When Quincy Jones moved to Paris in 1957 to study arranging, he worked steadily as a composer, arranger and leader in Europe. I've posted on his arrangements in Paris for Sarah Vaughan (here) and Billy Eckstine (here) as well as for Harry Arnold in Sweden (here). While in Paris, Jones also recorded French orchestral easy-listening singles and EPs for Eddie Barclay, the owner of Barclay Records. The tracks were recorded between May 1957 and November 1958 and eventually filled two 12-inch albums. These LPs were entitled Et Voila! and Confetti. [Photo above of Quincy Jones at the piano with the Double Six of Paris]
Of the two, Et Voila! is the more interesting collection. Tracks featured orchestras dominated by French musicians but salted with American expatriates such as Benny Bailey, Lucky Thompson, Don Byas, Art Simmons and Kenny Clarke. As instrumentals go, they're jaunty and smart, and a direct reflection of Jones's love of Paris and the French spirit. Also delightful is that virtually all of the tracks are French songs, so the materiel will be new to most American ears.
The music is strictly pop, but for readers with an ear for arrangers, Jones gets the band and strings dancing. There are sophisticated twists and turns and call-and-response figures that are breezy, shrewd and late-'50s Parisian. The careful ear also will pick up motifs that Jones would use later with Count Basie and other arranging dates in the early 1960s. I certainly did.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Et Voila! renamed as Eddie and Quincy here.
JazzWax clips: Here's the title track...
Here's Quand Je Monte Chez Toi (When I'm at Your House)...
And here's Avec Ces Yeux-La (With These Eyes), which opens with a motif that Jones's would use in 1963 for his arrangement of Basie's Walk, Don't Run...
Bonus: Here's Basie's Walk, Don't Run in 1963 arranged by Jones. Compare the intro with Avec Ces Yeux-La...
A special thanks to Dennis Galloway.