In 1954, Henri Renaud was highly regarded in jazz circles. The French pianist/producer had played with his share of American heavyweights, who ranged from Lester Young to Clifford Brown to Sarah Vaughan. So when Renaud visited New York in 1954 and launched an all-star project that he called the Birdlanders, he had no problem attracting a lot of first-class beboppers. In order to be a Birdlander, one needed to be a regular at Birdland -- thus, what you hear on The Birdlanders, Vol. 1 (one of the two Birdlanders CDs that ...
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In 1954, Henri Renaud was highly regarded in jazz circles. The French pianist/producer had played with his share of American heavyweights, who ranged from Lester Young to Clifford Brown to Sarah Vaughan. So when Renaud visited New York in 1954 and launched an all-star project that he called the Birdlanders, he had no problem attracting a lot of first-class beboppers. In order to be a Birdlander, one needed to be a regular at Birdland -- thus, what you hear on The Birdlanders, Vol. 1 (one of the two Birdlanders CDs that Fantasy assembled in 2000) isn't unlike what was being played at Birdland in 1954 (although all of the material was recorded in a New York studio). This 77-minute reissue focuses on two of the Birdlanders' sessions that Renaud produced in 1954. The first took place on January 28, when pianist Duke Jordan formed a trio with bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Lee Abrams. The piano trio is as engaging on a ballad (the Gershwin standard "Embraceable You") as it is on Jordan's "Jordu" and Charlie Parker's "Confirmation." The other session is from March 7 and has different personnel; this time, Renaud himself is on piano, and he is joined by an impressive cast that includes vibist Milt Jackson, trombonists J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding, tenor saxman Al Cohn, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Charlie Smith. Not surprisingly, plenty of inspired soloing takes place on familiar standards like "I'll Remember April" and "If I Had You." An interesting surprise comes on "Lullaby of the Leaves," which finds Renaud laying out and letting Jackson make a rare appearance on piano. Bebop enthusiasts should make a point of obtaining this excellent reissue. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
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