The relationship with France goes literally in all directions during this hour. The composer is French, the musician is French, the vocalist sings French lyrics, the American is in a Parisian studio—as long as there’s a connection. In all directions… and that also applies to the music.
Miles Davis – Generic
At the end of 1957, Miles Davis travels to Paris. Besides a concert at the Olympia Theatre, three weeks at Club Germain are booked. Several European cities are also planned, including Amsterdam. Davis’s French accompanists are the twenty-year-old tenorist Barney Wilen, pianist René Urtreger, and bassist Pierre Michelot. Kenny Clarke, who has been living in Paris for a while, is the drummer. Filmmaker Louis Malle, an admirer of Davis, hears about this plan and asks Miles to play the music for his recent film noir “Ascenseur pour l’échafaud” (Elevator to the Scaffold ). French filmmakers experimented with jazz in the 1950s. Earlier that year, the Modern Jazz Quartet scored a film by Roger Vadim; a year later, the Jazz Messengers would provide a soundtrack for “Des femmes disparaissent.”
Davis was enthusiastic about this experiment. “I agreed to do it, and it was a great learning experience (…)” He watched film clips and began sketching using a piano in his hotel room. One evening, he took his group—who were unaware of the project—to a dark radio studio to create the right atmosphere. Lead actress Jeanne Moreau was also present. In one set, while watching repeated film scenes, the music was improvised. There were agreements about tempo, key, and chord progression. And strikingly: there were no themes, and many scenes ended abruptly. Four hours later, everything was recorded. Never before in film history had a score been created this way. Like the film, the music was also “noir”—night, loneliness, suspense, menace. In the scene where Jeanne Moreau wanders the Champs-Élysées at night, searching for her husband, Davis’s trumpet captures the mood in seconds. The soundtrack makes film music history, quickly surpassing Louis Malle’s film.
Ibrahim Maalouf & Marcus Miller- Harlem
Trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, originally from Lebanon, celebrated his 40th birthday in 2020. That year, he released the album 40 Melodies, which includes a duo piece with bassist/guitarist Marcus Miller: Harlem. Within a simple form and basic harmony, the two celebrate an infectious, swinging, funky party.
Ben L’Oncle Soul-Demain J’Arrête
French-language soul? Yes, it exists. In 2010, Motown released the first studio album by Ben L’Oncle Soul (real name: Benjamin Duterde). It’s easy to be carried away by Ben’s voice. The same goes for the backing vocals and the driving instrumental accompaniment. And while not everyone will understand the lyrics, there’s something special about that French sound.
Michel Legrand & Stéphane Grappelli –I Never Live Without You
French actress Catherine Deneuve made her debut in 1964 in the innovative, romantic film musical Les Parapluies de Cherbourg. Jacques Demy directed, Michel Legrand composed the music. The film won a Palme d’Or. The “overture”—which is later reprised vocally in the film—generated countless versions. One such version, by composer Michel Legrand and violinist Stéphane Grappelli from 1992, with orchestra, is a delightful improvisation by Grappelli, with Legrand on piano. In the final section, the two alternate solos every four bars, and the strings also light a few rockets.
Blossom Dearie – Plus Je T’embrasse
Michel Legrand also played a small role in the life of American singer/pianist Blossom Dearie (1924-2009). She went to Paris in 1952 and formed a vocal group there, featuring Michel Legrand’s sister. His brother, Michel, in turn, arranged a French version of Lullaby of Birdland, which became a hit for the group. We hear Dearie’s characteristic, girlish voice on the airy “Plus Je T’embrasse.” The singer couldn’t have wished for better accompanists on the album “Give Him the Ooh-La-La”: guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Jo Jones.
Yves Montand – Les Feuilles Mortes
Who hasn’t heard this song about a lost love, at the end of summer, when the leaves cover the earth? This creation by composer Joseph Kosma and lyricist Jacques Prévert—from 1945—has now been recorded over a thousand times. The composition, better known as “Autumn Leaves,” with its simple form and chord progression, has become a standard and is a favourite at jam sessions. Yves Montand’s vocal interpretation is moving, culminating in the song’s highlight: “Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit.” (“Quiet, without making a sound.”)
For more information and the titles of the other 10 pieces in this programme, see the Guide.
JazzNotJazz – Jan Pieter Overmars
