Classical Music

A 1 CD conference by Michel Onfray about his best seller, explaining his way of conceveing the world, death and life, with philosophy. In French

In the early Sixties Les McCann was a pioneer of “soul jazz”. Critics called it commercial, but the music drew efficient melodies from blues, gospel and rhythm & blues. The young pianist McCann signed with Pacific Jazz in 1960 and toured Europe with his Trio on ‘61 and ‘62, opening for the orchestras of Ray Charles and Count Basie. The “Live in Paris” collection gives us the opportunity to listen to these great concerts again, and also hear rare recordings like this one, recorded in July ‘61 at the Chameleon club in Paris, a legendary Left Bank nightspot. The inspired McCann also growls characteristically, kindly admonishing his audience when they whistle along with the melody, and everyone has a good time. The jazz is soulful in this set, and you can almost see the club’s damp walls beneath wreaths of smoke. A rare document that transports the listener, thanks to a generous, swinging pianist. Patrick FReMEAUX

A grand lady of Jazz and an important influence throughout the several decades of her career, from blues to the avant-garde 60s, Mary Lou Williams deserves a place alongside the greatest names. A mother-figure, mentor to Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk whom she helped and encouraged, but also an arranger and prolific composer, Mary Lou Williams made over a hundred records. Jean-Paul Ricard pays homage to her by turning the spotlight on the musical heritage of the first great female jazz performer. Jean BUZELIN

The Haricots Rouges have been ambassadors for New Orleans jazz A la francaise since 1963, and in the course of their 50 year career they’ve travelled the world, opened for Louis Armstrong, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones - or Georges Brassens! - and given almost 5000 concerts. This French melodies album stands out particularly for the astonishing creative energy of these musicians, who not only make the repertoire here their own but succeed in giving the music abiguine Creole flavour. Call it a jubilee album if you like, but its New Orleans and Biguine accents also give this legendary band its eternal youth and generosity. Patrick FReMEAUX

A cosmopolitan seaport since Antiquity, but also a historic centre of the arts which saw the birth of the first Academy of Music in Western Europe, Naples is a city of fascinating vitality. Produced by Kenichi Takahashi (Respect Records) and the Neapolitan Mandolin Academy, this album takes listeners deep into the great tradition of Neapolitan Christmas songs. It also demonstrates the considerable influence of Southern Italy on the popular music genres of the west, thanks to those who emigrated from Naples in the last century to settle in France, Argentina and the USA. Patrick FReMEAUX

A 2 CD audiobook, red by French philosopher Pascal Bruckner himself, of his best seller "Le devoir de bonheur". This audiobook deals with what the author calls "the duty to be happy" of the modern society. In French

Tango is as much a dance as a music, and the intimate relationship between performers and dancers has always been unique. This CD belongs to the “Dance Master Classics” anthology, a collection of 20 discs compiled by specialists in each of dancing’s domains. Gathered here in almost exhaustive fashion for the very first time, this a panorama of the best titles in dancehistory, grouped by aesthetic form, follow one special guiding principle: to magnify the relationship between dancers and music. Noël HERVe & Patrick FReMEAUX

Gilbert Becaud is the most covered French artist in the world and has a taste for words and melodies beyond compare. At the turn of the 1960’s, he was a prominent figure whose song titles “Age tendre et tête de bois” and “Salut les copains” were borrowed by the most emblematic teen tv shows and his most famous song “Et maintenant” had just been released (1961). At the peak of his fame, Gilbert Becaud undertook a wager against the direction his artistic career was going: composing an opera, which would combine a musical drama and his talents as a popular composer. Before being known as “Monsieur 100.000 volts”, Becaud underwent classical music training at the Music Conservatory of Nice and began his career composing music for films, including but not limited to work for Marcel Carme. This booklet by Pierre Delanoë, Jacques Emmanuel and Louis Amade focuses on The Opera d’Aran, an enigmatic piece of work, which attracted le Tout-Paris with its shows at le TheAtre des Champs-elysees in 1962. The opera then went on a world tour for over 30 years. This album set by Laurent Balandras and Olivier Julien, made in agreement with Gilbert Becaud’s successors contains a restored version of the opera and documents extracted from Becaud’s personal magnetic tapes that were never released before. Patrick Fremeaux

Region by region, Fremeaux & Associes Geographic constructs a geography of sounds. It presents the listener with a series of authentic, unaltered landscapes without reconstruction or addition. The approach focuses on natural and technological soundscapes and the way these change with each passing hour or season or as the heavens open. Fremeaux & Associes Geographic baut eine Geographie der Töne auf, deren Region die Werkeinheit ist. Die CD bietet dem Gehör eine Folge von authentischen Landschaften, ohne Umwandlung, ohne Rekonstruktion und ohne Hinzufügung. Der Ansatz interessiert sich für unser Besitztum und ist auf natürliche und technologische Tonlandschaften orientiert, ihre Entwicklungen je nach Uhrzeit, Jahreszeit, die Niederschläge… Fremeaux & Associes Geographic construye una geografía de sonidos, donde la región constituye la unidad de la obra. El disco propone escuchar una serie de paisajes autenticos, sin transformaciones, sin reconstrucciones ni anadidos. El enfoque pretende destacar el patrimonio y está orientado hacia los paisajes sonoros naturales y tecnológicos, y su evolución segun la hora, la estación, la climatología… Fremeaux & Associes Geographic costruisce una geografia dei suoni, la cui regione e l’unitA d’opera. Il disco propone all’ascolto una serie di paesaggi autentici, senza trasformazione, ricostruzione o aggiunta. In questi paesaggi... L’approccio e patrimoniale e si orienta verso paesaggi sonori naturali e tecnologici, verso le loro evoluzioni a seconda dell’ora, della stagione, delle precipitazioni atmosferiche... Fremeaux & Associes Geographic stelt een geografie van geluiden op, waarbij de streek een deel van het oeuvre vormt. Fremeaux & Associes Geographic brengt een opeenvolging van authentieke landschappen ten gehore, zonder vervorming, reconstructie of toevoegingen. De benadering is patrimoniaal en is gericht op natuurlijke en technologische geluidslandschappen, en hun ontwikkeling die afhangt van de tijd, het seizoen, de neerslag…

History of philosophy covering Albert Camus, Georges Politzer, Paul Nizan & more.

"Made during a stay in Tennessee, the album Swing in Nashville, the fourth volume in the series of Romane’s complete recordings, was the guitarist’s only American excursion. Hard on the heels of Django Reinhardt as the great ambassador of the French school of Swing, and playing with a virtuosity and freedom that are his alone, Romane here takes up some of the great classics in American jazz as well as standards from the gipsy repertoire. Listen to Romane’s generous swing and inspiration when he’s right at the top!" Augustin BONDOUX & Patrick FReMEAUX

"This 3 CD boxset features the conferences of two philosophers separately and their meeting in a discussion on the notion of happiness. Each one studies a different cultural point of view of this decisive notion to reflect its signification in the Western World and in the Chinese philosophy. After a separated explanation of these two philosophies (in the first 2 CDs), Andre Comte-Sponville and Francois Laperou have a discussion and confront with each over in a very instructive exchange of their two knowledges." Claude Colombini - Fremeaux

Claude Bolling’s concert repertory consists primarily of his own compositions but, like all jazzmen, he also likes playing “standards”. These great classics by artists like Jerome Kern, Cole Porter or Hoagy Carmichael, not only bring back memories, they also allow us to appreciate Bolling’s personal talent. He performs here as a trio. The titles on this recording are those most often asked for in concert. Features Claude Bolling, piano - Max Hediguer, contrebasse (bass) - Marcel Sabiani ou Maurice Bouchon*, batterie (drums).

This 3 CD philosophical conference held by Michel Onfray (philsopher) and Patrick Fremeaux (editor, Fremeaux & Associes'CEO) stresses the significance the legacy of orality. In French.