Julien Lourau

When his mother brought Stanley Turrentine’s Salt Song LP back from a trip to Canada, Julien Lourau, then a teenager, was impressed by the scope of the sound and the groove of the saxophone. He was also charmed by the lush arrangements and funky sound of the record, typical of releases on the CTI label. Created by producer Creed Taylor, CTI left an imprint in the minds of 70s jazz fans much like Blue Note did in the 60s, and it even ended up releasing work by artists who started out on this mythical label such as Stanley Turrentine and Freddie Hubbard. The two even shared the same sound engineer, the great Rudy van Gelder.

A wink in the title to the famous Groove Gang but a project and an entirely original cast: an international combo of 9 musicians and the French-Haitian Mélissa Laveaux invited to the voice. From groove to funk or Cuban but also from first class brass (Antoine Berjeaut, Céline Bonacina) and Jasser Youssef's violin, which recalls the genesis of this project: the creation of the music of the film "My Revolution" dedicated to the jasmine revolution.

À l’instar des coffrets Nova, TSF, sa filiale jazz, propose un ensemble de 10 CD classés chronologiquement de 1999 à 2008. Il s’agit de représenter la « playlist » de la radio jazz, dernier enfant de la galaxie Frank Ténot.
Cette playlist fait la part belle aux musiciens français et on s’en réjouit.

This release continued Abbey Lincoln's '90s resurgence. As with her preceding Verve releases, A TURTLE'S DREAM features notable guest musicians (including Pat Metheny, Kenny Baron, and Lucky Peterson), all of whom add grace to the proceedings. Her core backing trio comprises Rodney Kendrick on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. The set features primarily her originals, along with a pair of covers, including Eben Ahbez's "Nature Boy." The opening song, "Throw It Away," has a melancholy resonance that is utterly inviting as Lincoln pours herself into the lyrics with deep passion and subtle dramatics. The addition of a string section on a couple of numbers–especially "Down Here Below"–makes for some elegant blues.

Christophe Wallemme - Start "So Many Ways…" (2008) {Bee Jazz Records Bee 026}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 261 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 106 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 115 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2008 Bee Jazz Records | Bee 026
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Post Bop / Bass

Christophe Wallemme describes this effort as a "wink at the great standards of American jazz," a laudable objective but an affirmation that seems intended to confuse the listener. The explicit musical references on Start "So Many Ways…" point instead to Antonio Carlos Jobim and Miles Davis' Bitches Brew rather than "Body and Soul" or "My Funny Valentine." No matter.

Abbey Lincoln - Through The Years (2009) {3CD Box Set Verve 532 096-1 rec 1957-2007}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.31 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 545 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 145 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957-2007, 2009 Verve / UM | 532 096-1
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Standards / Post Bop

Anyone who has followed Abbey Lincoln’s career with any regularity understands that she has followed a fiercely individual path and has paid the cost for those choices. Through the Years is a cross-licensed, three-disc retrospective expertly compiled and assembled by the artist and her longtime producer, Jean-Philippe Allard. Covering more than 50 years in her storied career, it establishes from the outset that Lincoln was always a true jazz singer and unique stylist. Though it contains no unreleased material, it does offer the first true picture of he range of expression. Her accompanists include former husband Max Roach, Benny Carter, Kenny Dorham, Charlie Haden, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Kelly, Benny Golson, J.J. Johnson, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, and Hank Jones, to name scant few.