Jean-Claude Petit is a French composer and arranger, born in Vaires-sur-Marne. After accompanying jazzmen in his childhood, Petit went to the Conservatoire de Paris, where he studied harmony and counterpoint. He did the string arrangements for Mink DeVille's Le Chat Bleu album, as well as orchestrating the backing parts to some French pop singles in the mid-to-late 1960s, including those of Erick Saint-Laurent and yé-yé girls Christine Pilzer and Monique Thubert…
La belle idée! Le bel album ! L’ami Sanseverino nous prend par la main pour aller traîner du côté de ces chansons d’hier inscrites dans la légende des années 30 et suivantes… avec lui, elles reprennent un sacré coup de jeunesse, bercées par des vagues tziganes sur lesquelles la gouaille se laisse faire du gringue avec des joues rouges de plaisir ! Et c’est parti pour un petit déhanchement java, un brin de swing et un coup de valse aux jardins de Charles Trenet, Georges Brassens, Maurice Chevalier, Jean Sablon et bien sûr Bourvil, éternel séducteur du « Petit bal perdu » avec un accordéon sur son 31 pour fêter les retrouvailles ! Bref, rien que du bonheur version « Nationale 7» bordée de roses blanches… Merci, jeune homme!…
After the 2003 Febuary release, the duo with Barney Willem, Paris Jazz Corner Production continues the adventure with Philippe Petit. This album was originally released in 1979 on the Musica label (under the name: "For all the life you are in my heart"). This session, never published in CD, is not a 'guitarist' record strictly speaking, in this context each one plays his part at the perfection: the opportunism of Aldo Romano, luminous skill of Dominique Lemerle, remarkable improvisations of Michel Graillier who always transcend the melody lines. As for Philippe Petit, the ardour and freshness from his playing, but also from his leadership talents: he instills, suggests, animates and preaches respect, because the strong idea of a group is equality. The title "Les Solitudes" was added as a bonus to the session. It's a solo by Philippe Petit dedicated to the memory of these missing friends.