Paris in Colors

Joue Andre Hodeir is the second recording by le Jazz Groupe de Paris, a piano-less nonet originally formed by André Hodeir, with the help of Bobby Jaspar, and dedicated to his music and arrangements - Hodeir, who used to be a proficient violinist, only conducts. By the time this session was recorded Jaspar had already left for the United States and was replaced by Georges Grenu. In addition to six originals, the program is rounded out with tunes by Bud Powell, Duke Jordan, Thelonious Monk, and John Lewis. Hodeir's compositions are not as tuneful and memorable as the covers, but this is irrelevant since his musical concerns deal almost exclusively with textures and colors…

Laurent de Wilde (born in Washington, D.C. in 1960) is a French jazz pianist, composer and writer. In 1987, he recorded the first of a series of four albums for Ida Records Off the Boat with Eddie Henderson, Ralph Moore, backed by Ira Coleman on bass and Billy Hart on drums. In 1989, Odd and Blue was released with Coleman and Jack DeJohnette (drums), followed in 1990 by Colors of Manhattan, with Coleman, Henderson and Lewis Nash. De Wilde then returned to Paris to settle but came back to New York in 1992 to record a trio album, Open Changes, with Coleman and Billy Drummond (drums). The success of this record in 1993 earned him the Django Reinhardt Prize, awarded to the best musician of the year. He now shares his time between Paris and his career in New York as a leader or sideman with Barney Wilen, Aldo Romano and André Ceccarelli.