A Treasure Trove From Paris Is Reissued

In the years immediately following World War II, American jazz musicians began to travel to Europe again, playing both the familiar swing-styled or mainstream jazz and be-bop that was causing a revolution in the States. This latter music excited many European listeners, and one of them was Charles Delaunay, a French critic and entrepreneur.

Sensing an opportunity, Delaunay formed Disques Vogue Records in Paris in 1948, and began to document both the new music, as played by such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, James Moody and others, as well as some of the swing era giants such as Coleman Hawkins and Johnny Hodges. He also recorded top-flight French musicians.

Ten of these vintage recordings have now been released by BMG Classics in its “Disques Vogue in Paris” series. Such notables as Gillespie, Roach, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan and Zoot Sims show up in these records, which were recorded from 1948 to 1954.

The Gillespie recording, in which Dizzy shares the limelight with Roach’s quintet, is of great historic importance. This performance, captured cracklingly “live” at the Salle Pleyel concert hall on Feb. 28, 1948, came just a week after the trumpeter presented be-bop for the first time in France. The ensemble offers such choice items as “Good Bait” and “Afro-Cuban Drum Suite,” with conga drummer Chano Pozo. Roach’s band, which is really Charlie Parker’s quintet with James Moody in for Bird, was recorded in 1949, and examines such bop era numbers as “Prince Albert” (Kenny Dorham’s version of “All the Things You Are”).

Snappy, incisive solo piano is heard on Monk’s album, where he offers nine classics from a 1954 session, among them “Off Minor,” “Reflections” and “Evidence.” Stride pianist Joe Turner shares the disc, delivering 13 pulsating numbers.

Mulligan is heard on two discs, both from 1954 concerts at the Salle Pleyel and featuring valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and bassist Red Mitchell. Almost all of Mulligan’s hits of the day--from “Line for Lyons” to “Walkin’ Shoes”--are included.

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From the Vaults: Blue Note has reached into its vaults and come out with some long out-of-print albums on its Connoisseur series. The latest group of these includes fine albums by Jackie McLean, Pete LaRoca, Lee Morgan and Ike Quebec.

Quebec, a fat-toned tenorman, is at his best on “Heavy Soul,” a quartet date from 1961 that features the creamy organ of Freddie Roach. This appealing session includes an exotic minor blues (the title track), a very slow meander through “The Man I Love” and the punchy “Acquitted.”

McLean’s “Destination Out,” recorded in 1963, has remained a classic. The disc has a spare sound--there’s no piano, and the chording instrument is Bobby Hutcherson’s vibes--and the tunes by trombonist Grachan Moncur III, save one by the leader, have an expansiveness to them. McLean’s alto cruises over these open numbers, sounding lyrical and revolutionary at the same time.

McLean is also spotlighted on trumpeter Morgan’s dandy “Leeway,” a four-tune session from 1960. A top-drawer rhythm section--Art Blakey on drums, Bobby Timmons on piano and Paul Chambers on bass--supports the frontline on tuneful essays of such choice numbers as Cal Massey’s “These Are Soulful Days.” Other albums now out in this series include drummer LaRoca’s “Basra,” Grant Green’s “Green Street” and trombonist Moncur’s “Some Other Stuff.”

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Around Town: Trudy Desmond, the excellent NYC-based singer, shares billing with enterprising saxophonist Bruce Eskovitz on Tuesday at Catalina Bar & Grill, (213) 466-2210. She performs material from her “Make Me Rainbows” CD, while Eskovitz offers tunes by Sonny Rollins from his new “One for Newk.”

Bass great Art Davis, acclaimed for his work with John Coltrane, leads his hot, two-tenor band with Phil Vieux and Doug Webb tonight at 5:30 in a free concert at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, (213) 857-6115.

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Surfing the Jazzwaves: McCoy Tyner, Tommy Flanagan and Eric Reed are three of the “Giants of Jazz Piano” who can be heard Monday, 11 p.m.-midnight, on “Jazz From Lincoln Center” on KPCC-FM (89.3).