Just like bebop clarinet players, the niche of European vibes players is pretty much an uncharted map. Frenchman Michel Hausser cornered the market back in the bop era of 1958-60, with this two disc collection showing that he could hold his own against contemporaries Milt Jackson and Teddy Charles.
His sound is confident and relaxed, sometimes with a marimba-like timbre as displayed on his studio and concert recordings from France 1958. The team of Hausser with famed bopper pianist Henri Renard, bassist Ricardo Galeazzi and drummer Dante Agostini sound relaxed and warm on “Isn’t It Romantic” while comparing studio and gig takes of “Rue Dauphine” and “Blues Pour Le Chat” show that the team could kick up the juice in concert format. Ex-pat Bobby Jaspar loans his flute for a crisp “Moaning” and warm “I Remember Clifford” , and is joined by bebop drummer Kenny Clarke and bongo man Humberto Canto for a sleek “Cliff Cliff” and a beatnick’d take of “Mysterioso”.
A horn section of Roger Guerin/tp, Luis Fuentes/tb, Dominique Canson/fl-as and Bob Garcia round out an octet on a 1960 session in Germany hat includes an echoey “These Foolish Things” and MJQ-ish “Up In Hamburg” with some jabbing horns on “Opus De Funk”. A year later, a similar conglomerate bops through “Made In Switzerland” while a jam session from 1958 includes boppers Donald Byrd/tp, Zoot Sims/ts, Doug Watkins/b, Art Taylor/dr and Bobby Jaspar/ts for a sizzling take of “Wee Dot” that has Taylor driving on all 8 cylinders . Sublime chimes.