French — CDs  

Excellent vocal jazz from postwar Paris! The Blue Stars were a legendary combo that were led by Blossom Dearie, and which featured a host of great vocal talents that would later go onto form groups like Les Double Six or The Swingle Singers, including Mimi Perrin and Christine Legrand, as well as instrumental jazz artists like Fats Sadi and Roger Guerin, who are doing some rare vocalization here. The first 4 tracks on the set are pulled from a 1956 ep – and it features the group on the tracks "Jumpin At The Woodside", "C'est La Vie", "Broadway At Basin Street", and "Grapevine". The next 12 tracks are from the Pardon My English LP – which has the group down to a sextet, working without Dearie, in a groovy accented English vocal style that's a direct precursor of the vocalese grooving of Les Double Six. Titles on that set include "Small Talk", "Move", "Did You Close Your Eyes?", and "Promises & Lies". The last 3 tracks on the set are a bit different – featuring vocals and guitar by Henri Salvador, with backing on bass and drums. The style of Salvador's work is still similar, though – way more vocalese than the "blues" in the title would make you expect – and the tracks are lifted from a rare Fontana ep-only release that was recorded in the same year. Titles include "Don't Blame Me", "Salvador Plays The Blues", and "Stompin At The Savoy".

Brilliant music from one of our favorite artists ever – a set that features the mighty Michel Legrand in a host of different settings – all of them great! CD 1 features 20 vocal numbers by Legrand – a great reminder that although best know for his soundtracks, Michel is a hell of a singer – one with this warm, raspy voice that's as at home in scatting jazz as it is in a more lyrical interlude – beautifully displayed here on tunes from the 60s through the 21st Century – vocal numbers that include "Attendre", "Quand Ca Balance", "Elle A Elle A Pas", "Rupture", "Le Cinema", "Trombone Guitare Et Compagnie", "Edith", "La Partie De Tennis", "Les Enfants Qui Pleurent", and "Mon Dernier Concert". CD 2 features jazz tunes by Legrand and others – almost all of which are versions of Legrand's great compositions – and a few others based around his sublime arrangements! Titles include "Flight" by Stan Getz, "De Delphine A Lancien" by Bud Shank, "Vida Real" by Arturo Sandoval, "Images" by Phil Woods, "Once You've Been In Love" by Sarah Vaughan, "My Funny Valentine" by Toots Thielmans, and "I Will Wait For You" by Lena Horn. CD 3 features soundtrack material – perhaps Legrand's most famous area of expression, and for good reason too – as you'll hear on titles from films like La Piscine, Le Sauvage, Cinq Jours En Juin, La Buche, Ice Station Zebra, Cleo De 5 A 7, Dingo, The Picasso Summer, Les Demoiselles De Rochefort, and Robin & Marian. CD 4 is a rare treat – music we've never heard before, and a set of recent duets that feature Michel Legrand on piano and Cetherine Michel on harp – running through some wonderful takes on classic Legrand compositions, including "His Eyes Her Eyes", "Orson's Theme", "Au Concert", "Nobody Knows", "How Do You Keep The Music Playing", and "I Will Say Goodbye". Amazing music throughout – and a hell of a great set at this price!