Recorded: 15 October 2004; Restaurant Le Prisca a Villeurbanne

Let us start with some jazz history.

“There is no New Orleans revival jazz played in France.” That's what a lot of us thought for many years and, in a way, we were right. There were two reasons for this strange absence.

First there was the attitude of the critical establishment in the years when the so-called revival started. In France the brotherhood of jazz critics was led by Hugues Panassié and Charles Delaunay. Before World War II they had peacefully worked together. After the war they split and became sworn enemies. Charles Delaunay had become involved with the new jazz style called bebop and was writing about it in great admiration. Panassié, on the other hand, did everything to prove that bebop was not jazz. This was not just a matter of opinion, but a real war. Both writers spent a lot of time insulting each other. Delaunay called Panassié “le pape de Montauban” (the pope of Montauban) because of the pontifical way in which the latter made his declarations about jazz. Panassié called the supporters of Delaunay “es Zazotteux” after their magazine “Jazz Hot”. And so on and so on. Neither one of them cared much about the New Orleans revival. Delaunay was too much busy with the new direction jazz had taken. Panassié, who had become the leading voice about traditional jazz, had made of Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet the standards of the New Orleans style. He was convinced that ALL the good musicians had left New Orleans and went up North. The ones who had stayed behind were, in his opinion, second rate musicians. How wrong can a famous jazz critic be! Both Bunk Johnson and George Lewis were described in his “Dictionary of Jazz” as much overrated. Jim Robinson came off best as being a good ensemble player but a mediocre soloist. No word about all the others! Panassié's biggest mistake was his choice for Armstrong and Bechet as standards to judge New Orleans music by. Both had broken out of the framework of old style New Orleans music long ago because their personal genius and - let's face it! - musical ego had led them away from the old style. Playing for the benefit of the band had become the band playing for the benefit of the star and stars they were, no doubt about that. The result was that nobody took the defence of the revival in France.

The second reason was the overwhelming presence of Sidney Bechet in France where he spent much of his later life. He had become the darling of the Parisian public. His popularity was immense, comparable with that of a rock star today. When he married the prince of Monaco lent him his carriage! Traditional jazz in France was very much influenced by the great old master and several of his students became well-known band leaders, people like Claude Luter, André Rewellioty, Maxim Saury and Olivier Franc, to name just a few. They all played the Bechet style of jazz which, although having its roots in New Orleans, bore little resemblance with what we call New Orleans revival.

And still, there must have been some underground revival movement. How else can we explain that Belgian jazz connoisseur and play writer Walter Eyselinck - who later on was much involved with the famous Icon recordings - brought home records by Bunk and George Lewis from his visits to Paris? These recordings were the base of the strong revival movement in Belgium. And yes, there was a band in France playing revival New Orleans style very early. They named themselves “Les Haricots Rouges” (The Red Beans). By mixing their (excellent) New Orleans music with a lot of hokum, they succeeded in remaining busy and successful. They had for instance Kid Thomas as a guest and even brought him on French television. There is a very funny video of this event. Poor old Tom obviously didn't have the faintest idea of what was happening to him when the fast-speaking presenter of the show handed him some kind of decoration. He only became his usual self again when he started playing music. Some of Belgium's finest New Orleans style musicians left their home country to go and play with Les Haricots Rouges, people like trombonist Jean-Pierre Hankart and ace drummer Morre Van Eyck. The late Walter De Troch, Belgium's godfather of New Orleans jazz, was a guest with them a lot of times.

Today things are quite different. France now has its New Orleans revival bands and very good ones as well. Jazz Crusade has already presented two of them; Marie Dandrieux’s Sweet Mary Cat and Dan Vernhettes' Vintage Jazzmen. So here's the third one and their name tells us what they stand for: the preservation of the style of music we call revival New Orleans.

Leader and reed player Jean-Pierre Alessi (age 42) we heard already with Sweet Mary Cat on Jazz Crusade. He is a great admirer of the late Manny Paul, the old stalwart of the Kid Thomas band. He even devoted a website to this wonderful musician. Just like the late George Berry in England and Patrick Tevlin in Toronto, he has created his own individual style on the tenor sax, based on the unique music of Manny Paul. On the alto sax I hear the influence of another fine New Orleans reed player, Captain John Handy. Jean-Pierre's warm, sensuous sound fills the ensembles in a wonderful way, proving once again that the saxophone HAS a place in a New Orleans band.

On trumpet we have Alain Martien (age 66), a great admirer of Louis Armstrong, Kid Howard, Teddy Riley and, more recently, Gregg Stafford and Duke Heitger. For twenty years in a row he has been visiting annually New Orleans where he played on many jam sessions and joined local brass bands at funerals on several occasions. This experience probably explains the great way he performs the hymns on these CDs. He plays in different bands in the South of France and accompanied American singer Carol Leigh with the Dumoustiers Stompers.

Fréderic Espinoux (age 41) plays trombone. His original instrument is the Albert system clarinet. Twelve years ago he started to play with Sweet Mary Cat and has been with the French Preservation since they were founded. He’s a fine musician with a personal style.

Henri Lemaire (age 44) plays banjo here but also plays the double bass. He admires Emanuel Sayles, as you will hear. He played more modern jazz styles before he joined this band two years ago. Last year he recorded with Sammy Rimington. He’s a great rhythm man and a fine soloist as well.

Guillaume Gerdil (age 48) is on string bass. He too played with Sweet Mary Cat and is now in two bands with Vincent Hurel: “What's Up Doc” and “Big Chief”. His favourite musician is Captain John Handy.

Herlin McFly’s (age 38) real name is Vincent Hurel. He's the son of Jean-Marie Hurel, a fine trumpet player who leads his own New Orleans band, “Fidgety Feet”. He stayed for two years in New Orleans where he played with all the local musicians. He loves all the New Orleans drummers, from Sammy Penn to Shannon Powell, and has mastered the famous New Orleans street beat to a T.

Add to these two distinguished guests: Kjeld Brandt on clarinet and John Royen on piano.

John Royen was born in Washington DC in 1955. He studied under Don Ewell. In 1976 he moved to New Orleans. He worked for a while at the Gazebo, an outdoor café-restaurant at the French Market, as a solo player. Then he was joined by Chris Burke and, together with different trumpet players (Clive Wilson, Wendell Brunious, Emery Thompson) and drummers (Al Babin, Howard Kadison, Barry Martyn) they became the famous quartet that made the Gazebo every week-end the place to be, both for local jazz fans and visitors. John also worked with the Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble and became a regular at Preservation Hall in the Kid Thomas band. John is a virtuoso stride pianist (listen to his feature number “Handful Of Keys”!) but also has mastered the art of keeping his tremendous technique in control to lay down a solid New Orleans piano part, just like his mentor Don Ewell. His simple church-like playing on the hymns is outstanding, but he also cuts loose on the faster numbers when soloing.

Kjeld Brandt from Denmark is, in my opinion, one of the greatest New Orleans clarinet players today. He leads his own “New Orleans Delight” composed of Swedish and Danish musicians. This band has no regular trumpet player, so they often perform with a guest musician on that horn. In recent years they played and recorded with Norbert Susemihl, Ken Pye, Derek Winters and Chris Tyle. Their two CDs on Danish Music Mecca with the late Kid Bastien on trumpet and the late George Berry on tenor sax belong to the best New Orleans recordings in recent years. Kjeld also made an outstanding CD for Jazz Crusade (Of A Sunday Morn In Old New Orleans JCCD-3102) with Australian clarinet player Jack McLaughlin accompanied by piano, banjo and bass only. Kjeld and Jack both play metal clarinets on that one and improvise on a series of hymns. The recording took place in the presence of a few fans at Fritzel's on Bourbon Street. It’s a real beauty! Recently Kjeld, together with Gregg Stafford from New Orleans, was an invited guest at the second Kid Bastien Kick-ass New Orleans Jazz Party in Toronto.

The repertory on these two CDs is fairly regular but the band makes it sound as fresh as roses in the morning dew. Take “Ice Cream” for instance! I never had thought that I would be delighted and excited to hear that old chestnut - for European audiences the equivalent of “The Saints” in the US - one more time. The music is so exciting that it made me dance in my easy chair, a remarkable act for a person plagued with arthritis! The reed duet will make you jump for joy. Talking about hot music, this IS HOT!

On the other side of the spectrum there is the delicate playing on “In The Upper Garden” and “The Old Rugged Cross”. Only musicians deeply into New Orleans music can perform these old hymns with such great feeling and emotion.

And what to say about “Uptown Bumps” (aka The Bucket Got A Hole In It)? It takes little imagination to see the couples dancing belly to belly to the music of Buddy Bolden, in Funky But Hall after the decent' people have gone home. Listen to the sensuous sound of Jean-Pierre’s tenor sax when he introduces the tune and the magic moment when the trumpet takes the lead. Great stuff!

I’m not going to spoil your pleasure in discovering the many other gems on these two CDs. Follow Sadie Goodson’s advise once more: listen to the records!

JazzReview.com

Perhaps you are very unaware of the French Preservation Jazz Band. Based in Lyon, France, the New Orleans style octet is well known in the Crescent City itself.

The energetic band played the French Quarter Jazz Festival regularly since 2001. Make a note on your calendar. This year they appear on the Continental Airlines International Stage in the 400 block of Bourbon Street. The festival runs from April 8th through 10th. The French jazz band is no stranger to gigs in New Orleans and have graced the stage at Preservation Hall, the Storyville Jazz Club and Palm Court Café.

The new session was recorded in Lyon in October 2004 at Restaurant Le Prisca a Villeurbanne. Two renowned guests were recruited for the performance. John Royen is one of the busiest pianists in New Orleans and appears on literally dozens of albums. Born in Washington, DC, Royen moved to the Crescent City in the 1970s. The youthful looking piano man learned his craft under the tutelage of Don Ewell. My introduction to Royen’s capability was when a friend demonstrated his recording with The Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble.

The other, and equally important guest, is the Danish clarinetist, Kjeld Brandt. Brandt heads the highly successful band New Orleans Delight based in Copenhagen and loved all over Europe. Kjeld is a humble individual who always seems surprised when critics praise his work. A purist from the start, Brandt plays a vintage Boehm system metal clarinet and is an expert on the history of the instrument in early jazz. He follows in the steps of George Lewis, Louis Cottrell, Albert Burbank and Omer Simeon. New Orleans Delight is one of my favorite bands.

Jean-Pierre Alessi is another purist and expert in the history of jazz in Louisiana. His idol is the late Emmanuel “Manny” Paul, a veteran tenor player who was everywhere New Orleans jazz was played. Like Kjeld Brandt, Alessi is a vintage instrument enthusiast and plays a 1938 Martin Indiana saxophone. He also owns an old Conn from the twenties, the same as Capn’ John Handy used to play.

The French Preservation Jazz Band has a repertoire of tunes based upon the New Orleans revival period of 1940 to 1970 and played by the bands of Kid Thomas Valentine, Capn’ John Handy, George Lewis, Jim Robinson and especially Manny Paul. The band is passionate and boisterous, always having fun. The enthusiasm easily transfers to the audience. It’s a good time to crank up the volume and find your dancin’ shoes.

Some tunes merit a special mention. A Handful Of Keys, the old Waller favorite features John Royen. Royen and Kjeld Brandt share the spotlight on Old Rugged Cross and it’s my number one pick on Volume 1. Clarinetist Brandt also steals the show on the beautiful hymn In The Upper Garden.

Volume 2 has some great stuff too. The old Fred Melrose country piece, Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain kicks off the set. John Royen shows his eight beat skills with Melanie’s Boogie and the entire band has great fun with Big Bad Bully, a tune that is new to my ears. Jean-Pierre Alessi really tears loose on a great arrangement of Tiger Rag. My pick of the crop on the second volume is certainly the fabulous version of Sister Kate. John Royen takes a solo sounding more like “Jelly” than Morton himself.

The French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band is a loose cannon wielding a lot of power. Trumpeter Alain Martien and trombonist Frederic Espinoux are powerful players in the styles of Armstrong and Ory. The rhythm section of Henry Lemaire, Guillaume Gerdil and Herlin Mc Fly does and admirable job throughout the two volumes. It’s a happy and energetic band. Good stuff!

King's Jazz Review - British Internet Jazz Magazine

The interesting, informative liner notes by Marcel Joly cover both the albums; therefore, it is advantageous in reading them prior to listening to the 22-recorded tunes. It does not say where the restaurant is situated, and if Villeurbanne is a village or town and what country it is in, or that the dinning place is in Lyon, South East France, on the river Rhone, a little bit North of Grenoble.

One can wander far and wide to come across the complete New Orleans Jazz Band, I have to say that such a phenomenon came to me, that is to say that the eight-piece French Preservation is at once to be said that it is a jazz band - complete. What I mean by that is that no musician gets in the way of the other. Yes, one may pick out a choice instrument, but here all having top quality skills making the group shine and full-blooded as noticed to great satisfaction by the diner&Mac226;s customers - reluctant to let them part.

In The Upper Garden is played with feelings throughout. The banjo strikes a nice string on Chinatown. Ice Cream is fast and furious sending out nostalgia fever. A Handful Of Keys is a masterpiece by the pianist. The Old Rugged Cross features clarinet, piano, tenor, trumpet, and ensemble making the heart throb to great extent. Algiers Strut is a nice trot by trombone down ones way. With Gerdil and McFly, string bass and drums, keeping it all wonderfully smoothly together for over two and a half hours - now that for me is - complete.

Notwithstanding the Boogie and another one, the remainder on Volume two are all jazz standards, played by "The French Preservation New Orleans Jazz Band" in such a fashion that those tunes should remain popular for many years to come - nice.