We Americans like to think that we “know” all about the important jazz artists, even occasionally giving homage to European greats like Django Reinhardt and maybe a nod to Martial Solal. But along with impressive artist like Rene Urtreger, Maurice Vander and Guy Lafitte, saxist Barney Wilen (1937-1996) is a musician that deserves accolades on this side of the pond for a couple reasons. First, he was the composer for the influential soundtracks Ascenseur pour l’Echafaud and Les Liaisons Dangereuses that featured the work of Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis respectively. Secondly, he was an impressive mainstreamer in his own right, and although he didn’t come to the States often, he was at least captured in a thrilling gig in Tokyo, Japan’s Keystone Korner back in 1991, and the music is a thrill.
Wilen plays mostly tenor sax along with Olivier Hutman/p-key, Gilles Naturel/b and Peter Gritz/dr, only switching to soprano on a soulful “Que Reste-t-Il De Nos Amours?” with Hutman on electric piano and Natural supplying a nice bass line. For the rest of the two discs, he plays a tenor that sounds a bit like Getz, a bit like Gordon and a lot like he’s in control. He gives a dreamy “Goodbye” along with Natureal and glistens on a lovely “Beautiful Love” while playful on the driving “Mon Blouson(C’est Ma Maison)” and assertive with Gritz and Hutman on a muscular “Besame Mucho.”
The rhythm team does a nice calypso as Wilen taps into his inner Sonny Rollins on “Little Lu” and gives a laconic “Old Folks” before flexing his muscle on the encore “Doxy.” If you’re a tenor sax fan, this guy is gonna feed your need.