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 | Jeri BrownApril In ParisLabel: Justin Time | Jazz | July 3, 1996Format UPC Order # Unit Price |
Credits John Betsch drums Jeri Brown poetry reading (on track 09) and voice Roberto de Brashov accordion (on tracks 02 and 11) Alain Jean-Marie piano Pierre Michelot bass Production Credits | TracksNo Title Duration Excerpts 02 Once Upon A Summertime (La Valse Des Lilas) 00:04:03 04 When April Comes Again 00:06:19 06 Morning Lovely 00:04:13 07 I Could Have Loved You 00:05:35 08 Summertime 00:04:44 09 Poem - As The Mist Leaves No Scar 00:00:40 10 Greensleeves 00:04:27 11 The Windmills Of Your Mind (Les Moulins De Mon Coeur) 00:07:48 Liner NotesApril in ParisAlthough, according to the song, there are no tomorrows in St-Germain-des-Prés, there is the limpidity of the air, light, so very light... and a gentle pale ochre glow... And there is the cool breeze intertwined with the rays of the sun, still oblique in the spring, irresistibly caressing. These are the very things April in Paris is about, the heart of the song. What it speaks of is the internal flutter born of the April sun spreading its warmth over a street in Paris, the quiver of a new leaf, the smile in the gaze of a passer-by. In short, the flutter of life! Jeri Brown could have sung Duke and Harburg's April in Parts as it was written. But that would have been too easy, a mere exercise in style. Instead, she chose to render the indefinable sensation of spring in Paris, to stay close to the intangible, to give voice to what is felt. She explains her choice of the eleven songs on the album by saying, "I wanted to record a bouquet of passion." After a superb joint effort with Jimmy Rowles (A Timeless Place, Justin Time), her choices for this album confirm, once again, her exceptional talent for the rendition of ballads, a rendition which makes time stand still. Only in her irresistibly fresh version of "Summertime" does the tempo accelerate. In the other selections from the first breath of "Gentle Piece" to the fade-out of "Windmills Of Your Mind", the only acceleration occurs in our heartbeats. We are plunged, for an hour, into the secret core of the emotion of song. As Jeri Brown says, "Romantic I wanted the album to be romantic." And it is. Fiercely. That is to say, the album delivers a superb paradox through the mastery of a sophisticated lady who seems able to control the smallest inflection of her voice, reaching the limits of sensuality, overflowing with emotion, filling every silence. This voice, whose low notes seem almost misted over and whose high notes seem transparent, allows for a depth of interpretation, which plunges us into the heart of the lyrics. Jeri Brown shapes the words of her songs with the combination of strength and sensuality characteristic of a sculptor, and which will charm all true musicians - those who know that in order to render justice to a standard it is essential to know the words. It's a matter of creating intensity of emotion, which is exactly what Jeri and her Parisian musicians intended to do. And yet, this April voyage to Paris almost turned into a nightmare for Jeri. As soon as she arrived for a week-long engagement at Club La Villa, near St-Germain-des-Prés and near the Acousti Studio, a table fell on her foot and she was in excruciating pain... which she promptly forgot once she was in the studio. Of course, April in Paris, the singer's fifth album for the Justin Time label, gave her the opportunity to meet the ideal trio. Interestingly, the session might never have "worked", since Alain Jean-Marie, Pierre Michelot and John Betsch had never played together as a group. It happened that Alain was performing as Jeri's pianist at La Villa during her engagement. Alain Jean-Marie and John Betsch acted as accompanists for female singers on a regular basis (the pianist for Abbey Lincoln, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stella Levitt; and the drummer, whose sister is a lyric soprano, for Jeanne Lee, Abbey Lincoln, Annette Lowman). But this experience was a first for Pierre Michelot. However, after hearing the sublime voice-bass duet in "Greensleeves", there can be no doubt that the experience will be repeated. The perfect harmony between the subtle elegance of the piano; the misted-over quality of the bass and the masterful fluidity of the drums came into being spontaneously because the three musicians shared "a sense of discretion and perfection" (A. Jean-Marie), as well as a "sense of economy and of the right note" (P. Michelot) and because they all appreciated Jeri Brown's "delicious sensitivity." These qualities apply equally to the sound engineer, Alain Cluzeau, who was, once again, astounding. Most pieces only needed one take, two at the most. In the words of Beaudelaire, "... order and beauty,... calm and delight." Such is the poetry of this album. Alain Jean-Marie, a native of Guadeloupe, has become one of the most sought-after pianists on the Parisian scene thanks to the way he combines a perfect sense of harmony with a certain quality of listening, an openness to his partners, which transform his modesty into the greatest generosity. His accompaniment of Jeri Brown recalls the best moments of the Bill Evans - Tony Bennett duet. Listening to Pierre Michelot (admirably recorded by Alain Cluzeau on this album) and to his magical ability to bring each note to life giving it almost human vitality, makes it obvious that his status as "master of the instrument" cannot be challenged. Charlie Haden is one of his greatest admirers. John Betsch, who has been living in France for the last ten years, long ago started enriching the multi-rhythm tradition established by Max Roach through the contribution of his sensitive, personal sense of coloration. As he did in his precious work with Jeanne Lee and Mal Waldron, here too he shows himself to be very adept at underlining the texture of the voice with just the right choice of cymbals. As for the accordionist. Roberto de Brashov, a young gypsy from Roumania, he brings to the two Michel Legrand pieces on the album an inimitable gypsy flavour. His accordion quivers like a gypsy violin, emphasizing the romantic intention of the singer. It was this intention that motivated the choice of each of the pieces on the album, as Jeri Brown explains: Gentle Piece I had recorded it in March 1995, with Kenny Wheeler and a brass section. I wanted to take away all the "dressing" so as to reveal the beauty of the melody in Kenny's composition. Once Upon A Summertime It was one of my students in Montreal, Joanne Joly, who was particularly interested in Michel Legand's repertoire, who helped me to develop a greater appreciation for it. This piece is one of my favourites. During the recording session, the piece appeared as if by magic. We didn't have the score. But I felt we had to record it and the musicians played it from memory. The Twelfth Of Never I always loved this song. The first time I heard it, it was sung by Johnny Mathis. When April Comes Again It was George Shearing's instrumental version which first attracted my attention. Afterwards, Mel Tormé's rendition and the lyrics of the song made a lasting impression on me. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) This is one of my favourite songs. A Montreal pianist, Jeff Johnston, used to play it solo in 1989. I pestered him until he agreed to write down the voicings of his rendition. I found that they were just right for bringing out emotion when I sing the piece. Morning Lovely This is a very special song for me. A few months before his death, Jimmy Rowles asked me to record it for this Paris recording project. He was sure that it would suit me perfectly. He apologized for not having included an arrangement in my range, as he usually did. I assured him that I would take care of everything. My experience with Jimmy was the encounter of a lifetime, and he impressed me as both a pianist and composer. I Could Have Loved You While I was living in New York in the early eighties and looking for material, I heard this piece on a Ray Brown album. The words intrigued me. I have always liked this idea of "could have loved" someone. Summertime A classic I have often recorded and sung in concert. It always remains a source of new inspiration. Greensleeves This one is a vestige of my classical training. Last year I recorded a version of it for a Christmas album. I love singing it as a love song, to add a personal dimension based on the story it tells. The Windmills of Your Mind This song is above all emotion. It has a rare intensity. I have loved it for a long timeĀ Eleven spaces filled with what is called "a state of grace". A miracle of pure emotion in a place where time stands still. The intensity of the promise of happiness, of its possibility: in Paris, in April. And nowhere else. Alex Dufilh, Editor-in-Chief, Jazzman magazine. |
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