Jack McLaughlin Kjeld Brandt New Orleans

My wife, Linda, and I arrived in beautiful Copenhagen on Thursday, May 15, 2008. Our new friend, Finn Amorsen, President of the Seaside Jazz Club, was there to greet us and to take us to his home in Skibby for lunch. After a delicious meal prepared by Finn's wife, Ingrid, Finn drove us to our hotel. On Friday we met Kjeld Brandt for the first time, and on Friday evening we played our first concert at the Ballerup Jazz Club. There I was, with one Dane and five Frenchmen playing New Orleans Jazz as it should be played, with energy and great feeling. After the first tune, for sound check - I believe it was Lord Lord - I thought to myself, “this is going to be a great week!”

I had played with the five Frenchmen before, and knew to expect excellence from JP's French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band. But Kjeld's beautiful tone and tasteful
phrasing was well beyond my expectations. It was like playing along side George Lewis, Albert Burbank, and Willy Humphrey! I was so excited, and this was only the first of four gigs!

Saturday was a “double header”, that is, two gigs in one day. We played the Kennedy Jazz Lounge from 1-4 PM, and the Østerbro Jazz Club from 8:30-12. Both were great gigs, though it was an exhausting day. I wondered whether we had anything left for the final gig at the Seaside Jazz Club on Sunday. When a band plays at such a high energy level, sometimes the next performance suffers. Not in this case. No Way! The Seaside session was our best! It was as if we got a second wind. The rhythm section was tight, JP's sax was on fire, and Kjeld's clarinet soared to new heights. It was one of the most exciting sessions I've had the pleasure of being a part of, from Running Wild to Panama. The fast ones moved along like a locomotive gaining steam, and the slower tunes were filled with feeling and emotion. The enthusiastic audience response from the beginning to the end tells it all. This was a great session, a great week, with wonderful musicians and wonderful new Danish friends. Thank you Finn and Ingrid, and Gerda and Jan Erik for your hospitality and your friendship. I look forward to future trips to beautiful Denmark!

Great moments sometimes happen by coincidence. The first time JP Alessi's French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band came to Denmark in Feb. 2007, the SeaSide Jazzclub found out about it from another Jazzclub, the Gilleleje Jazzclub. They wanted us to join with them in hiring the band in order to fill up a weekend, making the visit possible. They sent a CD which we liked very much, the date was available, so why not?

The evening was to be one of the best ever at that time in the jazzclub, and two jazzclub presidents among the audience asked for the possibility to have the band back again. Jean Pierre Alessi responded by saying: ”Whenever you want, but let me contact cornetist Fred Vigorito from the USA”. JP also sent CD's of his band featuring Fred Vigorito. After listening to the CDs, we were convinced that this could be the concert of the century in our jazzclub, so we arranged the tour. We also arranged for a recording session at the SeaSide Jazzclub, live at the old power house of Frederikssund City (Denmark).

By reading Fred's liner notes, opposite, you can sense the excitement and emotion that the musicians felt, but for those of us that were there that evening, our feelings for the musicians and the music were even more intense. For us, this CD will be a reminder of one very exciting Sunday evening, 18 of May 2008. For those of you that weren't there, you're in for a treat! Of the 23 tunes played during the three sets that evening, 18 were good enough for the CD, almost direct with only minor editing. That's why it was so difficult to select the right tunes for this CD. Jean Pierre, Kjeld and myself first listened carefully to the takes individually, then together we were able to agree on which tunes were the very best.

I am so grateful for being part of this project, and so happy to welcome Fred and Linda Vigorito into our happy jazz family. I'd also like to thank Jean Pierre Alessi and his French band members for their wonderful music and their friendship. Special thanks to Kjeld Brandt for his much needed involvement, for the very preliminary contact back in 2006, and for producing the beautiful graphic work for this CD.
With this CD, I feel we are all doing our very best to keep our music, the music we love, alive. I am also happy and excited to announce that JP Alessi's French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band with Fred Vigorito and Kjeld Brandt will be back in Denmark for another performance in September 2009!

- Finn Amorsen
SeaSide Jazzclub, Frederikssund.


French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band featuring Fred Vigorito and Kjeld Brandt *Live at SeaSide Jazzclub*

	Tunes: 1. Running Wild 5:27 2. Over The Waves 6:57 3. Uptown Bumps 6:54 4. Old Rugged Cross 7:53 5. Tiger Rag 6:23 6. I'm Alone Because I Love You 6:34 7. Ice Cream * 7:01 8. Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler * 4:48 9. Algiers Strut 6:23 10. In The Upper Garden 7:45 11. Panama 7:54 Band: Fred Vigorito co voc * Kjeld Brandt cl Jean-Pierre Alessi ts as Cyrille Ouanich p Henry Lemaire bj Dominic Molton b Vincent Hurel dr
Recorded: May 18th, 2008 at SeaSide Jazzklub, Frederikssund, Denmark by Jørgen Vad. Mixed by: Jean-Pierre Alessi, Kjeld Brandt and Jørgen Vad. Mastering: Jørgen Vad. Jørgen Vad uses Audio-Technica microphones. Liner notes: Fred Vigorito, Ingrid and Finn Amorsen. Coverphoto: Mette Stevns. Layout and finish art work: Kjeld Brandt. SJKCD02
Liner notes My wife, Linda, and I arrived in beautiful Copenhagen on Thursday, May 15, 2008. Our new friend, Finn Amorsen, President of the Seaside Jazz Club, was there to greet us and to take us to his home in Skibby for lunch. After a delicious meal prepared by Finn's wife, Ingrid, Finn drove us to our hotel. On Friday we met Kjeld Brandt for the first time, and on Friday evening we played our first concert at the Ballerup Jazz Club. There I was, with one Dane and five Frenchmen playing New Orleans Jazz as it should be played, with energy and great feeling. After the first tune, for sound check - I believe it was Lord Lord - I thought to myself, “this is going to be a great week!” I had played with the five Frenchmen before, and knew to expect excellence from JP's French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band. But Kjeld's beautiful tone and tasteful phrasing was well beyond my expectations. It was like playing along side George Lewis, Albert Burbank, and Willy Humphrey! I was so excited, and this was only the first of four gigs! Saturday was a “double header”, that is, two gigs in one day. We played the Kennedy Jazz Lounge from 1-4 PM, and the Østerbro Jazz Club from 8:30-12. Both were great gigs, though it was an exhausting day. I wondered whether we had anything left for the final gig at the Seaside Jazz Club on Sunday. When a band plays at such a high energy level, sometimes the next performance suffers. Not in this case. No Way! The Seaside session was our best! It was as if we got a second wind. The rhythm section was tight, JP's sax was on fire, and Kjeld's clarinet soared to new heights. It was one of the most exciting sessions I've had the pleasure of being a part of, from Running Wild to Panama. The fast ones moved along like a locomotive gaining steam, and the slower tunes were filled with feeling and emotion. The enthusiastic audience response from the beginning to the end tells it all. This was a great session, a great week, with wonderful musicians and wonderful new Danish friends. Thank you Finn and Ingrid, and Gerda and Jan Erik for your hospitality and your friendship. I look forward to future trips to beautiful Denmark! - Fred Vigorito Great moments sometimes happen by coincidence. The first time JP Alessi's French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band came to Denmark in Feb. 2007, the SeaSide Jazzclub found out about it from another Jazzclub, the Gilleleje Jazzclub. They wanted us to join with them in hiring the band in order to fill up a weekend, making the visit possible. They sent a CD which we liked very much, the date was available, so why not? The evening was to be one of the best ever at that time in the jazzclub, and two jazzclub presidents among the audience asked for the possibility to have the band back again. Jean Pierre Alessi responded by saying: ”Whenever you want, but let me contact cornetist Fred Vigorito from the USA”. JP also sent CD's of his band featuring Fred Vigorito. After listening to the CDs, we were convinced that this could be the concert of the century in our jazzclub, so we arranged the tour. We also arranged for a recording session at the SeaSide Jazzclub, live at the old power house of Frederikssund City (Denmark). By reading Fred's liner notes, opposite, you can sense the excitement and emotion that the musicians felt, but for those of us that were there that evening, our feelings for the musicians and the music were even more intense. For us, this CD will be a reminder of one very exciting Sunday evening, 18 of May 2008. For those of you that weren't there, you're in for a treat! Of the 23 tunes played during the three sets that evening, 18 were good enough for the CD, almost direct with only minor editing. That's why it was so difficult to select the right tunes for this CD. Jean Pierre, Kjeld and myself first listened carefully to the takes individually, then together we were able to agree on which tunes were the very best. I am so grateful for being part of this project, and so happy to welcome Fred and Linda Vigorito into our happy jazz family. I'd also like to thank Jean Pierre Alessi and his French band members for their wonderful music and their friendship. Special thanks to Kjeld Brandt for his much needed involvement, for the very preliminary contact back in 2006, and for producing the beautiful graphic work for this CD. With this CD, I feel we are all doing our very best to keep our music, the music we love, alive. I am also happy and excited to announce that JP Alessi's French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band with Fred Vigorito and Kjeld Brandt will be back in Denmark for another performance in September 2009! - Finn Amorsen SeaSide Jazzclub, Frederikssund.
		New Orleans Delight