Lounge
March 19, 2015
The Popular "FRENCH JAZZ CINQUANTE / V.A" on the iTunes Store
French Jazz Delights: 50 Tracks for Just 900 Yen
The Popular 'FRENCH JAZZ CINQUANTE / V.A' from the iTunes Store
A jazz compilation album available for streaming, titled 'French Jazz Cinquante', is steadily gaining popularity.
Cinquante means 50 in French, and as the name suggests, this is a unique online-exclusive project that condenses 50 tracks into a single album.
Text by wardrecords
A Chance to Discover Your Kind of Jazz
Typically, CDs are limited to around 78 minutes. In jazz, where tracks average 4-5 minutes and rarely exceed 10, fitting them onto a single disc is impossible. This volume should rightfully be released as a 3-disc CD set. However, the attractive price of 900 yen for 50 tracks might have contributed to its success. Alternatively, it may have appealed to casual listeners, lost in the vast ocean of jazz, with the hope of discovering their preferred style within such a diverse collection of 50 songs. Regardless, it has undoubtedly opened up a new jazz audience, distinct from the market built by veteran listeners who value original pressings.
From left: 'Blue Soult' by Luisa Bay (XQBV-1004), 'Nico Morelli' by Nico Morelli (XQBV-1010), 'Five for Fun' by The Ronald Baker Quintet (XQBV-1001), 'Talking Cure' by David El Malek (XQBV-1003)
For details, visit www.amazon.co.jp/wardrecords
A French Jazz Showcase Covering a Wide Spectrum of Styles
Despite the 50 tracks for 900 yen price point, the album features carefully selected performances by leading French and European jazz musicians.
The album opens with the languid vocals of Luisa Bay, followed by Nico Morelli's brilliant piano on the second track, the incredibly funky number by Ronald Baker on the third, and David El Malek, a master of French tenor saxophone, playing a Beatles tune on the fourth track... As the tracks progress, the high-quality recordings and the musicians' palpable energy will directly captivate the listener's heart with their pure, authentic jazz.
With 4-beat jazz, jazz samba, boogaloo, vocal jazz, piano trios, brass instruments, big bands, and soul jazz, this collection truly covers the broad spectrum of jazz styles, making it a veritable French jazz showcase.
Particularly noteworthy are the performances by Laurent Coq, whose piano playing is both lyrical and elegant yet possesses a certain inscrutability reminiscent of Thelonious Monk, embodying the sophisticated yet subtly unconventional image of French jazz, and the Paris Jazz Big Band, one of the few remaining purely Japanese big bands. The Paris Jazz Big Band, comprised of musicians who could be called French jazz all-stars, delivers one of the world's leading big band sounds, incorporating everything from traditional big band arrangements to electrified sounds and contemporary classical harmonies. However, the greatest charm of this work lies in its effortlessly enjoyable and natural flow of French jazz, rendering any detailed commentary unnecessary. Great music needs no words.
Listeners who experienced jazz for the first time through this album have reportedly gone on to explore the original albums from which these tracks are drawn, purchasing full downloads or CDs. Serving as an excellent entry point into jazz, this album encourages listeners to delve deeper into their favorite tracks, transforming the vague expanse of jazz into a personal, undiscovered paradise of French jazz.
'FRENCH JAZZ CINQUANTE / V.A'
Crystal, a quality French jazz label, was born in the beautiful French port town of La Rochelle. By providing a platform for musicians like Nico Morelli, Laurent Coq, and David El Malek, who walk the path of classic French jazz, to express themselves freely, Crystal has become recognized in France as a label producing some of the finest jazz. Covering the entirety of French jazz, from Gypsy Swing and Big Band to Piano Trio and Contemporary styles, Crystal presents a best-of selection of sophisticated and robust French jazz!
Includes All 50 Tracks! SPECIAL PRICE 900 Yen (tax in)
Now available on the iTunes Store
Details here
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=268331601&s=143462