Jean Cocteau honoured him with the title “Prince of French Jazz,” but Christian Chevallier (1930-2008) was content to be a remarkable pianist, vibraphone player and bandleader, as well as one of the greatest arrangers of the fifties. Here Olivier Julien has brought together Chevallier’s first jazz albums, beginning with the wonderful soundtrack he wrote with Martial Solal for Jean-Pierre Melville’s film “Two Men in Manhattan.” The music is a spectacular demonstration of Chevallier’s work at his artistic peak, and this recording has left an indelible mark on French jazz. Patrick FRÉMEAUX