Renaud’s background as a bop-influenced pianist and prolific album/concert producer allowed him fertile opportunities to record with American all-star artists during their tours of the Continent. Fruitful meetings with high profile players like Don Byas, Clifford Brown and Lucky Thompson were the end result. Presumably dissatisfied with having to wait for his heroes to show up on his own shores Renaud took the initiative and organized a string of dates in New York, gathering top-flight talent for a series of in-studio jam sessions. All of the players (save Renaud) were regulars at the bustling midtown club Birdland and the sobriquet stuck. Picked up by the small Period label the recordings were originally released as a three volume set. In reissue form the four sessions are conveniently indexed onto two discs.

First up a septet date featuring the dual trombones of Johnson and Winding alongside Cohn’s velvety tenor in the frontline. A creaky stiffness sets in during the opening reading of “I’ll Remember April,” but it proves just a case of the players working the collective kinks out. Heath is the harmonic glue that holds the sextet together, his spring-stepped walking lines matching the ambling gait of Smith’s swishing brushes and fitting cleanly into the spaces between Renaud’s chords. The drummer’s work is fairly rote throughout, but though he’s far from a risk-taker in his chosen role, he fulfills his duties just the same. Johnson is the obvious star of “Jay Jay’s Blues.” Massaging his slide with supple sensitivity he sculpts the blues center on which the piece hinges. Cohn responds in kind breathing through his reed with lusty vigor while still maintaining his Cool veneer. Renaud’s solo is well conceived too and opens the way for Heath’s perambulating walk from the northern to southern ends of his instrument’s neck. Jackson shoots for maximum luminosity over the course of “There’s No You,” stomping his sustain pedals and coating a shimmering melodic sheen across rhythmic floor of Smith’s time-keeping snare and clinking ride cymbal. Renaud comps pretty in the wings behind Winding’s rounded musings, before venturing out tentatively for a turn of his own. Jackson’s mallets offer up the final summation.

Heath is in the batter’s box for the opening choruses of “Out of Nowhere,” his fingers coaxing a solid run from his four strings before Cohn takes the melodic helm. The saxophonist digs in and unspools a statement steeped in the heady romance so often associated with his tenor horn. Renaud takes “Lullaby of the Leaves” largely to himself, backed only by the undermiked Heath on bow and Smith’s omniscient brushes. “If I Had You” shifts the focus back to the sextet and Smith shows some signs of life beyond his usual bucolic state, hefting sticks and lighting small rhythmic fires behind his kit. Cohn serves up another throaty locution dipped in a feathery tone reminiscent of Lester Young. Shortly after the saxophonist’s say Heath’s knuckle-busting solo paves the path for a terse ensemble summation. Winding leads the charge on the final piece, a brisk lark through the veering changes of the bop favorite “Indiana.”

Renaud’s role reverts solely to producer for the final session of the first volume, a trio date with two former rhythm mates of Charlie Parker. Not surprisingly they indulge a bag of Bird’s standard seeds, including “Scott Blues” (actually penned by Jordan) and “Confirmation.” The fidelity is quite brittle and cavernous, but there’s a daredevil sureness and agility to Jordan’s lines that combats these audio obstacles. Juxtaposed against the earlier session the trio tracks also underscore Renaud’s shortcomings as an improvisor and force the question how would Jordan have sounded in similar all-star large ensemble surroundings.

Volume Two presents the final pair of sessions. On the first Roach conceals his identity under the translucent alias of “Maxwell Rich” presumably for contractual reasons, but the drummer’s distinctive style gives him away. Some of the sextet material was previously available as a French import on the Vogue label under Pettiford’s name and his presence in the first group places welcome emphasis on the bass. As one of the few bassists of his day with both the chops and courage to revel in a role in the forefront of a band he’s perfectly suited to challenge. His stout walking lines create an even harmonic terrain for the horns and Renaud to tread across. “Rhumblues” features cello and bass in tandem and Pettiford mixes both through high and low pizzicato. “Stardust” refines the focus to larger fiddle as the bassist takes flight on a largely solo trajectory framed by Farlow’s gilded chording and Roach’s near clandestine cymbals. There’s some thoughtful interplay between Pettiford and Roach in the closing minutes of the otherwise by the numbers “Burt’s Pad.”

Cohn is the cornerstone of the concluding quartet tracks. He shines effulgently on “You Stepped Out of a Dream” book ending a centering solo from Renaud. The two versions of Renaud’s own “Ny’s Idea” offer brilliant brushwork from Best in tandem with spirited comping from the composer and racing bass lines from Ramey. Cohen chimes in with some lubricious blowing on the fast clip changes and both pieces make for intriguing melodic miniatures that entreat for elaboration.

Renaud’s post-Birdlanders career deviated in the direction of work as a jazz producer in radio and television markets. Over the years his behind the scenes efforts contributed to countless projects, but as a musician the high point of his life had to be these early meetings with now legendary players. He may have been the weakest link musically in each group, but taking into account the reputations of those with whom he was collaborating, no shame should be shouldered. European patronage of jazz continues to be a significant resource for the art form’s survival. Renaud’s Birdlanders project was an early example and thanks to the fortitude of the Frenchman the music remains available for Americans and Europeans alike to marvel at.

Fantasy/Period on the web: http://www.fantasyjazz.com

The Birdlanders, Volume 1

Tracks: I’ll Remember April (8:52)¹/ Jerry’s Old Man (5:45)/ Jay Jay’s Blues (7:53)¹/ There’s No You (8:32)/ Out of Nowhere (8:33)¹/ Lullaby of the Leaves (2:48)°/ If I Had You (8:31)¹/ Indiana (3:47)/ Just One of Those Things (3:50)*/ Embraceable You (4:48)*/ Minor Escamp (aka Jordu) (4:43)*/ Scotch Blues (3:39)*/ Confirmation (3:15)*.

Players: Milt Jackson- vibes, piano°; J.J. Johnson- trombone; Kai Winding- trombone; Al Cohn- tenor saxophone¹; Henri Renaud- piano; Percy Heath- bass; Charlie Smith- drums; Duke Jordan-piano*; Gene Ramey- bass*; Lee Abrams- drums*. Recorded: March 7th & January 28th *, 1954, New York City.

The Birdlanders, Volume 2

Tracks: East Lag (2:34)/ Marcel the Furrier (6:00)/ Rhumblues (4:29)²/ Stardust (5:12)/ Ondine (5:09)/ Burt’s Pad (9:52)/ You Stepped Out of a Dream (4:55)*/ Lazy Things (4:26)*/ Ny’s Idea #1 (2:14)*/ Once in a While (5:20)*/ Ny’s Idea #2 (3:18)*.

Players: Oscar Pettiford- bass, cello²; Al Cohn- tenor saxophone (all tracks); Kai Winding- trombone; Tal Farlow- guitar; Henri Renaud- piano (all tracks); Max Roach- drums; Gene Ramey- bass*; Denzil Best- drums*. Recorded: March 5th * & 13th, 1954, New York City.

Fantasy on the web: http://www.fantasyjazz.com