Even the most ardent jazz fan may not know of how strong the bebop movement was in post WWII Paris. Usually, sounds from Sidney Bechet or Django Reinhardt are associated with the French jazz scenet, but alto saxist Hubert Fol was one of the first European musicians to get the Charlie Parker bug, and he puree’d it into his own style with likeminded artists such as Raymond Fol-Andre’ Persiany-Rene Urtreger/p, Pierre Michelot/b, and ex pat protobopper Kenny Clarke to create a Gaullic interpretation of modern jazz. This two disc set, with intriguing annotation and studio listings, covers Fol’s recordings from 1947-54, and it is a fascinating collection of the steaming sounds that came out of the Left Bank.
Hubert Fol’s alto has a sweeter sound than his inspiration Parker, yet still steaming hot like an early morning baguette in settings ranging from quartets to tentets, mixing bebop standards with originals. With Alan Jeffreys or Dick Collins on the trumpet, the band sizzles with the leader on “Night in Tunisia” and “Boppin’ and Oilskin” while the team does a gorgeously relaxed intro to “Lover Come Back to Me.” Sparks fly during “I’ve Got Be-Bop” and sway during “Robbin’s Nest.”
Fol gets time in the spotlight during quartet sessions with brother Raymond/p, Pierre Michelot/b and Pierre Lemarchand/dr on a dreamy “Everything Happens to Me,” “These Foolish Things” and “Out of Nowhere” mixing modern sounds with a suave tone while floating like a smoke ring during “You Go to My Heard,” whereas he windsurfs through a breezy “I’ll Remember April.”
The team flexes their collective muscles on a quintet read of “Half Nelson” and a richly arranged two parter “Ivory BlacK” while pieces such as “I Only Have Eyes For You” and “Always” with Fol as a sideman are rich bon mots. While bebop and the subsequent genres in its wake have been with us to this very day, there was something about the first generation of boppers that delivered the message with excitement and commitment of discovery, like the difference between hearing tales of heroes of the past and actually living during the time of Sir Lancelot. This one is going to surprise you with how modern these guys sound; no hint of imitation as much as inspiration.
Fresh Sound Records