Cole, Nat King & The Quincy Jones Big Band
Live In Paris 19 Avril 1960
The Fifties saw a major turn in the career of Nat King Cole, who made his name as a jazz pianist before becoming one of the greatest crooners. Quincy Jones, still in his twenties, moved to Paris in 1959 and, with the help of Frank TEnot and Daniel Filipacchi, set up a big band which he led with swing and elegance (cf. the set "Quincy Jones Live in Paris", FA5460, in this collection). In 1960, the famous impresario Norman Granz set up a meeting between Nat & Quincy during the crooner's European tour; Granz had been a fan of Cole since the beginning, and he knew there were purists in Europe, so he asked Cole to go back to the piano he'd abandoned a few years before and play some titles with a trio. Those titles contrast sharply with the big band pieces and leave room for some wonderful improvising. In fact, this whole recording illustrates a marvellous association between two men of jazz, both capable of creating fantastic hits, and both with a unique approach to great popular music. Patrick FREMEAUX The Live in Paris collection by Michel BrilliE allows listeners to hear previously-unreleased recordings (made at concerts and private- or radio-sessions) by the great 20th stars in jazz, rock & roll and song. These "live" takes, and the artists' rapport with their audiences, gives these performances an additional soul and sensibility in counterpoint to the rigorous demands of studio recordings. Particular care was taken when restoring the sound of these tapes in order to meet CD standards while preserving the original colours of the period. Patrick FREMEAUX & Gilles PETARD