Bobby Jaspar - "Jeux De Quartes" CD Album

Bobby Jaspar – Jeux De Quartes

CD, Album, France, 2002

Jazz In Paris No. 85

I am so location and time orientated, I often buy albums for that sole purpose. For instance here's a record recorded in 1958 and in Paris. That alone gives the album three stars, if I believed in that horrible system of talking about art. Also the fact that Kenny Clarke's name came up on the back of this CD, made this recording a must for me.

Bobby Jaspar, born in Belguim, played Sax and flute. He also composed compositions as well as being married to the great Blossom Dearie. A pal of Boris Vian, which makes this album part of the “Friends Of Boris Vian” collection I have on going. But getting to the music, what we have here is very much 'cool' jazz that's very European sounding. His take on the masterful “Misterioso” a composition by Monk has an original arrangement by Jaspar that shows off the master's great sense of loopy melody, but Jaspar makes it is own, with great drumming from Clarke. It borders on bad taste oriental-ism, but that is part of the fun of this arrangement.

Perhaps it is the nature of the flute, but the music is very soft for the ears, but the interplaying between Jaspar and the rest of the musicians (besides Clarke - Paul Rovére, Jymie Meritt, Humberto Canto, Sadi Lallemand, among others) is effortlessly steamed into a beautiful sound. Actually a nice album to get drunk to.