2009 looks like live jazz in Paris is going to be great despite (or maybe because of) the global downturn. Jazz clubs in Paris are never going to be making that much money, so hopefully having a few less tourists turn up won't change their situation too much... like the whole jazz world, we're used to operating on a shoestring!

That said, January is always a slow month, but I think there is some great stuff going on - so, here's some links and some recommendations for the next couple of weeks. As usual, explore the Venues page and you'll find lots of clubs in your Quartier of Paris and you can make your own choices!

This is a nice choice- free, apart from the price of a return ticket on the RER - and, if you're inclined, you can combine it with a day at Euro-Disney, since its one RER stop away. (though why come to Paris and then spend a day at Disney I've never understood - but hey, its there, so why not.... I guess) Or if members of the family are looking for that European mall shopping experience you can always head out early to the immense designer discount mall at Val d'Europe before catching some music... Anyway... - At the Val d'Europe stop at the Médiathèque du val d’Europe there's a nice sounding Trio - on guitar N'guyen Le, vibraphone, Philippe Mace, and drums and percussion Joel Allouche - I always love that crossover world and it seems that they're going to be playing around with vietnamese traditional musics.... Its free but you'll just need to make reservations - 01 60 43 66 28.

In town, here is a very cute idea - At Sunside, every Sunday for January and February at 4pm they will have Jazz for families and kids.

they're going to do an 'homage' to a different jazz legend, or jazz theme evey week and the idea is really to have families and kids and turn the younger set on to jazz. So, if you're in the city with the young ones, it might be an event for you. And, for the older set who want to stick around - and 9pm there will be a jazz jamm based around the theme, so you'll have lots players dropping by with their instruments looking for a chance to play.

so - here's the lineup for the next few weeks...
le 11 janvier : "hommage à Dizzy Gillespie”
le 18 janvier : "hommage à George Gershwin”
le 25 janvier : Laurent Courthaliac Trio plays Sonny Rollins

Philippe Soirat - drums ; Mathias Allamane - upright bass ; Laurent Courthaliac - piano

enjoy....

Slave and Master

2009-01-10T16:38:00.001Z

The blogs on pause for a week while I finish work on the album - today I'm off to spend the day in front of a set of 20,000 dollar audio speakers listening to myself - I'll be hanging out while James Paul of Rogue studios, 'masters' my album.

Wikipedia defines this as "a form of audio post-production - the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master); the source from which all copies will be produced (via methods such as pressing, duplication or replication). After the advent of tape it was found that master recordings could be optimized by making fine adjustments to the balance and equalization prior to the cutting of the master disc. Mastering became a highly skilled craft and it was widely recognized that good mastering could make or break a commercial recording"

When pressed for more details James defined it as 'I give him some money, he sits in front of a set of 20,000 dollar speaker for hours, and then he gives me an album that sounds amazing'....

beyond that it seems to be witchcraft and magic...

basically as far as I can see its the process of finding a middle balance for the sound on the album so it rings true on every kind of speaker - the cheapo transistor, or the ultra high end, or the car stereo... cutting some frequencies, adding others...

it should be a fascinating and strange few hours

Christmas Jazz in Paris, the City of Lights

2008-12-22T19:30:00.005Z

sooooo... the end of the year, and you're in Paris for Christmas (very romantic!) or the new year (very very romantic) and looking for some Live Jazz in Paris, or some Jazz clubs and cafes in Paris. OK...

Why don't I start off with a slightly sideways recommendation. Why don't you perform some jazz in Paris? Bring your instrument and attend one of the many jazz jams in the city. Or just bring your voice, and three copies of the music of any standard you want to groove on - there is a Vocal Jam at the Le Baiser Salé at 10pm on Dec 23rd.

Or you can use the search function at this website to find the type of music you want (just warning you, its all in French, but I think the search and styles options are pretty obvious). Or if its Django Jam you're looking for then on Dec 26th at 8pm the Cafe i (156 rue du faubourg St Martin, 75010 Paris) has a Boef (a jam in French) where you can work out your gypsy chops. All the Jams are very laid back affairs and they're just delighted to get players in.

But, if getting up on stage isn't your thing, then here are some listening ideas for the rest of the year (all 8 days of it!)

At the Duc Des Lombards Rene Urtreger will be playing on the 29th and 30th. He was the pianist of choice of visiting jazz greats during the 1950's. He played for Lionel Hampton, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Lester Young and Miles Davis. It should be a chance to catch a bit of history on stage. Here's a lovely Youtube clip of him in great form playing a fab standard

and on the 30th and 31st I'll take a chance and recommend Olivier Temine at Sunset/Sunside at 10pm. I've reviewed his concerts before and honestly sometimes I find his mohawked persona a bit much, but there's no faulting his players or professionalism, so I think it'll be a show well worth seeing. The line up will be Jérôme Barde – bardophone ; Emmanuel Duprey – fender rhodes ; Akim Bournane – basse ; Arnold Muezza – percussions ; Julien Charlet – batterie ; Olivier Temine – sax tenor

and then, after the 10pm show on the 31st, if you've planned ahead, then perhaps there's a tiny bottle of champagne tucked in someone's purse or bag, and you are a five minute walk from the bridge over the Seine with one of the best views in the entire world. So I would make haste to any of the bridges and join the gangs of folk bringing in the New Year, and pop a cork into the muddy waters of the river (no doubt to join several centuries of other corks floating around down there....)

enjoy!

Christmas in Paris, Live Jazz over the Holidays

2008-12-06T15:52:00.004Z

So you're arriving in the city of lights and looking for live jazz clubs in Paris and a chance to see the see some great music in Paris. But you're arriving over the holidays and you're concerned that the bars and clubs will be closing down for the season? Well don't worry, there's lots going and some great players. Unlike August, when Parisians desert the city and leave it to the Tourists and the poverty stricken (those can sometimes be the same, with the prices in the city!) at Xmas the city spends a lot of time out enjoying itself.

And its one of the rare times of year when you'll see a Parisian having an extra couple of drinks and getting a bit tipsy - the metros can become very entertaining!!

anyway - there's lots going on.. so I'll put a couple of picks here for the upcoming week or so, then if you want to check out listings yourself go over to our Venues page.

First, up to the 20th of December there's the ongoing Triton jazz festival.

its a nice venue, just over the edge of the Peripherique, so a little off the beaten track, but very accessible by metro. Personally I'm excited to have the chance to see the combination of the Balafon (an african wooden marimba) played by the Burkina Faso master Moussa Hema, combined with the quartet of Francois Merville. Click here for a sample of Moussa's playing

And although there are lots of big names at the Clubs, don't forget to check out the many jazz jams around the city. Its very free form, but you'll see some of the most amazing players in the city (For Free!) working out their chops with their friends - its a wonderful vibe, and different clubs specialize in different styles. There's a classic night at the Duc des Lombards on Dec 12th at midnight. And personally I LOVE the Jazz Groove Jam at the Caveau des Oubliettes every wednesday night - its where the spirit of Eddie Harris, one my heroes, lives on

(I recommend it especially now they've outlawed smoking in the bars -previously you'd have to schedule half hour breaks just to step out of the cellar to get some oxygen in your lungs!)

Enjoy - I'll put more details for Xmas up next weekend...

December in Jazz in Paris

2008-11-28T12:33:00.007Z

Jazz Clubs in Paris are in full swing for December. There is great live jazz in December in Paris every night of the week! I'll put a few listings up for the next couple of weeks, and check back in for the holiday season listings - which I'll put mid month

and you can always browse our pages on the venues Here

soooo, as usual I try to pick out something traditional and maybe vocal, fun and couple orientated and something a little more out there, and also then something totally off the radar...

for my Trad. pick -

I'd have to say that Anne Ducros at Duc Des Lombards is a good bet - (that's her with the mic, not the guitar!) she's not the most thrilling singer, but she puts over great standard versions of the tunes she picks, and, since she's French, she has access to a stable of amazing players and will probably mix in some French standards into the evening. She's happening for the next week, till the 8th - links and address details on our venues page.

now this - for the more adventurous out there - should be amazing.

Das Kapital plays Hanns Eisler. Eisler was a German composer of the 20's - 50's and worked in cabaret, along side Kurt Weill, and after the war returned to Germany, unlike Kurt, to work in socialist East Germany. A wonderful composer (I've always loved his song cycle - Hollywood Elegies - written after a period in LA) and I'm so curious what this power trio will do with him. Edward Perraud drums and electronics, Daniel Erdmann, sax, flute and electronics, and Hasse Poulsen guitar. They're playing at Le Triton (11 bis, rue du Coq Français, 93260 Les Lilas) so it's just outside the edge of Paris, but really easy to get to via Metro. Here's Perraud's myspace - very funky

and finally, on the small and tiny note... don't forget the lovely Swan Bar - its wonderfully situated in the South of Paris near Montparnasse. The programming is eclectic, (sometimes too eclectic!) but if you hit it on a good night then the cocktails are great, the lovely Irish bartendress is chatty, and the music and ambiance is very classy. Here is there lineup for Dec. I don't know the specifics of the players, but if you're in the neighbourhood it can be a great bet

02/12 La Clouée 19h30
Lezi 21h30

03/12
Jam Vocale Lexi & Sheldon 21h30

04/12 Laetitia Ayres 19h30
RMG 21h30

05/12 Caroline Jeannoutot & Joel Bouquet 19h30
A.Tcholakian Trio invite Cécilia Bertolini 21h30
Round Midnight avec Sheldon Forrest minuit

06/12 en attente 19h30
Léo Céra 21h30
Round Midnight avec Sheldon Forrest minuit

09/12 Saulo Gama Solo 19h30
Ballades chez Swan 21h30

10/12 YAPA 19h30
Richard Razafindrakoto Trio 21h30

11/12 en attente 19h30
Apéro lyrique Alina Pavalache 21h30

12/12 Maria Inês Guimaraes 19h30
The New Sisters 21h30
Round Midnight avec Sheldon Forrest minuit

Back at it - Jazz in Paris for the Holiday Season

2008-11-15T20:42:00.006Z

So, there's soooooo much going on in the Paris Jazz Clubs and Cafes and with Live Jazz in Paris over the next month and half. Visitors roll into the city in spite of the rain and drizzle, and what could be more romantic than a walk across the Seine on the Pont Neuf from the left bank to see a fine jazz band playing in the Marais in the cellar of some 500 year old building. And, by the way, its great to back updating this after a couple of months away - life called me away from the web while I toured and did the final mix on my new album (more on that in later posts...)

So, lets start with next weekend......

First, I'll just drop in my link to the listings of Django-style Jazz Manouche. Here's an extensive listing on the pages of Marc Masselin, he hasn't updated these for a while, so always give a call to confirm beforehand!

Then lets try and find something 'out-there', and something a little more trad.

So, coming up on the 21st of November there's a group that wire calls "disciplined, focused music, the sound of people really thinking and playing, and close attention is consistently rewarded." - Clive Bell, The Wire.

Trio Sowari
Phil Durrant software sampler/treatments
Bertrand Denzler tenor saxophone
Burkhard Beins percussion & objects

And they're playing at Souffle continu - 20/22 rue gerbier - 75011 paris - 01 40 24 17 21.

I don't know the group but the label does some really fine work and they've been touring continuously now for the last while with this work. I'm always curious to see how a group integrates the samplers into live work. Here's a review from London

"Trio Sowari is one of European EAI's most consistently impressive working units, and their set didn't disappoint. Percussionist Beins and laptopper Durrant are old hands at lowercase - the former a stalwart of the Berlin scene (Phosphor, Perlonex..), the latter one of the pioneers of so-called reductionism (he helped coin the much-maligned term in the first place) in the groundbreaking trio with Radu Malfatti and Thomas Lehn documented on 1997's Beinhaltung (Fringes) and 1999's dach (Erstwhile). Trio Sowari takes its name from Durrant's 1997 album of the same name, but the violin has been consigned to its case in recent years, and it's on laptop that he joins forces with Beins and tenor saxophonist Denzler, who's mastered a whole repertoire of so-called extended techniques. You'd never guess he started out playing thorny free jazz. That said, Trio Sowari's set at the Instants was quite sprightly, Beins and Denzler's scrapes and hisses coinciding with almost uncanny telepathy to counterpoint Durrant's meticulously deployed fizzles and pops. "Too perfect", grumbled a local noisenik at the bar afterwards. Well, I've heard that said about Evan Parker, too. Maybe it simply means that this kind of music has matured sufficiently to define its own aesthetic rules and regulations. Then again, one person's maturity is another's stagnation. Let's see what the second decade brings. Here's to the next ten years, Jacko."
- Dan Warburton on Potlatch's 10th Anniversary at Les Instants Chavirés, Montreuil (Paris), May 29th-30th, 2008 -

And on a more traditional, accessible level Elizabeth Kontomanou will be at Sunset Sunside with an album release party that's coming out on Nocturne.

She'll be there on the 21st as well and tickets are a reasonable 22 Euros. She has a really fine voice and a nice quartet behind here with some blues and billie holiday stylings going on. You can check out her voice on her Myspace page

And finally, my recommendation for all of the holiday season will continue to be the fantabulous new incarnation of Duc des Lombards - the venerable institution on the street of the same name. When I saw they were 'renovating' it last year I fully expected it to reopen as an Irish Pub, or some other theme bar - but no, they've brought it back in much more splendour than before, with better sightlines and whole new look. So check out any of the programming this season. I'll be pulling some highlights, but its a pretty safe bet any night of the week right now.

and I stumbled on the first image for this posting on the web - its a great mashup of images for Paris and is available here Paris Jazz Poster

Back in Paris, back at the Jazz Clubs,

2008-09-08T10:49:00.003+01:00

Hey All... just rolled into town after an amazing run of my show in Edinburgh at the Fringe.. so I'll be updating my listings of live jazz in paris and the paris jazz clubs in the next few days - Looks like there is great stuff coming up...

meanwhile check out the 'clubs in paris' link for lots of addresses of live jazz in Paris

Off for a wee bit

2008-08-09T18:43:00.002+01:00

Hi All...

I'm up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the month of August - I'll try and catch up on some listings later this week but it's very busy up here and my update may be delayed ... All very good here so far - two 5 star reviews for my concert of Kurt Weill songs...

meanwhile click over to the Clubs listings and you should find enough addresses to keep you going while you're in town

see you soon
Bremner

Jazz in Paris for late July and on - The American Jazz Fest Continues

2008-07-19T17:18:00.003+01:00

Jazz clubs in Paris are hopping this warm week and its easy to find great jazz music in Paris up till the end of July (when a lot of the players and clubs head out of town for the month of August) I like the programming in the American Jazz Festival at Sunset/Sunside - and my pick for the week is at this festival - Jeri Brown with the Jobic Masson trio.

Jobic plays a pretty outside free style when he gets going, but pulls in the reins a bit when working with singers and I think the combination of Jeri Brown's stylings with Jobic's work should be pretty amazing. They're on at the Festival Sunday the 26th and Saturday the 27th. - see our 'Best Of' page for detailed listings and the club listing page for addresses and phone numbers.

Next up ...and running until the 5th of August, there is the All Star Festival at New Morning. It is Jazz/Blues/World Music with a lot of bands making stop overs in Paris while they cruise the festival circuit. This great club is a little north of the downtown core, in the fabulous neighbourhoods around the Boulevards (a gorgeous 15 minute walk from Opera or a hop skip and a jump from Strasbourg St. Denis Metro) Here's the LINK to their site and my recommendation (as I'm on old ska fan from the days of the Specials and Madness and The Selector, who were my first concert!) for a really and fun night out would be the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, playing on the 29th of July. Enjoy!!

Whiskey Bars with songs by Kurt Weill at the Edinburgh Fringe

2008-07-18T19:05:00.000+01:00

For those of you travelling north this summer come see Whiskey Bars by Bremner Duthie, with the songs of Kurt Weill at the Edinburgh Fringe. I'll be in Edinburgh performing at the Fringe Festival with my show based around the songs of Weill. Here's a link to myspace site if you want to check out the recordings - not a jazz album - but a lot of these songs did end up becoming standards for other jazz recording artists, so think of this as a kind of historical reenactment of the original versions!

http://www.myspace.com/bremnersingsweill

here are the dates and times... come check out the show - it's only 6 pounds!

WHISKEY BARS

by Bremner Duthie, with songs by Kurt Weill

at The Vault, 11 Merchant Street

preview Aug 3, 9pm (1hr) £3.00

Aug 4-10, 12-17, 19-25, 8:40pm (1hr) £6.00(£5.00)

book online at edfringe.com

WHISKEY BARS AT THE ED FRINGE, THIS SUMMER

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/whiskey.bars/whiskey.html

Fests and Super Groups - Live Jazz listings for Mid July upcoming in Paris

2008-07-03T16:54:00.008+01:00

Live Jazz in Paris is alive and well this week and jazz clubs in Paris are not closing down for their summer holidays yet! So its a great time to get out to the clubs and festivals and see some great players.

Well, the fusion super group Return To Forever is at the Olympia on July 8th. Chick Corea, Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White will be doing their virtuoso fusion thing with tickets going from 70 to 100 euros. It should be an amazing concert, though I have read some on-line reviews of their tour that complains a bit of a cold virtuosity sneaking into their playing - but I'm curious if age has added a new depth to what they do - it has been what, 30 years since ego and differing musical ambitions broke them up.

The Sunset/Sunside has the American Jazz Festival for the next two weeks. I'll post the entire schedule in the "Best Of' page (click through is over to the right) There are some fine young players - and I'll be curious to hear Dan Tepfer play on the 5th - he's the pianist son of a some friends of mine who've been running a wonderful performance space (Atelier de la Main D'Or) in Paris for years - they've provided a great launching pad for many careers and projects.

And this is a fab little Paris Jazz Fest - Les Arenes du Jazz takes place in the stately roman ruins of the tiny arena Lutece, on the left bank above the latin quarter - 27, Rue Chappe - 75018 Paris. Its a great history filled space and makes a wonderful outdoor concert hall...

and for those who like their jazz really 'outside' -although the Festival Rotonde de Choc takes place inside the Espace Jemmapes on the lovely Canal St. Martin (definately worth getting there early to put up at some outdoor terrace and people watch) the music should be as out there as Paris can provide. Perhaps we'll see the future fusion super group in the making as they push the boundaries of what improvised music can mean...

check out the 'best of' page for the sunset schedule and you'll find addresses for the clubs in our separate 'clubs' page...

Out and About - Jazz in the Summer in Paris and Jazz Festivals near Paris

2008-06-25T23:11:00.005+01:00

With the weather in Paris and summer coming on strong I'm going to suggest more Jazz festivals and also some events that are happening in venues where you can get out and either be in Parcs in Paris or see Jazz outdoors.

First, for the diehard Gypsy Jazz fans there is the Django Reinhard Fest at Samois Sur Seines

http://www.festivaldjangoreinhardt.com/

Its about a 40 minute drive from the city, and if you plan it well, you can combine it with a trip to the fabulous Chateau of Fontainbleu.

Then, from the old to the new (ish) John Zorn will be doing a whole series of concerts at the Cite de La Musique . To get his sound back in your ear, here's a brief video of the work of Man Ray with soundtrack by Zorn.

the Cite is a venue I adore, since its right inside my favourite parc in Paris - the Parc de La Villette... a kind of post-modern playground where real submarines are parked in the middle of the grass. Get out there on Sundays if you can to see the many Samba bands that set up in the afternoon!

and finally - this is inside, but it should be amazing - on July 4th the Studio Ermitage presents the congolese poet Loscony with the extraordinary Bobby Few with Rasul Siddick, Tom Mckenzie, King Blaise, Chansse Evans and Eddie Allen...among others...

Weill Inspirations

2008-06-20T14:05:00.002+01:00

When I first started working on my CD of the songs of Kurt Weill inspired by my show Whiskey Bars, I knew I wanted to do the gorgeous Speak Low, but the coaches I saw in New York all advised me to do it as this shlocky uptempo musical theatre thing. And it made me itch - probably because the words are so heartbreaking... I couldn't see myself believing in an interpretation of these words

Speak low when you speak, love
Our summer day withers away too soon, too soon
Speak low when you speak, love
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
we're swept apart, too soon

as some bouncy fingersnappin' uptempo thing. So I was delighted to stumble upon a strange recording of the amazing bassist, Charlie Haden, jamming on this song with a recording of Kurt Weill, the man himself, apparently taken from some rehearsal where he was coaching the song. And it's heartbreaking. (ok...the video itself is kind of kitsch...but it was the 80's.... however the song is gorgeous... hell, anything Haden ever did is gorgeous...)

so Stan (my amazing pianist) and I decided to do it as slow as possible and just let all those beautiful words and harmonies just flow out. This is live from the show...

and you can hear the version from the CD here... or here - on Amazon, or itunes..

WHISKEY BARS - AT THE ED FRINGE THIS SUMMER

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/whiskey.bars/whiskey.html

Jazz Festival Season in Paris is Fast Approaching

2008-06-17T23:01:00.007+01:00

Jazz Festival season is almost upon us in Paris, along with the summer weather, or almost summer weather, depending on what bit of odd early spring weather global warming is forcing on you. But rain or shine there will be a lot of great music in Paris over the summer months. This is the first post about upcoming festivals. Mostly links to their sites where you can explore their programming -

ongoing is the Les Couleurs du Jazz from the 6 to 29 juin 08

also ongoing is La Defense Jazz Festival I'm not a great fan of the neighbourhood and the immense glass boxes that it celebrates, but hell, if some of the corporate money goes to fund starving jazz musicians then I'm a fan! And even fund some non-starving artists like the amazing Herbie Hancock, who'll be performing on the 29th!

and finally in a venue I adore, in a neighbourhood I love, don't miss upcoming shows at Jazz Au Zebre from the 17th to the 20th of June... it should be a great weekend!

Leonard Cohen World Tour...

2008-06-11T23:18:00.000+01:00

honestly... he was... just amazing... 73 and brimming with charisma and charm and honesty.. it was a totally brave concert... he could have walked out and coasted on his hits and just walked through the evening, but he made it extraordinary...

Available...well...everywhere...

2008-06-06T16:36:00.000+01:00

Why does this kind of freak me out... just checked itunes and amazon.com and the CD is up there as well... available in whole or by single song download... i guess that something about being a part of the apple empire and actually participating in this 'new economy' is very odd... I had enough trouble with the old economy, much less the new one...

anyway... for those who swing that way - its now searchable, listenable, viewable, buyable on

Amazon
Rhapsody
Tradebit
Apple iTunes
GreatIndieMusic
PayPlay
Inprodicon (whatever that is...)

Brave New Days - My Jazz in Paris available around the world

2008-06-06T16:06:00.002+01:00

At last the digital age. My CD's go up on sale for downloads at CD Baby. You can just click on a button and the songs will arrive in your computer - no clumsy jewel case, no CD to get scratched - it is all virtual. I feel so light and modern and new... I'm thinking of following the example of Jane Siberry and changing my name, renouncing possessions and travelling the world with nothing but a macbook and a great set of clothes.... but then I'd also feel a bit too much like a character in a William Gibson novel...

anyway, I digress... the songs are available at http://cdbaby.com/cd/bremner

My first CD features 14 songs from Weill's early works with Brecht to his last unfinished Broadway show: Huck Finn. The pianist is the wonderful Stan Cramer. This CD came out of a collaboration between Stan and Bremner on a show of Kurt Weill’s songs that has since toured across the world. Critics have said…

The second CD is new arrangements of Standards and Al-Rock Classics from the Talking Heads, Velvet Undeground, Ron Sexsmith, Leonard Cohen etc etc

"Bremner Duthie has a voice of power and inner beauty that commands the whole space..... One feels seduced by the sheer power and beauty of this performance"
-- Musical Stages Magazine: London, England

“And my god, does he ever sing. Bremner's performance is jaw-dropping-my jaw literally dropped-as he not only sings beautifully but actually performs the songs beautifully as well. " --View Magazine, Hamilton , Ontario

"When he sings, his voice is like a big, dark, sultry room --full of emotive and expressive possibilities. Even when Duthie sings in languages other than English, the passion and subtext come startlingly alive." -- The Georgia Straight, Vancouver

“For many of us, our first exposure to Kurt Weill was on Bette Midler's early albums. Since then, such performers as Ute Lemper and Teresa Statas have become great interpreters of his music. Add Bremner Duthie, the star of 'Whiskey Bars' to that list. He delivers a stunning, stirring rendition of "What Keeps a Man Alive?" and his 'Mack the Knife' is done slowly and seductively, because it's a song for a bad boy. – Stephen Lavigne, Minneapolis Web Reviewer

“Bremner Sings Weill is a 15-song collection of some of the best work of German-born composer Kurt Weill, most famous for his collaborations with writer Bertolt Brecht but who also worked with such lyricists as Ira Gershwin and Oscar Hammerstein. Duthie - with fabulous accompaniment by pianist Stan Cramer - savours each word as a succulent morsel. With Duthie's comforting, soothing baritone voice, this is music to satiate the soul.

Thanks to his background in opera, and talent for cabaret and broadway song styles, Duthie "pays close attention to text," as the expression goes. Indeed, he treats every song as a script and each is quite scenic - none more so than his unique and pleasing interpretation of Weill & Brecht's "Mack The Knife". His vocal presentations also range from celebratory ("Bilbao Song") to mischievous ("Apple Jack") to soft and gentle ("Speak Low"), and then immediately to passionate and with gusto for a trio of tunes ("The Song Of The Big Shot", "What Keeps Mankind Alive" and "Alabama Song"). If you're at all interested in the music of Weill, this is a CD to add to your collection. If you're not familiar with his work, this CD would make an excellent primer. Bremner Sings Weill ... he also sings well ... exceedingly well, as a matter of fact."
Robin Chase, Winnipeg Web Reviewer

FEATURING:

Mack The Knife
(lyrics by Bertold Brecht, from Three Penny Opera)

Youkali
(lyrics by Rodger Fernay)

Bilbao Song
(lyrics by Bertold Brecht, from Happy End)

You Gentlemen Who Think You have a Mission
(lyrics by Bertold Brecht, from Three Penny Opera)

Alabama Song
(lyrics by Bertold Brecht, from Mahagonny)

I'm a Stranger Here Myself
(lyrics by Odgen Nash, from One Touch of Venus)

Je ne t'aime pas
(lyrics by Maurice Magre)

Lost in the Stars
(lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and Alan Paton, from Lost in the Stars)

My Ship.
(lyrics by Ira Gershwin, from Lady in the Dark)

Speak Low
(lyrics by Ogden Nash, from One Touch of Venus)

The Song of the Big Shot
(lyrics by Bertold Brecht, from Happy End)

Nowhere to Go But Up
(lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, from Knickerbocker Holiday)

Apple Jack (backing vocals: Stan Cramer)
(lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, from Huck Finn)

Moon Faced Starry Eyed
(Lyrics by Langston Hughes, from Streetscene)

One Life to Live
(lyrics by Ira Gershwin, from Lady in the Dark)

Goodbye 7 Lezards - goodbye to one great jazz cafe in Paris

2008-03-12T18:18:00.005Z

Well, a brief note is in order for the passing of the venerable 7 Lezards jazz club and cafe in the Marais in Paris. It had been around for years and its wonderful ceiling mural of the heads of the jazz greats had hung over many a fine concerts. On the, 'oh well, at least' side of things, I did hear through the grapevine that they received a very fine settlement/buy out from the Ville de Paris, which is setting up some sort of community liason house there... so I hope she pocketed a bit of cash after years in the non-lucrative world of jazz!

in upcoming news the next few weeks feature the
Banlieues Blues Festival

this remarkable little festival happens just over the edge of Paris, in St. Ouen, which is turning into one of the new havens of musical and artistic activity as rents skyrocket in the city and force the arts scene over the border... From the 14th of March to the 18th of April there is a selection of newcomers, old timers, roots musicians and avant-gardists. Click through to their site on the title above or check out our Best Of section (the link on the right) for some details of what's playing there and some other weekly options.

Just don't miss

2008-03-04T13:16:00.004Z

Well the big concert in the next couple of weeks would be the the fabulous Martial Solal at Theatre du Chatelet on the 15th of March. He'll be doing duets with the amazing gypsy guitarist Bireli Lagrene, and the Eric Le Lann on Trumpet, and the vocal stylings of Claudia Solal. The Danish Bassist Mads Vinding and drummer Roy Haynes (who's played with Charlie Parker and Sarah Vaughan)round out the evening. Here's a link to Chatelet and here's a taste of Martial and Eric

We're Back!! Jazz in Paris - the venues, the jazz cafes, the concerts, the cocktails...

2008-01-01T14:36:00.002Z

Hey... a long time on tour and away from the blog and the listings... Just finished two months in Japan on the road with a big band... a great and strange experience... the Japanese audiences are fab, we were playing to houses of 2 and 3 thousand people and they are the best listeners in the world. The only odd thing is that they all wave goodbye at the end... very odd...

I finished the tour with a side trip to Hong Kong and and on one of the final nights we wandered around looking for some where to have a drink and stumbled into an Australian Bar (dedicated to the criminal Ned Kelly) and caught the last set of the South China Coast Jazzmen… actually looking mostly Indonesian, these guys were headed by the 80 year old trumpeter (and in this video dancer/percussionist/singer/rubber chicken player and all around party animal) Silverio Yaneza, who is dancing up a storm in the back row. They were pretty loose (but hey, it was the last set of the night and they’ve been playing there for 20 years) but still he rocked and gave us a great send off to an amazing trip... so here's a clip from that night in Hong Kong... see if you can catch the rubber chicken in the moment... I hope I have this much jive in me when I'm 80

I'll start updating this blog next week... there's a lot going on for the new year in Paris Jazz...

cheers
Brem

Gone Fishin

2007-08-20T08:53:00.000+01:00

I'll be out of town for August and into the first week of September, so I won't be updating the What's On page for a while... but the club listings are the same and you'll find phone numbers to confirm opening hours and websites. I hope you have a great summer holiday in the City of Lights and if you're here at the end of August don't forget to check out the La Villette Jazz Festival... an amazing line up at an amazing park on the edge of the city...

Flea fest - Jazz Festival in Paris at Les Puces de Clignancourt

2007-06-24T15:47:00.001+01:00

now, i live near the St-Ouen flea market, so i'm biased, but i do think the Festival Jazz-musette des Puces in Paris is one of the niftiest little festivals of June, and the Picolo (above David Enhco of Enhco&Co, playing at the Picolo this afternoon) is one of my favourite dives. the Fest is very recent (first shows were in 2004) but it has old roots...like everything in the flea market.

when the flea market really got going in the 1880s, there were already little dives in the neighborhood that served wine & welcomed musicians like Django Reinhardt. but it was Malik Harullak (for whom this part of the market is named) who bought the Picolo & made it what it is today--he was an Albanian who made the place a favourite for local gypsy musicians. i first dropped by the Picolo over a decade ago, on the advice of a gypsy leather-maker who was working in the Malik market...one of the best bits of advice i've ever had, because unless you know about it, you might just pass it by.

but violinist Didier Lockwood and guitarist Serge Malik--who met playing 'round here back in 70s--decided that a Festival would make people notice the great "manouche" (gypsy) jazz history here. yesterday, they inaugurated "Place Django Reinhardt" right in the middle of the Puces, not far from the three old bars (the Picolo, the Chope des Rosiers, & Chez Louisette) that are still here, despite the odds. And so is Serge's 82-year-old mother, who still lives across the street from the Picolo and remembers listening to Django play.

Faites de la jazz musique! 'Fetes de la Musique' in Paris - a music festival around the city

2007-06-21T11:10:00.001+01:00

Longest day of the year and no excuse to stay home...400 cities across the globe are celebrating the 26th annual FETE DE LA MUSIQUE this year. Paris has a events on pretty well every street corner; the spontaneous serendipity of wandering through the city has brought me wonderful surprises in past years--a brass quintet playing valiantly through pouring rain last year on rue de Sevigny, a solo bassist in the courtyard of the Cour Carre in the Louvre...but this year, with the weather uncertain, you might be better off in one of the classics (the Baiser Sale or the Sunside downtown, or the Dynamo out in Pantin) because tonight, pretty well everything is free & the clubs tend to book reliable crowd-pleasers on this night of all nights. And hey, stay out late...the metro runs all night.

Finished my CD of Jazz Standards - 'The Sky Was Blue', song from Sinatra to The Talking Heads

2007-06-13T10:54:00.002+01:00

I'm pleased and delighted to say that I stumbled out of the Bopcity studios last night in Paris (after a long day of watching a sound engineer mix tracks - odd how that can be sooo tiring) with the first mastered tracks from my new album 'The Sky Was Blue'. It's an album of standards with a jazz quartet, but it ain't necessarily a jazz standards album.... there's some crooner stuff, there's some caramelized, tangy pop, there's the saddest new-wave song ever written and there's a funk version of a joni mitchell tune. (trying to cover all the demographics....)

And, in this age of instant access and globalization I walked out of the studio last night - check them out at www.cdbaby.com/bremnerduthie .

all the best
Bremner

p.s. for those in Paris, I'll be doing them in concert with the quartet at the 7 Lezards jazz bar, 10 rue de Rosiers on the 26^th of June at 21h.

in the dark before the Parc Floral Jazz Festival in Paris

2007-06-12T17:27:00.002+01:00

Couldn't have asked for better weekend weather to kick off the Paris Jazz Fest out in the Parc Florale...and yet I spent part of Sunday afternoon inside, to hear EOL trio play at the Dans Le Noir restaurant near the Pompidou Center.

First...the restaurant is unusual in that it is entirely dark (the wait staff is blind) and you really can't see the hand in front of your face once you're inside. Fortunately there was no food, just drinks during the gig...just as well, though it's difficult to even clap after a particularly good solo when you can't see where you've just put down your beer. Second...EOL rocked, managing to sweep from thoughtful Eddie Harris-type compositions to quirky covers of Eurythmics, Bjork...and Wayne Shorter. I'd heard the band a few weeks ago at Showcase for the finale of the St-Germain festival, but as so often happens for an opening act, the sound wasn't all it should be. That was totally solved on Sunday--the mix was great, quite surreal to listen to live music in the complete blackness, but overall a successful experiment. Must have been tricky getting the band (made up of three brothers) used to playing in the dark, with no visual cues. Denis Girard (keyboards) says they practised playing with airline sleeping masks over their eyes (I wish I had a photo of that!) Stay tuned for a CD from EOL trio this winter...

After Hours Eats in Paris.. late night or 24 hour restaurants in Paris for after the jazz concert

2007-06-02T13:49:00.002+01:00

So there you are, wandering out of a smoky (or thankfully soon to not be smoky bar with the new Paris clean air regs coming in soon) jazz bar in Pars and you're all wired up from the great music and you want.... something to eat! And you DON'T want to be eating from those late night snack places that sell deep-fried everything and just-unfrozen everything else. But the problem is Paris isn't really a late, late night town - a lot of restaurants and snack places close their shutters by 11pm.

So here's a guide to what's out there after hours - a list of places in Paris that will provide you with more than just greasy meat. Some of them are high end, some of them are more on the lower and 'atmospheric' side of things...
Le Boeuf sur le Toit: Near the Champs Elysees, this is best late since there's a discount on orders of food that they can't save for the next day (like seafood or shellfish). It is part of the larger Flo chain of restaurants and is full and bustling long into the night.

The Bistrot Beaubourg: A bistro with classic French dishes at not bad prices; if you're in the mood for a hearty steak frites, or a magret du canard this is the place.
Chez Andre: You can grab a table at this ancient French bistro until midnight, and then you can linger till much later. Chez Andre was founded in 1930 and has become a neighborhood institution with its Art Nouveau interior and traditional French menu.
La Cloche d'Or: This is a cafe/resto where theatre and music types hang out till the closing hour at 4am. Again, a menu of French classics where you can linger over a plate of food and bottle of wine, or just grab a tiny nibble and a glass or two.
Coude de Fou: Close to the main jazz scene in the Marais this crowded wine bar stays up till 2 am and doles out plates of terrine de canard, beef cheek, and other specialities...
Le Petit Pont: This little place happily serves up their full menu till 3 a.m. It's not far from Notre Dame so it is also a stroll away from most of the jazz clubs.
Pied de Cochon: What can you say about this 60-year-old institution? Right near some seriously awful chain & theme restaurants, this glittering resto has kept its menu true to its old market roots...allowing you to chow down on a Pig's foot at any hour of the night (Maybe you'll be inspired by that Bessie Smith song: 'gimme a pig's foot and a bottle a beer'.) However, for those of us who have a more delicate stomach at such a sensitive hour in the morning they also offer onion soup and other classics.
Pizza Sant'Antonio: if you're used to the speciality pizzas of North America then you're probably in for a big disappointment with any French pizza parlor. I'm not sure where the French came up with the idea to throw a huge dollop of Creme Fraiche and a half-fried egg on top of a pizza, but it's never really won over my palate. And hell, i know you're not in Paris to eat bad Italian food....however, still sometimes pizza is the ultimate cheap snack. Pizza Sant'Antonio serves huge pizzas and salads in a lively late-night scene that makes the uneven product forgivable.
Pub Saint Germain: It's late, you're hungry so go over to the dark side: British Pub Food! The pub Saint Germain is open 24 hours and the beer selection is immense and in fact (it is in St. Germain after all) the pub fare is more respectable than other British and Irish bars.
and finally: across from Gare du Nord (and indeed near most of the large railway stations) there are several wonderful restaurants: sometimes seedy, sometimes historic, sometimes very 'atmospheric' at three in the morning...

Out of the studio and back to the real world...

2007-06-02T13:04:00.000+01:00

Well, that was....great! Three long days of work with the musicians in the studio. They were amazing: creative, hard working, inventive... they rocked! (ok...sometimes they rocked too much) I'm completely wiped. We got thirteen tracks down and now I have a week to work with the music and then in a week I'll go back and do the vocal retakes. Remi Amblard on piano and synth, Theirry Tardieu on percussion, Tommaso Montangani on Bass and Benoit Gil on guitar. And me, the singer, although really the last three days were about getting the musical tracks down...the word for what I was doing 'voix temoin' - the witness voice. I like the term...and to be honest by the last takes on friday afternoon that really, really, really was what I was doing. After three days of organizing, motivating, heading off confrontations, trying to pull out the best ideas and sidetrack the less good, I was on my last legs. I kept thinking 'Just keep singing something and get these beautiful tracks down on tape, and you come back and do it all again after a week of sleep". The Magic of electronic recording!

We did most of the tracks in the first two days and the last day was given over to a lot of retakes and drop-ins at places where the take as a whole was good but one person had screwed up or didn't like their work. Max - the engineer who runs Bopcity- would wind the track back, mute that particular instrument and then the player would just overdub what he'd done before. All the takes happened pretty quickly, there was only one piece that we couldn't get right and had to do about seven takes. I think some of the best ones happened with two or three takes. For the version of version of Heaven we did, we suddenly decided to throw away the arrangement from the rehearsal hall and do something completely different. The new version was put together in fifteen minutes and then we did three takes and I think it's kind of beautiful...

What surprised me was how much like theatre direction it was. I guess that's 'cause I'm producer and singer. All the issues of dealing with personalities, (i.e. -one person works best after about ten cups of coffee and another wants to get straight to work, or somebody else has a great idea they love and somebody thinks that idea is crap and a discussion starts which could well take up half the morning etc etc) and motivating people, scheduling, dealing with problems fell onto my shoulders as well. It was great fun to be part of this process but I'll also be glad to be in the studio alone next week with just the music and my voice.

The final mixes should be done by the 15th of June... I'll put them up on myspace then, meanwhile I might throw a few of the rehearsal takes up there. www.myspace.com/bremnerduthie

LES ALLUMES du JAZZ, Festival in Paris

2007-06-01T09:38:00.001+01:00

LES ALLUMES DU JAZZ is an association of 44 small jazz labels from across France--it's also a newspaper, packed with reviews, listings of new albums, editorial comment on the state of jazz, music, culture...it's a bit of a rant, in a good way. And this past Tuesday, they were celebrating the launch of issue #19 (that's Sylvie Fontaine's cover of the new issue there), with a great evening at Le Triton. now, i've been hearing good things about les Tritons for ages but like a lot of people in Paris, i'm lazy, it takes a special event to lure me out to the suburbs...and Tuesday's "LES ALLUMES DU SOLO" was exactly that kind of event.

first of all: now I know that Le Triton is barely in the suburbs, it's a 2-minute walk from metro Mairie des Lilas & it couldn't be easier to get to. second, the cafe/restaurant area is fantastic...i wish i'd arrived a few hours earlier, to hang out on the terrasse and chat with different musicians...so i'll be going back.

for Tuesday's ALLUMES, nine musicians, each with a new album out, were allotted a 15 -to-20 minute solo (most stuck around for a jam together at the end)...musically all over the map, including Michele Buirette's accordion chanson, chilled DJ Frank Vigroux (yes, the guitarist, in different mode), and Samson Schmitt's manouche guitar. But for me, the Allumes labels are most interesting when they take risks, like Christophe Rocher--with his very spiritual & lovely bass clarinet solo--and like the unstoppable improvisations of Edward Perraud. i love percussionists who can share the energy it takes to play drums, who can make us hear what they hear--his solo "batterie" was a real high point, that line where jazz, contemporary experimentation, and sheer fun all mash together to open up your ears and your head.

Two weeks till I record my jazz CD in Paris

2007-05-22T20:33:00.001+01:00

Two weeks before I go into the studio in Paris to record this jazz CD of standards, and I’m wrestling with keys and tempos and arrangements. I have a name - 'The Sky Was Blue' and the song list is still adapting as we find out what players have an affinity for… in principle the songs are

1. Angel Eyes

2. Lover Come Back to Me

3. Again

4. Whisper Not

5. Love me or Leave Me

6. Court and Spark

7. Chelsea Hotel

8. Secret Heart

9. Sweethearts on Parade

10. Some of these Days

11. Heaven

12. Pale Blue Eyes

The songs are splitting themselves up into trio and solo and duo as I hear some are over arranged or some are missing a texture or timbre. It’s a set of songs that I love… I’m not sure if they fit the normal set of ‘standards’ but this last year has been about: thinking about what a makes a standard. At the end of the year I’m not sure if I’m that much farther ahead in figuring that one out. I’m not sure that we’re going to be able to get all these done in the studio… the time always races by when you have to set up mics and deal with layers of technology. I’m spending hours in my studio trying out vocal approaches to each song... don't know whether it's best to go safe and be a crooner or try out the vocal stuff that I've been doing for all the contemporary and performance work that I've done... probably finally be a spur of the moment choice when I hear how the tracks get laid down...

demos are still up at www.myspace.com/bremnerduthie Its nice to think that soon I can replace them with the 'real thing'

electro-jazz in Paris at the St. Germain des Pres Jazz Festival

2007-05-22T13:41:00.002+01:00

the Saint-Germain-des-Pres Paris jazz festival wrapped up with a Nuit Electro-Jazz...and it was a sweaty night under the Pont Alexandre III. i got there late (because i never expect a jazz concert to start on time...i know, i know, i should get places earlier) and managed to catch the last few minutes of EOL trio (three brothers, more on them soon because they'll be playing at the restaurant Dans Le Noir, a neat idea.)

after a quick break (enough time to get myself a gin & tonic), next up: Aronas...this time Aron Ottignon had a real piano (see April entry) and killer percussion. Aron's from New Zealand, and the band includes South Pacific drums. He's a fine pianist: first won New Zealand's award for new jazz talent, then moved over the larger continent and won their award for young jazz talent. (forgive the photo failure...not sure why the powers-that-be decided to put the press section on the side of the space, so the only good sightline was right on the edge of the stairs. i tried fighting my way through the central crowd, but it was waaaaayyy too hot...) Aronas seemed like some kind of witches brew of funk, jazz, free jazz and straight out punk rock, and the crowd loved it. It was great to see such a huge crowd coming out for a jazz event.

the last part of the evening was Beat Assailant--cheerful jazzy hiphop: the lead is from Miami but is now hunkering down in Paris, where he's acquired a fab brass section. good way to wrap up the soiree, and the festival.

The Swan Bar and Jazz Cafe, Paris

2007-05-17T09:57:00.001+01:00

I'm going to put up some mini-portraits of the various jazz venues in Paris. I'd like to give you a better idea of the various places you're going to end up: they're all so different and depending on what you're in the mood for sometimes a smoky cellar is perfect and sometimes a non-smoking cocktail lounge is even perfecter.....

so, the first portrait is of the lovely Swan Bar, and how could a portrait of the Swan be complete without a portrait of the lovely Isla. With her trademark star on her cheek and an irrepressible sense of humour she commands the impressive cocktail bar.

The Swan's a nice venue since it sits in the south of Paris in the historic Montparnasse district. A lot of visitors to the city end up in this neighbourhood and there are excellent restaurants and the old 'american' bars from the 20's and 30's, like The Select, or Le Dome, are just down the boulevard. The Swan's probably a five to ten minute walk up from the Montparnasse metro or a 30 second walk from the Port Royal RER exit and you'll find a brightly lit lounge dotted with tiny tables on two levels and a shiny cocktail bar, and sometimes an art show going on downstairs.

They put on a varied set of musicians, ranging from vocal jams on Wednesday nights for those aspiring singers who want to get up and try their chops with a couple of local musicians (bring three copies of your music!) to a variety of bands and singers. I know they've had some problem with sound complaints so their trios and band tend to avoid loud drummers, but they pull in some fine trios anyway. If you're already up in Montparnasse then its the perfect place to end your evening with a brightly colored drink and some great music.

New Jazz cafe venue in the 18th arrondisement in Paris

2007-05-11T17:08:00.001+01:00

.A new jazz cafe in Paris.....and in my 'hood! after an extensive period of transition (renovations here can last for years) the downstairs lounge of Chez Ginette is finally open. And it is gorgeous! a Hernando's Hideaway straight out of The Pyjama Game, with vintage suitcases over the piano, a great upstairs balcony for leaning & listening, and a couldn't-be-easier location right upstairs from the Lamark-Caulincourt metro station. the photo really doesn't do it justice. now if they can just keep booking decent bands, I have a new local hangout.

Drums at La Fenetre jazz venue in Paris

2007-05-08T15:20:00.001+01:00

La Fenetre is a great addition to the jazz venues in Paris. It's a little black box set in a wonderful old industrial courtyard. But, in contrast to many other black box theatres, they've spent time and energy on converting it acoustically so the music actually sound good (and not like you're simply sitting inside a large shoebox with a band at one end). It's a bit off the beaten path east of Bastille, but it's worth the wander. And a walk up Rue du Charonne with its trendy cafes and clothing stores and design emporiums is never a bad thing for window shopping and people watching.

I saw the Drum Trio Pacatom. There was enough percussion instruments on stage to provide the rhythm section for five bands! Perhaps with La Fenetre's placement in an industrial building they are presenting the kind of noisy bands that a lot of other venues are having to restrict. However this night didn't really seem to fly: perhaps the trio just had too many instruments on stage. They pulled off a fun set and I liked their intentions, but they seemed almost lost in their instruments, and the trio really only got going when they settled into a fairly standard rock/funk groove and let fly. In the quieter passages they didn't seem to be exploring the range of sounds that all those instruments could produce and I found myself rather bored. Once, at a drum festival, I had the pleasure of watching an ancient Indian drummer captivate a hall of 3000 people for almost 20 minutes with nothing more than a tambourine. I remember finding myself on the edge of my seat listening to him play. Perhaps sometimes it is best to keep things to a minimum.

free voices jazz in Paris

2007-05-07T09:23:00.001+01:00

The nomadic heart of LA VOIX EST LIBRE jazz festival in Paris was alive and pounding on Saturday night...first night of the festival, the Bouffes was crammed-full. What I like about this fest is the risk-taking--which doesn't always work, but isn't stepping out on that ledge the soul of jazz? The first part of the night featured Reunion singer Nathalie Natiembe riffing with American sax player David Murray and French drummer Denis Charolles. And i found Natiembe a bit out of her element when the two free jazz types got going --Murray playing from the guts and Charolles maniacal, playing percussion with rocks & hand tools.

After a brief break, Titi Robin walked out with no warning, no fanfare...just his trademark delicate lute-playing as we crowded quietly back into our seats. His guitar and lute were a curiously successful meld with Danyel Waro's ecstatic Maloya songs. Their collaboration was initially a project with Africolor, and by the end of Saturday night, even the usually sedate Parisian crowd was up & dancing.

Waro's a kind of figurehead of Reunion music. He went to jail back in the 70s for refusing to do his French military service (and in jail wrote a memoir Romans ékri dans la zol en Frans) and he sings entirely in creole Maloya--a language that was forbidden by the French colonists. Waro was backed by two spectacular Reunion drummers and singers, Vincent Phileas and Loran Dalo--check out our brief video (Francis Varis on accordeon, Pascal Stalin on electric bass) for a tiny taste of the night...

Brazilian food and Jazz in Paris

2007-05-03T12:59:00.001+01:00

Run, don't walk to this Brazilian restaurant in Paris for the food and the jazz. But wait, this seems like some kind of nightmare! I've finally found the best South American food I've tasted in Paris, plus a fabulous jazz guitarist whose standards calm a whole restaurant of noisy eaters into devoted attention. And even better: they serve what are possibly also the best cocktails in Paris. And they do all this with a smile on their faces --And it's their last night!!

No! It's going to be allright: I can calm down. A quick conversation with the waitress reassured me. In fact it's only their last night in this location. They'll be opening up near Gare de L'Est for the summer in a larger premises with a small stage for the musician: Le Mano Bueno brazilian restaurant. They couldn't give me their new address yet, but this will be worth a google in the summer if you're looking for a fabulous evening. Benoit Gil plays there every Saturday and he tucked himself in behind the bar and played wonderful standards with a South American musician (whose name I couldn't catch) but who I chatted with about his instrument of the night. He's actually a classically trained pianist who fled military dictatorship and tonight was playing an 110- year-old Cornet de Poche (just think about whose hands that might have passed through). They were a joy to watch & hear. Benoit has an impeccable light touch on the guitar and sings his way through standards with an adorable French accent.

So, you can, in fact, walk to this wonderful corner of Brazil in Paris and you'll get there in time for their opening sometime early this summer..

The Unexpected Pleasures of Jazz in Paris

2007-05-02T09:20:00.001+01:00

I have to admit my heart dropped a little bit when I walked downstairs in the wonderful little jazz club in the Marais, the 7 Lezards and saw three people watching a lute and oboe duet play jazz. I had walked by late and realized there was probably the chance of catching a last set and the bartender sold me a ticket at half price and told me that if they finished in the next ten minutes he'd refund it.

So I walked downstairs in total ignorance of what and who was playing. But, I admit, it was late and I was hoping for something high energy to get me up and listening. However that is the joy of jazz; at its best you never know what you're going to get and you never know what form it's going to come in. The two players, Claude Barthelemy : Guitar & Oud and Jean-Luc Fillon : Oboe, were simply wonderful. I felt sorry for the uncountable numbers of people who weren't in that tiny little cellar to witness the pleasure that these two were taking from the music and their own exchange. Jean-Luc Fillon says "I want to reveal in Jazz and improvised music the richness, authenticity and lyricism of the oboe, an instrument hitherto confined to the tradition of written music". I was delighted to be part of his audience. Check out the video below for a tiny slice of the evening.

Red Velvet Jazz Festival in St. Germain des Pres

2007-04-26T15:35:00.001+01:00

Spent Tuesday night in the cellar of the normally 'members only' Castel club for the launch of the annual FESTIVAL JAZZ A SAINT-GERMAIN-DES-PRES (see our listings page for links and details). It was surreal scene of velvet wallpaper, vaulted ceilings and an open bar serving gin & tonics with miniature macaroons...not sure what all the cookies had to do with jazz but eventually there was a mini-concert by New Zealand pianist Aron Ottignon (who'll be playing the Fest) and a speech by Frédéric Charbaut, the director of the festival.

Congrats to Aron for pulling off an impressive little gig in spite of fighting a terrible thrashed electric piano--with the sound pumped through the house disco system. Aron's playing has been described as 'testosterone fuelled Rachmaninov-goes-jazz that will take your breath away'--you can decide for yourself at the Showcase (the bar under Pont Alexandre III) on May 17th.

What's exciting about the St-Germain Fest is its great mix of contemporary & traditional artists, including new talent showcases, daytime events (like the innovative Jazz Bus) AND a slew of free shows. Looking forward to spending some time in Saint-Germain starting next week...

Blue Skies

2007-04-25T15:48:00.000+01:00

The studio is booked, the rehearsals are on track, the arrangements are down on paper, some demos are up on My Space--which means I'm up & running for the recording at the end of May. At http://myspace.com/bremnerduthie there are five rough mixes from the album (tentatively named The Sky Was Blue). I'll be re-recording them at Bopcity studios with Remi Amblard on piano and rhodes, Tomasso Montagnani on electric and standup bass, Benoit Gil on guitar and Thierry Tardieu on drums and percussion.

And you can bet there will be one hell of a party in mid-June when we're done recording!

Manda Djinn, jazz and gospel singer at the Swan Bar in Paris

2007-04-23T16:28:00.001+01:00

Manda Djinn is a force of nature.
She sings a high energy vocal jazz styled with gospel and rhythm and blues, and boy, she puts on a show! There's a lot of singers who are so deep in their vocal technique they seem absent physically from the stage, but Manda right there... She covers all the territory... her technique is fabulous: she knows the style she wants, she can pull of the interpretation... and she's a 'showman', in the best sense of the term: she connects with the audience and makes them feel and understand the text and the meaning of each song, while looking like she's having the best time in the world doing it. She used to be a professional dancer and that sense of rhythm and comfort on stage comes through in her music and physical presence. I've spoken with her a little bit about her performing history and sometime's it seems like she's simply sung or performed with everyone, everywhere..

For the past years she's had an active career in Gospel music in Europe, and around the world (She told me she's heading off to Japan for a Gospel tour in the next few days) but now she's going back to the standards: and with a fine couple of musicians: Claude Carrière on piano and Stephane Boutrit on double-bass. Manda has a regular monthly gig at the Swan Bar. check out our What's On Now page for upcoming info...

A Perfect Day in Paris - great food, great architecture, great jazz

2007-04-22T09:44:00.001+01:00

Someone asked me last night what would be the perfect day in Paris. Ok...an impossible question, there are so many perfect days in Paris--whether you're walking around with a dime in your pocket or you have a platinum American Express card. (As a musician I admit that I fall somewhere in the lower end of that range.) My nights out normally involve live music so I thought I'd try and take the challenge and put together what I think is an amazing day and evening out in the city.

So, the perfect day: well, for a start, it's Sunday: because that's the greatest day in Paris--people hit the streets at 2pm after a lazy morning in bed and the cafes are packed all afternoon with calm, happy and good-looking (or at least very relaxed) Parisians. And on this lazy Sunday we have to start at Bastille because we need to get a couple of things accomplished. First there's a coffee at the Cafe Industrie to get us going. We can sit among the palms and the paintings of Africa and Indochina (with some extremely politically incorrect images of dusky bathing beauties among them) and people-watch through the windows. Then, fired up by the caffeine we'll gather our strength and go down to the Bastille Market to buy the fixings for a picnic later in the day.

Bastille Market is one of the best of the innumerable daily markets around the city. It takes place over the covered canal that comes down into the Seine from the North of the city. There's almost always a Dixieland band playing or a jazz trio busking with some Django-inspired gypsy jazz. Perhaps we could pick up some wine from an independent vineyard, maybe a roast chicken, some bread and tomatoes and for dessert: an apricot tart. With that stored in our backpacks we could head up the canal and begin to prowl our way through the afternoon.

Now we could head for the centre of the city, join the tourists and perhaps get a bit footsore from walking up the Eiffel Tower, but if I'm the guide, we'll take an alternative angle and head up to the multicultural district of Belleville. After wandering through the artist studios that fill up every nook and corner of the neighbourhood we'd share the food and the bottle of wine in the sun sitting in the pretty modern park that tumbles down the hill into the winding streets of Paris's Chinatown. We'd be surrounded by like-minded people and families with kids running through the fountains of the stream that runs through the middle of the garden. And at the square at the top with the incredible view over the city we might find another jazz band, or even a string quartet.

Then, when the sun got a bit too much, in the late afternoon, and when we need a pick-me-up, I'd head downhill and downtown for the Marais, the old Jewish district. It's filled with narrow shady streets and there are cafes with terrasses on every corner. As we head through the trendy Oberkampf strip we might find Sunday afternoon concert at the Cithea. They have a pretty eclectic programming that includes everything from House Music to traditional Jazz. We have a while to make up our minds about the evening: music and events and clubs don't normally get started till late and continue on until the wee hours, so there's no hurry. In fact, even after years in this city I still automatically arrive 'on time' for events and realize that I'm going to have to kill a couple of hours waiting for everyone else in Paris to get there. So, I'll head for my favourite corner in the city and my favourite terrace at the corner of Impasse du Tresor and Vieille du Temple and we can chat away the hours till the early evening. And now we have to make a choice! Do we catch an early set at the 7 lezards cafe, which is only a stones throw away...or do we grab a table on the terrace of Les Philosophes Cafe and spend a few more hours over a meal and another bottle of wine, before catching one of the late sets in the bars nearby... hmmmm. That's a tough one. I think we'd have to send a scout round the corner to find out what's playing and give us the thumbs up or down before we can make that choice. So... let's say that tonight the early show doesn't tempt us enough to spend the first part of the evening in a jazz cellar bar then we'll take over a table on the corner and slowly make our way through the three or four courses that we need after our stressful day. I'd definitely finish with a tiny glass of Vieille Prune alcohol...which sort of tastes like an orchard exploding on the back of your tongue (and is supposed to aid digestion: but I don't know anyone who actually drinks it for that reason).

Finally I'd head off for the jazz strip on rue des des Lombards. In a three-block space you've got four classic jazz clubs: Duc Des Lombards, the Sunset, the Sunside and La Baiser Sale. All of them are going to have a late night show starting between 9 and 10pm, we know we can catch something contemporary, something traditional, a launch of a new CD, perhaps a jam of local and visiting musicians or a vocalist trying out a set of standards. Personally I head first for the Duc des Lombards: mostly because I like the ambiance in the tiny little club...classy & quirky at the same time with fine musicians.

And as a final perk for a perfect Sunday: when we head out of the club at 1am and find that the Metro has ground to a halt, we'll have no problem either grabbing a taxi home or walking back to our place through the calm streets unfazed by the madness of the Saturday night crowds...

there it is: if anyone feels like inviting me along then let me know here...

Remi and the Jets

2007-04-21T08:04:00.000+01:00

So I go for a first rehearsal with Remi, the pianist who'll be playing for me on the recording, and we go through the songs and then get to chatting about some songs he's working on. We head into his tiny studio and he fires up his computer to show me what he's working on right now. Now this is the bit where I feel like I'm someone who was expecting to take a drive in a comfortable but rather predictable Toyota, (I mean I've been around home studios before) however, when I climb into the Toyota I actually find that I'm sitting in the cockpit of an F1 fighter jet and we're doing loop the loops over the Grand Canyon. Remi has enough technology packed into this tiny little box that he could compete with Sony! So we spend an hour or so going through all the ways that one mic in his tiny (and I mean tiny) studio can be used to record some really beautiful music and then play with it after.

For the album I'm not that interested in capturing a 'live quartet' sound in the studio. I've always been in love with more produced sounds. One of my favourite pop albums of 2006 was Ry Cooder's Chavez Ravine: and I think every single instrument on there had been tweaked and produced. Since working with Brian Eno back in the 80's I've been an admirer of what a producer can do with a record. And frankly, I don't think a straight album is that marketable. Another singer, with another jazz quartet... my disc will languish in the 'slush pile' of Agents and Festival's around the world.....

So, the outcome of this technological revelation is that I wanted a producer for the disc and Remi has the goods and wants to do it, so he'll be on the editing, mixing, playing and tweaking side of things. However, because I head back to Canada in July and we need several weeks in the studio to make it work I'm going to have to move the recording up from the middle of June to the end of May!! Which leaves four weeks to work with the musicians and finish the arrangements.... Ayieee! May should be a fun month!

Julien Lallier Quartet at 7 Lezards Jazz Club in Paris

2007-04-19T13:18:00.001+01:00

A cool Paris basement in the summer heat... Julien Lallier was at the 7 Lezards Jazz Bar in Paris on Monday night to play through the compositions on his latest album, "Tarifa", for an intimate, appreciative crowd. "Tarifa" was inspired by a trip to

Spain

(most of the pieces are names of Spanish towns, so you can retrace his route if you feel like a bit of geography).

The album has a depth that's rare in a first album: Lallier's influences include Keith Jarret and Miles Davis and their sound can be heard lovingly echoed in the depths of Lallier's compositions. Working with a quartet of friends whose intimacy comes through on the album and in concert, Lallier has the typical light touch of contemporary French keyboardists, with unusual depth to the sound. The quartet --Benjamin Body on bass, Jeff Baud on trumpet, and Julie Saury on drums-- was solid, the drummer putting out the most energy in the two sets [the usual Quartet line-up features Donald Kontomanou on drums, but Saury more than held her own.] Julien tells me that other priorities came up this year to keep him off the festival circuit, but if you have a chance to see him in Paris or at one of the gigs listed on his website you won't be dissapointed by your evening. Lallier's playing has a virtuoso's touch in both the composition and the playing and that's a rare thing these days.
( www.julienlallier.com )

Copywrite Enfringement Anyone

2007-04-18T09:35:00.000+01:00

Couldn't resist putting up this rather alternative version of Mickey Mouse that we saw at the contemporary arts museum Palais de Tokyo last night. I'm not sure how they get away with using the big eared one in such an 'excited' pose without Disney's lawyers come down on them like a ton of bricks. However for 2000 euros you can take one of these adorable mice back home with you! We sat out in the crazy 1920's courtyard cafe afterward and discussed possibilities...

My favourite jazz Bassist in Paris

2007-04-17T08:10:00.001+01:00

Met with Tommasso Montagnani, the extraordinary bassist I played with last year to talk about recording my my new jazz album in Paris. We had a coffee near his place in Montmartre, near Chateau Rouge Metro

(where they have cleaned up the street and kicked most of the junkies away!... I had to wait for him for 20 minutes and it makes it a lot nicer on the corner!)

He's a bassist and ethnomusicologist... which maybe explains some of his eclectic style... BUT he is going to Brazil to study the music of the Amazon Indians for six months and he leaves on the 6th of June and my dates for the recording are tentatively the 10th to the 14th! I have to talk to three other musicians still, since everybody left town for the Easter Vacations... so either I put it at the end of May for Tommasso, which gives me only four weeks to rehearse, or I find someone new (it's hard to find a good bassist!!) and put it even later in June to give us more time. The arrangements aren't easy, so it's going to take us a bit of work to get them together... I'll know more in a week when all the French musicians come back from Easter with the family....

Rock Stars under the Bridge and some very tight dresses at Le Tango in Paris

2007-04-14T08:54:00.001+01:00

Tonight I'll be seeing Benoit Gil play at the Mano Bueno, but last night was a non-jazz evening. We started off at the Rock Star Karaoke at the new hot club that has been built into the walls of the Quai under the bridge Alexandre III.... you know the bridge, it's in every tourist photo of the city!

I was lucky enough to be in the company of Lisa Pasold, Heather Stimmler and Nicole

We were treated to a club that looked like it had been decked out by Saturday Night Fever's set decorator... and even better it had foosball and a view of the Eiffel Tower.

And for the Kararock there was a series of hilarious cameo's by would-be rock stars.

The band was great and doing their best to make everyone look good. It's all organized by a promoter who appears throughout the evening in various disguises. As we were leaving he appeared in the complete white top hat Alice Cooper outfit and sprayed the audience with fake blood. His site is sort of unnavigable on myspace... but you can try and find his upcoming events at http://www.myspace.com/ullmanncabarock . Normally this happens on a Sunday evening and often the cream of french rock musicians turn up to jam along with the band towards the end of the evening..

after that a quick and spectacular taxi ride along the quais past the Gare D'Orsay took us to Le Tango at Art et Metiers. It's a venerable institution in Paris's gay lifestyle.

Saturday nights are open to all and for 7 euros you can enjoy the 1940's ambience, a truly amazing drag show

and music that ranges from waltzes to pumping disco to spontaneous 'Madisons' where the entire dance floor suddenly divides up and does a line dance to 50's french pop music. We had stumbled in on Eurovision night and so we were treated to a medley of every fabulously awful winner in the last 20 years....

My Own Dawson City Yukon Angel Eyed Blues (Ok..it's not Paris, but Jazz Standards live everywhere...)

2007-04-13T12:49:00.000+01:00

Poetry 'n Jazz in Paris Jazz Festival setting

2006-10-04T11:03:00.001+01:00

Went to see William Parker at the Black Rebels Festival up at La Villette Jazz Festival in Paris, and I was AMAZED. The band he put together was stunning, AND it included spoken word by Amiri Baraka (who used to be Leroi Jones: Black Power/Beat poet extraordinaire). The premise was "The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield". Now, I bought a ticket because of Baraka, and it was great to see a the man in person, doing his thing (and though he's looking a bit like a Beat Yoda these days--he's 72 years old--he lived up to his fireball reputation). But the real thrill of the evening was the music. It's rare to see a band that's really on fire. And William Parker's musicians were exactly that. The sax and trumpet players, Darryl Foster and Lewis Barnes respectively, were the smoothest and most impeccably together players I've seen all year, and Dave Burrell on piano managed to sound delicate and insane at the same time (and when he plays solos, the man looks like he's wrestling a rhino). And the drummer, a guy named Hamid Drake, sounded like an entire samba band when he got going. For once poetry, pop, and jazz all mashed up together to create something fantastic. The rather, er, expressionistic photo shows a hat, which is Baraka, and a turquoise wristband, which is William Parker playing bass. All of this in the magical Cabaret Sauvage, which is an old dance "guingette" (a wooden circus tent, essentially) that was dismantled from just outside of Paris and installed by the canal in the Parc de la Villette.

Jazz in Prague

2006-09-07T11:11:00.000+01:00

So we went to the newly shiny city of Prague to visit a writer friend who's spending the summer with her director husband in a little wood house in the hills about an hour outside the city. And of course I couldn't pass up the chance to see some of the famous jazz clubs of the city. The dates and the weather ( rainy, rainy) didn't do us any favours, but we did manage to get to one basement club: U Maleho Glena. Where we saw a (mostly) great quintet of young players. I'd like to be able to detail each of them by name, but I've mislaid the program and I was simply deeply unable to make notes on the Czech names as they sped by in the introductions. Special kudos though to the extraordinary bass player who filled up room with his sound... not so special kudo's to the trumpetist who seemed to equate REALLY LOUD with really good: in the tiny cellar he managed to pull a piercing tone out of instrument and went for the 'as loud as possible' high note for each of his solos...

Rhythm and Mohawks in a Jazz Bar in Paris

2006-07-31T12:22:00.002+01:00

Never, ever underestimate the power of a great rhythm section to keep you awake in a Paris Jazz Concert after a long long flight...

Saturday me, my nine hour jet-lag and a 32 Celcius Paris spent the evening listening to jazz together at the Duc Des Lombards. Olivier Temime (and his trademark haircut) and 'the Volunteered Slaves' (a reference to Roland Kirk's piece 'volunteered slaves') were playing their
brand of soul jazz/funk/hard bop with Temime leading the group on Sax. My fatigue and the heat (though I love that most Paris Jazz clubs are now non-smoking, sometimes it would be wonderful if they were also air conditioned...) eventually pulled me out of the club in time to catch the last metro, but for most of the two sets I was thrilled by the tight and risk-taking rhythm section of Julien CHARLET (dms), Arnold MOUEZA (perc) and the bassist whose name was nowhere listed and was sped by in every announcment (to him I apologise...) along with the tight playing of Jérôme BARDE (Bardophone) playing on a very pretty seven string self-named guitar of his own making.

This inner quartet kept up an unrelenting groove that gave the soloists an energetic platform for their work. In their promotional material they refer to influences like Joe Henderson (Black Narcissus, Blue Bossa) and Roland Kirk (the blind american player who specialised in blowing on several instruments at the same time) and while I can see the connections, I found a closer relation to players like Eddie Harris (the player whose jazz albums regularly topped the R & B charts in the 60's). My grumble with the group was that often I found Olivier Timime to be riding on the back of his rhythm section and not the leader I expected to hear. Call me a bitter ex-punk rocker if you like, but I think if you're going to cut your hair into a Mohawk and pick up a sax to lead a jazz group, then you've got to also pick up the attitude of risk and attack that comes along with the territory. I'm not sure if Temime was up to the challenge.

Jobic Le Masson trio at 7 lezard jazz club in Paris

2006-07-05T00:08:00.001+01:00

In June, I went twice to see Jobic Le Masson's trio play at 7 Lezards jazz bar in Paris. The first time I dropped by, I actually thought I'd just check them out for a few minutes, then probably head off somewhere else; I'd seen Jobic’s trio briefly, accompanying with a local jazz singer and although I thought they pulled off a nice set, I wasn't totally convinced by the blend of the styles between the trio and the vocalist.

Really all I knew about the group was that Jobic is married a Canadian friend of ours who runs the Red Wheelbarrow, a great English-language bookstore on rue Saint-Paul. But dropping into the 7 Lezards in June, I was much more convinced by the trio on their own: Jobic Le Masson on piano and two Americans in Paris, Peter Giron (bass) and John Betsch (drums), who are playing around with the traditions of free jazz, but in lighthearted and light-fingered way. The 'Ecoute' among the three is intense, as is the sense of space, freedom and encouragement they're sharing with each other. They slipped easily between standards, long free improvisations, and new compositions from Le Masson, and the sense of fun and play between the three gave me the feeling of being included in their personal adventure of discovering sound. Check out extracts at: http://jobic.lemasson.free.fr/

Monday night jazz jam open mic in Paris

2006-07-04T10:10:00.001+01:00

Monday is a great night out for Jazz in Paris, the City of Lights: it's open mic Jam night almost everywhere in Paris and that means free entry AND some great young musicians coming out to share their talents with seasoned musicians leading the jams... OK, almost free: the price of a drink at each jazz bar – but 5 euros for a beer in Paris seems a good deal for such an opportunity.

Tonight I checked out three of Paris’s classic jazz bars: Sunset/Sunside (two clubs in one: Sunset downstairs and Sunside upstairs), le Baiser Sale (right next door), and le Caveau des Oubliettes (over on the left bank). Sunset had Michael Cheret on Sax leading the jam, with Pierre Perchaut on guitar, Mathias Alemande on bass, and Philipe Soirat on drums. An assortment of young horn players sat in over the course of the evening, but the one to watch was a young Hungarian, Gabor Bola, on baritone sax who did an extraordinary job on a couple of John Coltrane tunes.

After that I headed over to le Baiser Sale where the percussionist Francois Constantin usually leads a vigourous Latin-based jam session from his set of Congas. However, tonight, although the idea of inviting the African keyboardist Cheik Zidiane Seik seemed like a wonderful idea, somehow things never really started to swing, and the lack of other players in the audience waiting for their chance seemed to back me up, so I headed across the Seine to le Caveau des Oubliettes.

We're in a heat wave right now in Paris and so it was a beautiful, warm stroll at almost midnight crossing the river in front of the beautiful Conciergerie. The Caveau des Oubliettes is a tiny, vaulted basement which hosts jams almost every night of the week, and on Mondays this month they are being hosted by William Chabbey trio (photo above). Chabbey plays a blues and funk based jazz guitar and was backed up by a Hammond and drums. It's the first time I've seen him play and I was impressed by his ability to switch between styles and flirt with blues, rockabilly, funk, rock and roll and still keep improvising with a clear jazz voice. He's clearly popular with the young French players since almost everyone in the audience was clutching a glass of red wine in their hands and a horn propped up beside them as they waited their turn. I caught the last metro home, but they were going on for another set...

ANDREEL

2006-07-03T16:09:00.000+01:00

I don’t know if Andreel counts as a Paris jazz group, as it's an ever changing line-up of fine Paris musicians from a variety of musical backgrounds and since I'm trying to write about where to see jazz in Paris I figure they're worth including in this list since even for all their French chanson style, they certainly draw on Jazz influences. They interpret the chansons of long and lanky Andre, lead singer & writer. I’d call it 'quirky, jazzy French chanson with ironic, touching or often just charmingly, silly lyrics'. The quartet lit into the songs with enthusiasm and commitment. Elodie Bremaud on trombone was channeling a New Orleans inspired rumble, Helene Vouhé on clarinet swung her way through the arrangements and Simon Drouin on guitar brought a Brazilian lilt to the whole affair. The tiny basement cellar of the Les Dechargeurs was the perfect intimate venue for them - I don’t think it can seat much more than 25 and the arched ceiling makes for a wonderful acoustic, and its a club in Paris where they often hold jazz concerts. Andreel is up next at 29th of July, playing for free at le Divan du Monde. Check out songs at www.andreel.com