Parisians are crazy about three things: Food, love and syncopation. I've always felt that the city's fascination with the latter has much to do with a romanticized impression of the years before World War II. But Paris's history with syncopation goes back even further. European classical modernists came under its influence at the start of the 20th century. Ragtime was likely at the Paris Exposition of 1900, where march king John Philip Sousa made a tour stop. [Photo above of a Parisian flapper in the 1920s]
Antonín Dvořák was a ragtime and cakewalk nut, as was Claude Debussy. Erik Satie, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud and other members of The Group of Six in Paris loved ragtime. Rags, New Orleans jazz, stride and hot jazz has always been at home in Paris just as it was in the 1920s. And let's not forget the Hot Club de France, a French organization founded in 1931 in Paris by jazz fans dedicated to traditional jazz, swing and blues. [Photo above of the the Hot Club of France Quintet]
Which is why Paris Washboard: Superswing is so marvelous. The quintet is wonderfully passionate about the music. Alain Marquet, clarinetist and owner of Paris's Jazz Museum store (see my recent post here), was kind enough to send the group's latest CD via Gilles D'Elia, who graciously mailed it along. The album swings like crazy and is wonderfully authentic and rich with syncopation.
The personnel features Michel Bonnet (tp), Alain Marquet (cl), Daniel Barda (tb), Louis Mazetier (p) and Charles Prévost (washboard), with arrangements by Daniel Barda and Louis Mazetier. The songs are Yacht Club Swing, Harlem Joys, The Mooche, In a Jam, Moonglow, Sweetie Dear, Streamline Gal, Crazy Rhythm, Sidewalk Blues, Undecided, If Dreams Come True, I'm Coming Virginia and Frolic Sam.
The entire album is alive and in love with early jazz. The group is all heart and heat. Magnifique! Merci beaucoup, Alain and Gilles!
JazzWax tracks: To inquire where to buy Paris Washboard: Superswing, go here here and click "send email."
JazzWax clips: Here's If Dreams Come True...
Here's Yacht Club Swing...
And here's Moonglow...
