Just when you thought that you’ve heard every jazz guitarist…
I can honestly say I have never even heard of French guitarist Jean-Pierre Sasson, but this 2 dusc album makes me wonder what I was missing. He comes right out of the school of Charlie Christian-Tal Farlow-Jimmy Rainey, with clean and swinging line on this collection of him as both leader and sideman. These recordings range from 1946-1956, usually with Parisian stars like Hubert Rostaing/cl, Chico Christbal/as, Andre Persiany/p, Guy Lafitte/ts and Martial Solal/p, but also including American ex-Pats like Lucky Thompson/ts or Vill Coleman/tp.
The swinging is easy on the early sessions with Rostaing on “Blues In The Night” with Louie Williams imitating Slim Galliard on “Hit That Jive, Jack”, and the team sounding Basie-ish on “Byas-A-Drink” and “Red Boogie Woogie”. Frank Goodie takes his Coleman Hawkins pills on “Just Another Blues” and Coleman glides with Sasson for ”Jumpin’ At Playel”. Most fun is a 1954 session when Sasson, Solal and Lafitte dominate a tribute to Django Reinhart with some festive fun on “Minor Swing”, a sleek “Swing 42” and rich “Blues For Ike” putting a new beret on the Reinhardt catalogue.
With vibist Michel Hausser, Sasson goes Shearing on “Once In Awhile” and “Tenderly” with some California Coll coming up on his own “Studio ‘B’” and “Montana Jump. Thompson and Sasson bop well on “Lucky Strikes” and a teaming up with fellow six sxtringer Sacha Distel results in some hip strings on “Two Guitar Blues” and “Winter Holiday”.
The accompanying 16 page booklet gives probably the best biography of the guitarist, and the session notes put everything in its proper perspective. A collection as sublime and tasty as Reblochon cheese.