Eddy Surmont

Ray Still, principal oboist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for forty years, was praised by the Chicago Tribune for his “distinctively rich, mellow, singing tone”. He joins Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Lynn Harrell in this programme of oboe quartets, with Mozart as the centrepiece.

French trumpeter, arranger, composer, and conductor Ivan Jullien paired up with organist Eddy Louiss for this expansive 1971 version of George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess. An ambitious combination of small-group jazz, big band, and Gil Evans-style orchestration, Jullien's Porgy & Bess also found him eschewing stylistic traditions with charts that touched upon hard bop, old-school swing, and AM pop, and even made room for bursts of electric fusion. It remains a landmark of French jazz and one of Jullien's most memorable recordings.

Drummer Daniel Humair's name might be listed first on this double CD, and organist Eddy Louiss may be the dominant voice, but it is the inclusion of violinist Jean-Luc Ponty as part of the trio that really makes it quite historic. Recorded in Paris in 1968, the live set features Ponty at the beginning of his career, before he came to the U.S., teamed up with the George Duke Trio, joined forces with Frank Zappa, became part of the second Mahavishnu Orchestra and had his long string of fusion albums for Atlantic. Not quite 26 at the time, Ponty is featured on the date mostly playing standards including "You've Changed," "Summertime" (which is taken double time), "So What," "Bag's Groove" and "Oleo." Sometimes his violin sounds a little like a saxophone and it is clear, even at this early stage, that Ponty had a great deal of potential in jazz…

The "Jazz in Paris" series is an astounding mine of auditory gems. Each one is wonderful in its own right. These may not be definitive performances, but for someone looking to gain new material, they are a gateway to a lost world. This volume is a pleasant entry. Not too challenging for the beginning listener, but still rewarding for an aficionado. Excellent rendition of "Angel Eyes" makes this feel very Noir. It is Paris after dark after all.
Eddy Louiss has spent most of his career leading his own group in France, but twice has made particularly notable recordings, both on organ. He had sung as a member of the Double Six (1961-1963), played piano with Johnny Griffin in the mid-'60s, and worked at times with Kenny Clarke and Jean-Luc Ponty. But he is best-known for recording Dynasty with Stan Getz (1971) and for his duet set with pianist Michel Petrucciani (1994) on Dreyfus.

Eddy Grant has often been categorized as a reggae singer, but reggae is only a part of what he's done. In fact, Grant's best known hit, "Electric Avenue," awasn't reggae at all. On this inspired and unpredictable CD, the British singer successfully embraces everything from reggae-pop ("Talk About You," "Welcome To La Tiger") to guitar-powered rock ("Wildcat," "I'm Not Alone Tonight") to country-rock ("Sweet On The Road"). With its haunting acoustic guitar, the title song has a Neil Young-ish appeal. But the album's best song of all is "Gimme Hope Jo'Anna," a indictment of South Africa's cruel apartheid system. Quite enjoyable, Barefoot Soldier was a welcome addition to Grant's catalog.