FEEL GOOD AT LAST

RICHARD RAUX QUARTET – FEEL GOOD AT LAST
LP Free Lance ‎– FRL 004          FRANCE, 1983

 A no-nonsense, straight modern bop / post-bop album by a quartet led by French “tough tenor” Richard Raux, featuring Alain Jean-Marie (piano), Alby Cullaz (bass) and US / French resident drummer, George Brown.

Side A contains four compositions by the leader.

Side B contains four compositions, respectively by Charlie Parker (Confirmation), Monk (Locomotive), Coltrane (Miles Mood) and Ellington/Bigard (Mood Indigo).

Richard Raux is a French saxophonist / flautist born in Madagascar in 1945. He studied with luminaries such as Phil Woods, Nathan Davis and George Russell a.o.

He was a member of the innovative French band “Magma” and played on the debut album “Magma” (1970, reissued as KOBAIA).

A big tone tenor, inspired by "honkers" such as Hal Singer with whom he had the opportunity to play when Singer was living in France, as well as by modern / new Things musicians (Coltrane, Shepp ...), he’s especially at ease in a blues / rhythm and blues context. He has accompanied and toured with several bluesmen a.o. Willie MABON - Memphis SLIM - Jimmy JOHNSON - Luther ALLISON.  

He fits especially as well in hard bop and postbop contexts, playing and recording with the likes of  Aldo RUMANO - Daniel HUMAIR - Sonny GREY Big Band et Quintet - - Eddy LOUIS (Combo - Histoires sans Paroles) – - Clifford THORNTON - Roy BURROWES - Mal WALDRON - René URTREGER - Siegfried KESSLER - Charlie HADEN - Bobby FREY – Sonny MURRAY – Stephen McCRAVEN -  Bernard LUBAT …

His skills are also in demand as a session played and he has recorded and/or toured with Pierre VASSILIU (Déménagements) - MELMOTH (Prix Académie Charles Cros) - Jacques HIGELIN - - Georges MOUSTAKI - Mamma BEA - Eddy MITCHELL … 

Sources: http://www.epuzzle.jazzpuzzle.org/professeurs_raux.htm

http://www.cinethea.com/raux_richard_cv.html 

Alain Jean-Marie : French pianist born on the island of Guadeloupe in 1945.   Refered to as “the most discreet of the French jazz pianists (“Le plus discret des pianistes”) in Le Monde (18.08.2017), Alain Jean-Marie is considered by many to be France’s – if not Europe’s – top living jazz pianist. Born in the Carribean island of Guadeloupe, Alain established himself in Paris in 1973 and quickly became a ‘first-call’ pianist. From 1976 on, he toured and recorded with such jazz legends as Chet Baker, Sonny Stitt, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin, Lee Konitz, Bill Coleman, Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, Barney Wilen and Benny Golson..  

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Jean-Marie

http://www.likeasound.com/alain-jean-marie 

Alby Cullaz  (Paris, 25-6-1941 / Paris, 08-02-1998).

Alby Cullaz was the brother of guitarist Pierre Cullaz, and son of Maurice (1912-2000), who chaired the French « Académie du Jazz » until 1992. Alby started his professional career in 1963, as double bass player in the Johnny Griffin Quartet for two years, while playing regularly with Eddy Louiss and Art Taylor. In 1965, he joins the Jef Gilson Big Band and tours all through Europe with Jean-Luc Ponty, Michel Graillier or Aldo RomanoIn 1969 he’s a member of Hank Mobley’s sextet.  He has played and recorded with an impressive roster of jazz luminaries, Americans and Europeans: René Thomas, Dizzy Gillespie, Stéphane Grappelli, Philly Joe Jones, Kenny Clarke, Dexter Gordon, Daniel Humair, Slide Hampton, René Urtreger, Sonny Grey, Guy Lafitte, Raymond, Fol, Christian Escoudé, Gérard Badini, Mal Waldron, Lee Konitz, Chet Baker, Christian Vander (Alien Quartet ) just to name a few.

George Brown (Paris, 2012?): there isn't much info on this musician on the Net and Lord's discography is a mess as it mixes up the outputs of at least different drummers all named "George Brown".   I only have limited faith in the Lord ... 

This George Brown started his career along with Mel Rhyne in the Trio of Wes Montgomery. In this group, he can be heard on the disc "Portrait Of Wes" on the Riverside Label. After that he played with almost every famous Jazz musician. He toured extensively with Sonny Rollins, Roland Kirk, Chet Baker and J.J.Johnson. 20 years ago he settled in Paris where he established himself immediately as "the house drummer" in the biggest Jazzclub's of the French Capital. He played regularly with with Archie Shepp, Steve Grossman and Alain Jean-Marie.

Source: http://mpeter.chez-alice.fr/english/george.htm 

Obituary (in French): http://www.citizenjazz.com/George-Brown.html 

Tracklist 
A1 Morning Blues Raga R. Raux 5:37
A2 With Love Inside R. Raux 4:28
A3 Ballad For Jeremy R. Raux 4:27
A4 Feel Good At Last R. Raux 3:47

B1 Confirmation C. Parker 3:59
B2 Locomotive T. Monk 5:28
B3 Mood Indigo B. Bigard, D. Ellington 4:39
B4 Miles Mode J. Coltrane 4:38

Recorded August 16 and 17, 1983 at STA studio, Paris.  Mastered at Translab studio, Paris.

Check also an earlier post on Raux here  (updated link)

TRAFICOS

CLAUDE GUILHOT + Georges Arvanitas Trio

TRAFICOS (Owl 02, France, 1975)

Hello everyone, I hope you have enjoyed Paul Piot and his Orchestra, We continue today with French Jazz but in  a different style. A small combo playing modal jazz. 

I do not think this album has ever been posted in the blogosphere.  It was the second album issued on the highly-respected OWL label (OWL 01 was African Nite by Randy Weston).  A great deal of the original OWL catalogue was reissued on CD in the 90s but, for unknown reasons, this one never made it to the CD format.  And for once, there is a good reason to try and find a copy of this album beside its relative rarity. The music is outstanding!

Claude Guilhot (September 2, 1929 - December 15, 1990) was a French jazz vibraphonist and drummer.

Guilhot was born in Toulouse to a family of music pedagogues. Initially a professional drummer, he worked with Charles Barrié, Jacques Gauthé, and Mezz Mezzrow before switching to vibraphone late in the 1950s. He and Michel Roques shared leadership of an ensemble which included appearances from

Don Byas, Buck Clayton, Bill Coleman, Sonny Grey, and Lucky Thompson. In 1962 he relocated to Paris, where he played with Kenny Clarke, Alix Combelle, Champion Jack Dupree, Pierre Dutour, Jimmy Gourley, Henri Renaud, and Hal Singer.  In 1970, he taught music in St. Germain-en-Laye, and in the 1980s worked with Georges Arvanitas and in his own ensemble with a.o. Sylvain Beuf and Stéphane Belmondo as sidemen.

(source: Wikipedia)

Track list:

A1         Traficos             9:06

A2         Old Days            6:03

A3         Pepita  5:09

B1         Xyxophoiles     6:50

B2         Ballade A Genève         5:58

B3         Blues For Pele 6:00

Recorded in Paris, France, May 13 to 25, 1975 Studio Palm

Engineer – Jeff Gilson

Credits

Vibraphone – Claude Guilhot

Piano – Georges Arvanitas

Bass – Jacky Samson

Drums [Hollywood] – Charles Saudrais

(covers and label shots taken from DISCOGS)

Discography as leader (tentative):

1965     Claude Guilhot              Bach on Vibes               (Columbia UK / Pathe Canada)
same as “Claude Guilhot joue Bach au vibraphone” (Music for Pleasure, France & Benelux)
and “Das temperierte Vibraphon” (Columbia, Germany)

1967     Claude Guilhot Quartet  Serenade de Mephisto
(EP 45 rpm Pathe, France)

1969     Claude Guilhot              Belbology         (LP VEGA  (France)

1975     Claude Guilhot + Georges Arvanitas Trio       Traficos          (LP OWL 02, France)

1979     Claude Guilhot - Patrice Caratini - Charles Saudrais - Marc Fosset  Petit Voyage
              (LP Open OP13, France)

1986     Georges Arvanitas / Claude Guilhot     Qu'est-Ce Qu'on Joue ?    (LP Sign, France)

With thanks to my good friend Paul P. for lending me his copy to rip.