[JPL] Paris for jazz-lovers

[Jazz Promo Services]

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/destinations/franc
e/article4029891.ece

>From The Sunday Times
June 1, 2008
Paris for jazz-lovers
Jazz is everywhere in the French capital - you just need to know where to
look, says Robert Ryan

It is Paris, 1961. Word has flashed through the city that royalty is in
town. Jazz royalty. Duke Ellington is staying at the Hotel de la Trémoille,
off Avenue George V, as is Louis Armstrong. Both men are at the height of
their fame and powers, so a photographer is dispatched from Paris Match to
capture the meeting of the giants.

They agree to appear on adjoining balconies, while, in the street below,
members of their respective orchestras play ­ a friendly battle of the
bands. In the ensuing photograph, Duke is regally raising his hand, as if
greeting his subjects, while Armstrong is waving his trademark white
handkerchief (originally used to hide his finger movements from rival
trumpeters who might try to mimic his formidable technique), and both wear
smiles of great glee.

Forty-seven years later, the woman standing next to me in front of the same
image, which hangs in the foyer of La Trémoille, points at Satchmo: ³My
mother was a dancer with Louis Armstrong. Not when this was taken, but
earlier. My parents always promised to bring me to Paris. They never did, so
I thought I¹d better get myself here.²

Ricki Stevenson is a journalist and broadcaster who runs black-history tours
of Paris. And a lot of that has to do with jazz. ³All round here,² she says,
waving her arms, ³was jazz central.²

By ³here², Ricki means the golden triangle of the Champs-Elysées and Avenues
George V and Montaigne ­ these days associated with exorbitantly priced
shopping, sleeping and eating. ³Duke loved this hotel. Armstrong would stay
here or at Powers, on Rue François, because they let him cook his own food
in the kitchen.

³Josephine Baker lived on this very street after the war. In the Fifties,
Sidney Bechet had his own club across on Rue Pierre Charron.² In the
Thirties, he had a gunfight with his bass player on stage because the
bassist wasn¹t keeping time. Three people were wounded in the crossfire and
Bechet spent a year in jail. He was a hard taskmaster.

The photograph of Duke and Louis we are staring at was stored in La
Trémoille¹s basement for years. When the hotel was renovated, the neglected
picture was uncovered and the management subsequently decided to create two
new ³jazz suites², one named after Ellington, the other Armstrong, which
opened this year.

When not occupied, they sometimes form part of Ricki¹s tours. Both are
elegant, understated and huge: there is room to swing a very hep cat in
there.

But why is Paris steeped in jazz history in a way that, say, London isn¹t?
³That¹s because of the Harlem Hellfighters,² Ricki says, and she tells the
story of the Afro-American infantry unit from the first world war and James
Reese Europe, its band leader, who brought to Paris what Alex Ross, in his
masterly book on 20th-century music, The Rest Is Noise, calls ³syncopated
music that was a step or two away from jazz².

Europe was one of the first people to travel back to America to tell a story
of a promised land, where black players were welcome and their music taken
seriously. You could argue that it was Europe who first released the musical
virus of jazz that found such a perfect host in Paris.

Later that night, sitting at the bar of a crowded club called the Duc des
Lombards (see info below), watching astonishingly assured young French
pianist Baptiste Trotignon captivate the audience, I ask the same questions
of expat Mike Zwerin. In his own way, although he would bristle at the
description, Zwerin is Parisian jazz royalty.

A stellar writer on the subject, including the excellent Parisian Jazz
Chronicles, and friend of Dexter Gordon and Miles Davis, he is also a gifted
trombone player. When Zwerin was 18, Davis recruited him for what is known
as the Birth of the Cool band.

When I mention this, he shakes his head: ³Yeah, that was 60 years ago. How
long can I keep playing that card? It gets a little embarrassing.² I remind
him that in his book, he says everything always comes back to Miles.

He nods, smiles at the truth of it, then answers my question: ³I think jazz
took root in Paris because American musicians could get work permits here
easily and they were well looked after. The French got to play with them,
which encouraged and influenced the local musicians. That was very
important. It¹s still possible to go out and hear good jazz in this city
almost every night.² He cocks an ear: ³Why do saxophonists always have to
play in double time?²

He¹s right, not only about sax players, but that there¹s excellence to be
found, not just in the clubs but also over the next few weeks at the Paris
Jazz Festival, one of the great bargains of the genre. This year, it takes
place every weekend from June 7 to July 27 at Parc Floral, an attractive
area of woods and lakes at Château de Vincennes.

There you can see artists of considerable standing for the price of
admission to the park: a whisker under £4. In previous years, I¹ve watched
well over 2,000 people being mesmerised by the ruminations of Brad Mehldau
and the trumpet of Wynton Marsalis.

This time round, the trumpet stars du jour are Erik Truffaz (June 7) and
Tomasz Stanko (June 15); and there are performances by the likes of the
James Taylor Quartet (June 28), Dianne Reeves (July 20) and Angélique Kidjo
(July 19). The main concerts start at 3pm; if you want one of the 1,200
seats (plastic, bring cushions), you need to get there early, but it¹s as
much fun to bring a picnic and enjoy the jazz in a city where it feels right
at home. James Reese Europe¹s benign virus is still here and thriving.

Travel details: Hotel de la Trémoille (00 33-1 56 52 14 00,
www.tremoille.com) has an And All That Jazz package to tie in with the
festival. A night in a jazz suite, with breakfast, cocktails, the Complete
Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington Sessions CD, a picnic blanket and bottle of
wine, costs £780 for two. Less starry rooms are £380.

Ricki Stevenson¹s Black Paris tour can be booked on 01 46 37 03 96 or at
rickis at club-internet.fr, and costs £40 for a half-day, £72 for a full day.
Getting there: Eurostar (0870 518 6186, www.eurostar.com) operates up to 17
daily services from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord; from £59
return. There are flights to Paris from more than 20 UK airports; try Air
France (0870 142 4343, www.airfrance.co.uk), EasyJet (www.easyjet.com),
British Airways (0844 493 0787, www.ba.com) and Flybe (0871 700 2000,
www.flybe.com).

Further information: Mike Zwerin¹s The Parisian Jazz Chronicles is published
by Yale at £16. Read him at www.mikezwerin.com. For details of the Paris
Jazz Festival, go to www.parcfloraldeparis.com and
www.parisjazzfestival2008.com.

‹ Robert Ryan¹s latest novel, Empire of Sand (Haadline, £13) is out now.

The jazz joints

Mike Zwerin¹s advice for anyone wanting to hear the best jazz the city can
offer is simple: ³Go down to Rue des Lombards, where you have a choice of
three clubs straightaway.²

The Duc des Lombards (42 Rue des Lombards; 00 33-1 42 33 22 88,
www.ducdeslombards.com) has recently been renovated and has ³a great sound
system². There are usually two sets, at 8pm and 10pm; get there early at
weekends. Admission from £15 up.

³Then, just down the street, you have Sunset-Sunside.² These two clubs at 60
Rue des Lombards (01 40 26 21 25, www.sunset-sunside.com) are stacked above
each other; upstairs tends to be electric, downstairs acoustic jazz, but
they mix and match. Prices from £8.

He also rates Autour de Midi (11 Rue Lepic; 01 55 79 16 48,
www.autourdemidi.fr; various prices). A ³jazz cave² in Montmartre, it¹s ³a
really nice, intimate place ­ you won¹t see big stars, but good local
players².

Elsewhere, if you like female singers or tango, take a look at the programme
at the Swan Bar (165 Boulevard du Montparnasse; 01 44 27 05 84,
www.swanbar.fr; often free with one-drink minimum).

The celebrated and somewhat spartan New Morning (7-9 Rue des Petites
Ecuries; 01 45 23 51 41, www.newmorning.com; from £15) is still going
strong, although with more world music in the mix.

If you want smoother jazz and swing music ­ or a good Sunday ³jazz brunch² ­
the venerable Jazz Club Lionel Hampton, at Le Méridien Etoile (81 Boulevard
Gouvion St Cyr; 01 40 68 30 42, www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien; £20, £36
with brunch), is a large, upmarket supper-club-type room.

Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times
Online, The Times and The Sunday Times. Search globrix.com to buy or rent UK
property.
© Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions.
Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce
material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This
website is published by a member of the News International Group. News
International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company
for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT
number GB 243 8054 69.