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Avg: 5.0 (4 ratings)
- Date Released: October 2, 1989
- Genre: Jazz
- Label: Timeless Records / IODA
Slow and restrained, but burning with intensity underneath
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We Say...
The French-born Barney Wilen, whose reputation was largely codified during a brief tenure with Miles Davis, was a versatile multi-reed player who would have been better known had he been born in the United States. Equally fluent on the tenor, soprano and baritone saxophones, Wilen played with an offhand ease and grace similar to that of Stan Getz or Zoot Sims. A vein of romanticism that never degenerated into treacle ran through his playing. "Movie Themes from France" is the perfect vehicle to exemplify this. And pianist Mal Waldron is the exact accompanist to see that the setting is right.
Waldron has the uncanny ability to find the kernel at the center of a tune and use it as an improvisatory focal point. The music is deceptive: vastly restrained, it requires thoughtful listening to recognize the underlying intensity of the performances. "Julien Dans L'Ascenseur" is a case in point. Taken at a snail's pace that never wavers, there's a deep tension and sadness to the performance, with both Wilen, on soprano, and Waldron taking dark, incisive solos. It's a beautifully controlled piece of music. Duke Jordan's "No Problem" is pushed nicely by bassist Stafford James and drummer Eddie Moore, with Wilen at his most Getz-like, digging in increasingly as the tune develops. My favorite track is "Manha De Carnival" from the film "Black Orpheus." Moving subtly between Samba and swing time, Wilen's soprano playing is a model of improvisational logic. Waldron follows the saxophonist with his own emphatic solo, digging into key phrases. There's also an entirely convincing rendition of "Les Feuilles Mortes" — in jazz circles known as the old warhorse "Autumn Leaves" — on which Wilen nicely bridges bop and post-bop tenor playing. "Movie Themes From France" is a thoughtful and satisfying album from start to finish. -
They Say...
Soft and sensuous, saxophonist Barney Wilen runs gently through eight French movie soundtracks, with the Mal Waldron Trio behind him. Wilen came to international attention decades before with his work with Miles Davis, and several of the themes here were actually written by the trumpeter. Wilen has been criticized for sounding tired on this recording, and, in fact, his sound does sometimes sound somewhat sleepy, though often attractively so. In ways, this sounds a bit like Stan Getz minus some oomph. The results are lazily appealing, the sort of melodies that might be soothing after a long day. This is not to imply, though, that Wilen is anything less than a very strong jazz performer, as his phrasing and choice of notes are smack dab in the middle of the jazz tradition. Yet, even when he builds tension, as he likes to do on his soprano, it has the feel of being held back. He is best heard on tenor, and on those tracks his lilting, soft forays usually hit the mark. Waldron is an oddly sympathetic voice, so much so that the music is often in danger of drifting to paradise.
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| 01. |  |
Un Homme Et Une Femme
|
6:21 |
|
| 02. | |
Julien Dans L'Ascenseur - Florence Sur Les Champ-Elysées
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7:31 |
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| 03. | |
Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
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9:56 |
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| 04. | |
No Problem
|
8:45 |
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| 05. | |
Manha De Carnaval
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10:31 |
|
| 06. | |
Générique
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6:56 |
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| 07. | |
Les Feuilles Mortes
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7:45 |
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| 08. | |
Quiet Temple
|
9:36 |
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08 Total Tracks, 67:21 Total Length
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Credits
- Mal Waldron - Piano // Mal Waldron - Piano // Mal Waldron - Piano // Mal Waldron - Piano // Mal Waldron - Piano // Mal Waldron - Piano // Barney Wilen - Sax (Soprano) // Barney Wilen - Sax (Tenor) // Stafford James - Bass // Eddie Moore - Drums // Max Bolleman - Engineer // Makoto Kimata - Producer // Wim Wigt - Executive Producer // Peter Huijts - Producer // Joost Leijen - Art Direction // Joost Leijen - Design // W.J. Zwart - Photography
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