Jimmy Gourley: Un Américain À Paris – 1951-2002
In October, Graham Colombé reviewed Rolande Hugard-Gourley’s book and referred to pianist Henri Renaud’s words about the significance of guitarist Jimmy Gourley’s influence on French jazz. This three-CD set from Frémeaux & Associés arranges Gourley’s career chronologically into the Paris years, a brief Chicago visit during 1956/7, then excerpts of his work from 1972 onwards.
Following his arrival in Paris in 1951, Gourley became closely associated with Renaud, recording with various line-ups for Vogue. As these tracks show, he was given plenty of opportunity to solo, acquitting himself well with leading European players, including Renaud, Bobby Jaspar, Fats Sadi, Pierre Michelot, American ex-pat Sandy Mosse and others.
Visiting musicians are also well represented: his old friends Lee Konitz, Stan Levey and Don Bagley on their 1953 Paris visit, as well as Zoot Sims, Frank Rosolino, Cy Touff and Bob Brookmeyer. Only three of the tracks with Clifford Brown and Gigi Gryce from 1953 are here – All The Things You Are, Goofin’ With Me (29 September) and Baby (8 October). Gourley was on several more, including the octet date two days later, but I suppose this compilation is meant to be representative rather than comprehensive. However, the American youngsters give Gourley ample space and three other Gryce compositions are included (Capri, Schabozz and Expansion), by Renaud’s quintet with Jaspar on tenor.
The second disc (1954-61) continues in this vein, a highlight being two of the tracks by Roy Haynes’ band – Red Rose and Minor Encamp, the latter a version of Jordu, composed that year (1954) by Duke Jordan. Gourley leads in on this, showing the ease and confidence of his approach, sharing the solos with tenorman Barney Wilen.
Also on this disc are two big-band collaborations – in Chicago with Chubby Jackson’s Band, Gourley taking an extended solo on Flyin’ The Coop, and on Battle Royal, from Paris Blues, arranged by Duke Ellington, Gourley one of the four soloists (with Louis Armstrong, Guy Lafitte and Billy Banks).
There are two tracks from the final recordings of Lester Young on 4 March 1959. The accompanying musicians (Gourley, René Urtreger, Jamil Nasser and Kenny Clarke) give admirable support, but Young, who was drinking heavily at the time, often absinthe, had severely declined. Clearly short of breath and weak, it was a terrible finale to his life. Dave Gelly described it as “simply heartbreaking” to hear (Being Prez, 2007). Young died two weeks later.
One of the Young tracks, Three Little Words, is also included but performed live with Krzysztof Komeda’s trio at the 1961 Jazz Jamboree in Poland. With For Heaven’s Sake, it shows how well Gourley could handle uptempo numbers with fast and accurate fingerwork.
The third disc (1972-2002) has all small groups apart from a Jack Diéval All Stars jam session (SEP Blues). There are signs of Gourley taking on board then-current trends, often looser and more open, occasionally leaning towards a more chordal Wes Montgomery style. The nicely understated groove of Eddy Louiss’s organ and smart shuffle beat of Andre Ceccarelli are effective on Freedom Jazz Dance, whilst Embraceable You from the album No More (Musica, 1981) has Stan Getz guesting (on the original album as Dju Berry). The solo guitar tracks underline Gourley’s skill, and there are a few vocals by him, although I found these fairly dispensable. I’d have liked to hear something from his late 80s work with Wilen. A minor quibble.
An enormously interesting range of work which shows the progression of the career of an underrated but manifestly respected musician, and as Colombé described “well worth exploring… a fitting tribute”.
Discography
CD1: A New Date; Venez Donc Chez Moi; Paris Je T’Aime; Tout Bleu, Tout Bleu; The End Of A Love Affair; Young Lee; Lost Henri; All The Things You Are; Goofin’ With Me; Not Really The Blues; Who Cares?; My Heart Belongs To Daddy; It’s De-Lovely; Baby; Capri; Schabozz; Expansion; Call It Anything; Zoot’s Suite; Embarkation (75.41)
CD2: Steeple Chase; Minor Encamp; Red Rose; Bag’s Groove; Yesterdays; Straight Life; Let’s Go; Flyin’ The Coop; Three Little Words; New D.B. Blues; Amen; Brother Daniel; What A Difference A Day Makes; Battle Royal; Guitar Amour; For Heaven’s Sake; Three Little Words (73.39)
CD3: Tafira Alta; Freedom Jazz Dance; Graffitti; Comon’ Ovah; Miss Magic; Repetition; Embraceable You; Montagne Madness; Shameful Roger; Ladybird; S.F.P. Blues; Our Delight; Maybe You’ll Be There; Biloxy Blues Walk; By Myself (76.15)
Gourley (g, v) with extensive personnel including Bobby Jaspar, Sandy Mosse, Henri Renaud, Jean-Louis Viale, Lee Konitz, Clifford Brown, Zoot Sims, Roy Haynes, Barney Wilen, Lester Young, Duke Ellington, René Urtreger, Kenny Clarke. Paris, Chicago, Cologne and Warsaw. Various dates 1951-2002.
Frémeaux & Associés FA5901
Jonathan Mayer: Perseverance
Every now and again the fusion of Indian music and jazz comes to the fore, sometimes successfully, other times less so. Yusef Lateef and the Coltranes experimented with it with a good deal of success; Joe Harriott and Jonathan’s father John Mayer took it further, although some were not convinced, the Penguin Guide to Jazz describing an “awkward juxtaposition”. The raga forms tended to have a subordinate role to the jazz improvisation. Charlie Mariano and R.A. Ramamani with the Karnataka College of Percussion took it further, and the work of L. Subramaniam later met with critical acclaim.
In this recording there seems to be greater coalescence; Part 1 is atmospherically led by the sitar of Jonathan Mayer, starting gently and gaining momentum, with Steve Tromans on piano sitting back. Occasionally there are snippets where a Western melodic motif ghosts in, and Mayer plays his sitar with a definite guitar sound, but the rhythm and tones gel, with Denis Kucherov’s tabla heightening the effect.
Part 2 reverses things – Tromans’ piano leads and a multilayered density transforms into a slow bass line, enabling the tabla to approximate a steady beat and creating a rhythmic canvas over which the sitar is given prominence. The ending is an interweaving and exploration of sound, building towards an intensity.
Discography
Perseverance Parts 1 & 2. (17.00)
Mayer (sit) Steve Tromans (p); Denis Kucherov (tab). 2025.
ZerOclassikal Rekords (digital only, on Spotify or Apple Music)
Ben Webster: King Of The Tenors
Norman Granz was possibly the luckiest record producer in music to have Ben Webster in such consistently fine form in the early 50s. Here Webster has strong support from others that Granz favoured – especially pianist Oscar Peterson – and the tracks are a good representation of Webster’s style.
Well known for his ballad work, the previous year he had been part of the Granz-organised jam session that included Charlie Parker and Johnny Hodges and which resulted in Webster’s wonderful Nearness Of You contribution to the ballad medley. For this 1953 recording Webster’s warm tone addresses the appropriately titled Tenderly and what surely must be the definitive version of That’s All.
Trumpet and alto come from Sweets Edison and Benny Carter on some of the tracks and Don’t Get Around Much Anymore and Cottontail underline the Ellington connection. Webster’s brutal growling appears several times, not least on Jive At Six and Bounce Blues, his rough edge contrasting sharply with his sensitive side. There are a couple of alternate takes and a version of the minor blues, Poutin’, with Peterson and guitarist Barney Kessel, which Webster was to perform and record from time to time later, including at Ronnie Scott’s in 1964 with Stan Tracey.
A marvellous album that lifts the heart and spirit.
Discography
(1) Tenderly; Jive At Six; Don’t Get Around Much Anymore; That’s All; (2) Poutin’; Bounce Blues; (1) Pennies From Heaven; (2) Cottontail; Danny Boy; Bounce Blues (alt); (1) That’s All (alt) (39.28)
(1) Webster (ts); Harry Edison (t); Benny Carter (as); Oscar Peterson (p); Herb Ellis (g); Ray Brown (b); Alvin Stoller (d). LA, 8 December 1953.
(2) Barney Kessel (g) replaces Ellis, J.C. Heard (d) replaces Stoller, NY, 21 May 1953.
Waxtime 772374
Yusef Lateef: Three Faces Of Yusef Lateef
Known for his experiments blending jazz with Asian music and using unusual non-Western instruments, multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef limited his choice on this album for Riverside to his three most familiar instruments – tenor saxophone, flute and oboe. Hence the title.
It showed that he could deliver standards and ballads but still conjure up elements of Eastern atmosphere, and this is shown on his use of oboe on Salt Water Blues (with Ron Carter’s bowed cello) and on the Ellington composition I’m Just A Lucky So And So. It’s also apparent on his own composition, the haunting From Within, with Lateef on flute, pianist Hugh Lawson on celeste, Carter on cello and Lex Humphries playing timpani. A deeper-toned flute is also featured on Lateef Minor 7th.
Two extra tracks are included on this issue, Lateef playing flute on both – Imagination and I Remember You, recorded later the same year, but with Doug Watkins replacing Carter on bass and cello. These were originally issued on Watkins’ album Soulnik (New Jazz 8238). Watkins had played earlier on Lateef’s first albums for Savoy, in 1957, Jazz For The Thinker and Jazz Moods.
Goin’Home, Quarantine and Ma, He’s Making Eyes At Me have Lateef on tenor, full-bodied in tone and showing dextrous fingering particularly on the last. With a lot of attention being paid to Lateef’s eastward leanings, it’s often overlooked what an expressive, strong and vigorous saxophonist he was, firmly in the Rollins style of playing.
Discography
(1) Goin’ Home; I’m Just A Lucky So And So; (2) Quarantine; From Within; (3) Imagination; (1) Salt Water Blues; Lateef Minor 7th; Adoration; (2) Ma, He’s Makin’ Eyes At Me; (3) I Remember You (55.13)
(1) Lateef (ts, f, o); Ron Carter (clo); Hugh Lawson (p, cel); Herman Wright (b); Lex Humphries (d).
(2) Omit Carter. NY, 9 May 1960.
(3) Doug Watkins (b, clo) replaces Carter, New Jersey, 17 May 1960.
Jazz Wax JWR4644
