ah...back in Paris & the nightly to-do list is fantastic! especially now that we're warming up to the festival season in France. we kick off next week with the always-excellent Festival Jazz a Saint-Germain-des-Pres...plan ahead by checking out their schedule (May 4--17) here. This weekend, the Versailles Jazz Fest gets going...one of the highlights is Sunday's American Spiritual mass at the Eglise Saint Symphorien in Versailles--if you're going to be out that way, check their listings for Monday night jam sessions etc.
[note--addresses of the main clubs are listed in the Venue section--saves my fingers from typing too much!]
Thursdays are often a good night to hit the town, this week is no exception: tonight's a perfect night to join The Paris Jazz Club...at the Duc des Lombards, the Club presents Italian Connection, Baiser Sale hosts Nico Morelli and the Sunside has the Stefano Bollani Quintet. What's "the Club"? Essentially, the Duc, the Baiser, Sunside & Sunset have teamed up to offer a discount to subscribers...it's not a bad deal, especially since the four clubs are all within a block of each other! all the details are here.
Also on Thursday, the Jazzcartoon (138 rue Montmartre, metro Bourse) is starting a full weekend of Blues, Soul and Gospel curated by Serge Felix Tchicaya.
On Friday, start your evening at the Czech Cultural Center, which is hosting one of its famous "Paris-Prague Jazz Club" evenings--on April 27 it's Ostas, Czech baroque-jazz starting at 19h (5 euros entry). Later that night, I'm considering hauling out to the 'burbs to see Bireli Lagrene Gipsy Project (21h, Theatre de Suresnes Jean Vilar, info 01.46.97.98.10; 20 euros) Lagrene currently is promoting TWO new albums on Dreyfus records--one with the Gipsy Project, backing Sara Lazarus on songs such as "It's Alright With Me". And the second (more exciting, in my opinion) Djangology, where Lagrene collaborates with the WDR Big Band.
For Kurt Weill fans, there's also Ute Lemper on Friday at the newly-renovated Salle Pleyel (accoustics are now to die for!) (252 Fbg Saint-Honore, metro Ternes, 30 euros, 01.45.61.53.00)...you can bet she'll do some standards, some cabaret, a pinch of Tom Waits & Elvis Costello, and maybe something from Chicago (she did her stint on Broadway back in the 90s, after all).
And if you're penniless, pop by the Cafe K for the Mathias Lvey trio (free, starts vaguely at 19h, 156 Fbg Saint-Martin, metro Gare de l'Est)
On Saturday, I might check out L'Ogre a Plume (49-51 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, metro Parmentier)--I've never seen jazz there but more & more bookings seem to be turning up at that address. Or I may go low-key (Saturday is my least favourite night out...too crowded!) and go over to Hemingway-hangout, Harry's New York Bar (5 rue Daunou, metro Opera) where Philippe Villiermet is playing piano downstairs. it'll be a chance to have a perfectly-mixed Bloody Mary.
On Sunday afternoon, I'm thinking of heading down to another new jazz location: Havane Cafe, 70bis blvd Auguste Blanqui, metro Corvisart. At 16h, they're hosting a free afternoon of jazz musicians including Frederic Loizeau.
And on Monday, there's Eric Barret's jam session at La Fenetre (77 rue Charonne, metro Charonne, 5 euros, 21h) Also on Monday, I might drop by Sunside to see Ludovic de Preissac's sextet (22 euros, 21h)...new compositions inspired by the 1950's.
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