John Lewis & Sacha Distel • Afternoon in Paris

 

Review by Alex Henderson
It was in Paris that John Lewis co-led this 1956 date with Sacha Distel, a French guitarist who never became well-known in the U.S. but commanded a lot of respect in French jazz circles. The same can be said about the other French players employed on Afternoon in Paris -- neither tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen nor bassist Pierre Michelot were huge names in the U.S., although both were well-known in European jazz circles. With Lewis on piano, Distel on guitar, Wilen on tenor, Michelot or Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke or Connie Kay on drums, the part-American, part-French group of improvisers provides an above-average bop album that ranges from "Willow Weep for Me," "All The Things You Are," and "I Cover the Waterfront" to Milt Jackson's "Bags' Groove" and Lewis' title song. The big-toned Wilen was only 19 when Afternoon in Paris was recorded, but as his lyrical yet hard-swinging solos demonstrate, he matured quickly as a saxman. It should be noted that all of the Americans on this album had been members of the Modern Jazz Quartet; the only MJQ member who isn't on board is vibist Jackson.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/afternoon-in-paris-mw0000246233

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Reseña de Alex Henderson
Fue en París donde John Lewis codirigió esta cita de 1956 con Sacha Distel, un guitarrista francés que nunca llegó a ser muy conocido en Estados Unidos pero que inspiraba mucho respeto en los círculos jazzísticos franceses. Lo mismo puede decirse de los otros músicos franceses empleados en Afternoon in Paris: ni el saxofonista tenor Barney Wilen ni el bajista Pierre Michelot eran grandes nombres en Estados Unidos, aunque ambos eran muy conocidos en los círculos de jazz europeos. Con Lewis al piano, Distel a la guitarra, Wilen al tenor, Michelot o Percy Heath al bajo, y Kenny Clarke o Connie Kay a la batería, el grupo de improvisadores, en parte estadounidense y en parte francés, ofrece un álbum de bop por encima de la media que abarca desde «Willow Weep for Me», «All The Things You Are» y «I Cover the Waterfront» hasta «Bags' Groove» de Milt Jackson y la canción que da título al disco de Lewis. El corpulento Wilen sólo tenía 19 años cuando se grabó Afternoon in Paris, pero como demuestran sus solos líricos y contundentes, maduró rápidamente como saxofonista. Hay que señalar que todos los americanos de este álbum habían sido miembros del Modern Jazz Quartet; el único miembro del MJQ que no está es el vibrista Jackson.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/afternoon-in-paris-mw0000246233


 

Tracks:
1 - I Cover The Waterfront 6:45
2 - Dear Old Stockholm 6:01
3 - Afternoon In Paris 9:21
4 - All The Things You Are 5:12
5 - Bags' Groove 6:08
6 - Willow Deep For Me 9:33


Credits:
    Bass – Percy Heath (tracks: 4 to 6), Pierre Michelot (tracks: 1 to 3)
    Design [Cover] – Marvin Israel
    Design [Reissue] – Kerin J. Kolonoskie
    Drums – Connie Kay (tracks: 1 to 3), Connie Kay (tracks: 4 to 6)
    Engineer [Sonic Solutions Engineer] – Mark Fellows
    Guitar – Sacha Distel
    Liner Notes – Ralph J. Gleason
    Mastered By – Gene Paul
    Piano – John Lewis (2)
    Reissue Producer [Produced For Release On KOCH Jazz by] – Donald Elfman, Naomi Yoshii
    Tenor Saxophone – Barney Wilen

Recorded in Paris, December 4 & 7, 1956.

Label:     Atlantic – 1267
Country:    US
Released:    Nov 1957
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Bop, Cool Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/2796031-John-Lewis-2-Sacha-Distel-Afternoon-In-Paris

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