His Debussy and Chopin recordings for harmonia mundi already offer ample evidence that Alain Planès is highly adept at selecting a period instrument best suited for the repertoire.
The Go-Go-Goraguer sessions are a rare opportunity to discover what a potent jazz pianist Alain Goraguer was before he embarked on a new career as an arranger and a composer that would take him away from the realm of jazz. He would have been part of a great generation of French jazz pianists that includes fine stylists such as René Urtreger, Martial Solal, or Georges Arvanitas. The program is comprised of standards, songs from the French repertoire, and two originals. Classically trained, Goraguer's technique is beyond reproach, and his quite marvelous touch can be enjoyed on a wide range of material - from his tender version of "Darn That Dream" to a percussive reworking of "What Is This Thing Called Love?." Regardless of the tempo, his playing has a sparkling quality that does not fail to draw the listener in…
Alain Jean-Marie is a French jazz pianist. He made his first recordings in 1969 (released in 1997 as piano biguines). At the same time he played regularly with the trio of Winston Berkley and Jean Claude Montredon. In 1973, he moved to Paris, where he accompanied jazz musicians such as Chet Baker, Sonny Stitt, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin, Lee Konitz, and Max Roach. In 1979, he debuted with his own trio (Al Levitt on percussion, Gus Nemeth and later Riccardo Del Fra on bass). Since the 1980s, he has regularly performed with Barney Wilen, including as a duo on albums such as La Notenbleue (1986) and Dreamtime (1992). In 1986, he regularly accompanied Dee Dee Bridgewater. In 1987 he recorded the album Latin Alley in a duo with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen…