VA - Swing De Paris 1922-1951 (2004)

"Classic jazz recorded in Paris, both by French artists and visiting Americans… This is a solid set for old-school jazz fans, although I was disappointed it didn't have a more "local" flavor… I was hoping for a heftier dose of gypsy jazz and Pills & Tabet-style hepcat swing. Indeed, a lone track by Jacques Pills was pretty much the only French-language vocal track on the entire album(!) and while this disc faithfully tracks the penetration of jazz into the Parisian nightlife – from the jittery rhythms of the early '20s through the jumping dance bands of the '30s and the cool and bebop camps – it's mostly a parade of instrumental performances imitative of and in thrall to the American model. There's also a healthy brace of tracks laid down by American jazzcats such as Erroll Garner, Jonah Jones, Bud Powell, Sammy Price, Zoot Sims, et al., with song titles such as "Headin' For Paris," "Eiffel Tower," "Stridin' Down The Champs-Elysees," etc. One gem is a 1937 recording of "Hangin' Around Boudon," by Dicky Wells and his band, where Django Reinhardt takes a fine solo; also noteworthy are contributions by guitarist Sarane Ferre (a top-flight Django wannabee) and Jerry Mengo, who makes several appearances both as a composer and as a semi-anonymous bandmember… I fell for a few tunes, and there are plenty of rarities included here (for the completists among us…) but if you're not a devoted jazz fan, there's also a lot of the tedium associated with the genre – most of it sounds like stuff we've all heard before. Where are ze theeck accents and ooh-la-las? Guess I'll have to stick with that old Johnny Hess and Charles Trenet stuff!"

01. Mitchell's Jazz Kings - The montmartre rag
02. Orchestre Billy Max - Out Bois de Boulogne Way
03. Lud Gluskin And His Versatile Juniors - Parisette
04. Billy Barton Et Son Orchestre De Jazz - Paris Je T'Aime (Paris Stay The Same)
05. Noble Sissle & His Sizzling Syncopators - Daughter Of The Latin Quarter
06. Dicky Wells & His Orchestra - Hangin' Around Boudon
07. Fletcher Allen And His Orchestra - Swingin' In Paris
08. Willie Lewis And His Orchestra - Swingin' At The Chez Florence
09. Eddie Brunner Et Son Orchestre - Bagatelle
10. Danny Polo Trio - Montmartre Moan
11. Danny Polo & His Swing Stars - Montparnasse Jump
12. Alex Renard Et Son Orchestre - Bois De Boulogne
13. Hubert Rostaing Et Son Orchestre - Parc Monceau
14. André Ekyan Et Son Orchestre - Place Blanche
15. Jacques Pills Et Le Jazz De Paris - Le Rhythme De Paris
16. Jean Yatove Et Son Grand Orchestre De Radio-Paris - Métropolitan
17. Tony Murena Et Son Ensemble Swing - Pré Catelan
18. Leo Chauliac Et Son Ensemble - Rue De La Paix
19. Alix Combelle Et Son Orchestre - Rue Duperré
20. Christian Wagner Et Son Orchestre - Studio Albert
21. Sarane Ferret Et Le Quintette De Paris - Folies-Bergère

01. Le Quintette Du Hot Club De France - Swing De Paris
02. Harry Cooper Et Son Orchestre - La Cigale
03. Jerry Mengo Et Son Orchestre - Villa d'Este
04. Richard Blareau Et Son Orchestre - Alma-Marceau
05. Jam-Session No. 5 - Riffin' In Paris
06. Jonah Jones And His Cats - I'm Headin' For Paris
07. Billy Taylor Trio - Stridin' Down Champs-Élysées
08. Robert Mavounzy And His Be-Boppers - Sévres-Babylone
09. The Be-Bop Minstrels - Swingin' At The Lutétia
10. Danny Kaye Quartet - Malesherbes Square
11. Bernard Peiffer Et André Persiany - Paris Monte-Carlo
12. Hubert Rostaing Et Son Sextette - Champs-Élysées Club
13. Erroll Garner - Early In Paris
14. Trio Michel Pacout - One-Two-Two Blues
15. Price, Sammy & Trio - Eiffel Tower
16. Django Reinhardt Et Stéphane Grappelly - Ménilmontant
17. Almé Barelli Et Son Orchestre - Saint-Germain-des-Prés
18. Zoot Sims Quartet - Crystal's
19. Harold Baker And His Duke's Men - Saint-Germain-des-Prés Blues
20. Sidney Bechet & Claude Luter - Promenade Aux Champs-Élysées
21. Bud Powell - The Last Time I Saw Paris