Jimmy Gourley (1926-2008) est un guitar hero americain qui a faconne l'histoire du jazz, notamment a Paris ou il s'installe en 1951. Cette anthologie evenement qui parait avec sa biographie officielle, reunit les titres les plus emblematiques de l'oeuvre du guitariste, don't certains jamais reedites. Que ce soit avec les champions americains ou francais dans l'intimite d'un duo pere-fils avec Sean Gourley, voici une plongee dans l'oeuvre enregistree de celui don't les cordes de jazz ont fait vibrer la capitale pendant plus d'un demi-siecle. Augustin BONDOUX et Patrick FReMEAUX Born in 1926, American musician Jimmy Gourley was an early "guitar hero" who shaped the history of jazz, particularly in France where he settled in 1951. This anthology, which appears together with his official biography, is a major event that brings together the guitarist's most emblematic recordings, including tracks that have never been released until now. Before he passed away aged 82, Gourley played not only with American stars but also in more intimate surroundings, such as his duo with son Sean Gourley. This set gives real insight into how this great guitarist's six strings had the French capital vibrating for half a century. Augustin BONDOUX / Patrick FReMEAUX CD1-1951-1954 : HENRI RENAUD : A NEW DATE - VENEZ DONC CHEZ MOI - PARIS JE T'AIME - BOBBY JASPAR : TOUT BLEU, TOUT BLEU - THE END OF A LOVE AFFAIR - LEE KONITZ : YOUNG LEE - LOST HENRI - CLIFFORD BROWN : ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE - GOOFIN' WITH ME - HENRI RENAUD/JIMMY GOURLEY : NOT REALLY THE BLUES - WHO CARES? - MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY - IT'S DE-LOVELY - GIGI GRYCE/CLIFFORD BROWN : BABY - HENRI RENAUD/BOBBY JASPAR : CAPRI - SCHABOZZ - EXPANSION - ZOOT SIMS : CALL IT ANYTHING - ZOOT'S SUITE - THE THIRD HERDSMEN : EMBARKATION. CD2-1954-1961 : BOB BROOKMEYER : STEEPLE CHASE - ROY HAYNES : MINOR ENCAMP - RED ROSE - BUDDY BANKS : BAG'S GROOVE - YESTERDAYS - SANDY MOSSE/EDDIE BAKER : STRAIGHT LIFE - LET'S GO - CHUBBY JACKSON BIG BAND : FLYIN' THE COOP - LESTER YOUNG : THREE LITTLE WORDS - NEW D.B. BLUES - LOU BENNETT : AMEN - BROTHER DANIEL - WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES - (PARIS BLUES) LOUIS ARMSTRONG : BATTLE ROYAL - (PARIS BLUES) JIMMY GOURLEY : GUITAR AMOUR - JIMMY GOURLEY : FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE - THREE LITTLE WORDS. CD3-1972-2002 : JIMMY GOURLEY + RENe URTREGER : TAFIRA ALTA - JIMMY GOURLEY + EDDY LOUISS : FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE - JIMMY GOURLEY + TEXIER/HUMAIR/LUBAT : GRAFFITTI - COMON' OVAH - MISS MAGIC - JIMMY GOURLEY : REPETITION - JIMMY GOURLEY + STAN GETZ : EMBRACEABLE YOU - JIMMY GOURLEY : MONTAGNE MADNESS - SHAMEFUL ROGER - LADYBIRD - JACK DIeVAL : S.F.P. BLUES - JIMMY GOURLEY : OUR DELIGHT - JIMMY GOURLEY + ANDRe VILLeGER : MAYBE YOU'LL BE THERE - JIMMY & SEAN GOURLEY : BILOXY BLUES WALK - JIMMY GOURLEY : BY MYSELF. DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE : JEAN BUZELIN ET JEAN-PAUL RICARD

Four British composers give the tuba a good workout, beginning with Ralph Vaughan Williams. His concerto from 1954 displays all the hallmarks of the composer: tunefulness of the English pastoral variety, expert scoring, and a thorough knowledge of the instrument’s capabilities, notably its mellifluous upper register. The first movement gallumphs along in 6/8 time, the thematic material recalling the finale of the Fourth Symphony, then a typically mellow slow movement follows. The Sixth Symphony is recalled in the dramatic finale. The venerable master broke no new ground in this piece (as he did in some of his later works); still it is swift, enjoyable, and well crafted.


That description applies to the other concertos as well, all of which were composed in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Edward Gregson has written a lot of music for brass—the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble recorded his brass quintet years ago for Argo—and he is comfortable with concerto form, as witness the fine Chandos CD of his clarinet and violin concertos. His tuba concerto is memorably melodic and heavily (but expertly) scored à la Hollywood wide-screen. The first movement’s thematic material makes attractive use of the Lydian mode. I am not acquainted with the work of Roger Steptoe (b. 1953) or John Golland (1946–1993) but their concertos are similarly from the sophisticated end of the British light-music genre. Harmonies are spiced with dissonance, but overall the appropriate adjective is jolly. I particularly liked Golland’s concerto, which boasts a moody and reflective slow movement.


The performances are just right. James Gourlay is both mellow and nimble, while Gavin Sutherland and his band are completely at home in this kind of music. Recording is fine. When I played the CD on a small portable system, the speakers buzzed merrily in sympathetic vibration: that is the nature of the tuba’s full timbre, but it’s not a problem on a regular system. An enjoyable disc, with more variety in it than you might suppose.


FANFARE: Phillip Scott