European jazz in the 1950s has long fascinated me. World War II killed and injured tens of millions of people and seriously damaged countries' infrastructure, economies and the emotions of surviving populations. And yet, the optimism in these newly freed countries, supported by America's financial and military security, set them on a fast course to recovery. Modern jazz, with its improvisational expression, became one of the few diversions that Europeans found in sync with the new spirit of freedom.
Young European musicians who came of age in the late 1940s and at the dawn of the 1950s fell in love with American bebop and cool jazz records brought over by touring American musicians and then released there by European distributors. Once European musicians deciphered how to play modern jazz, dozens of great arrangers and artists emerged and united to form groups, recording on newly established European labels in London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Stockholm and elsewhere. The quality of the jazz remains remarkably excellent.
When we think of 1950s jazz in Europe, we often think of artists such as the U.K.'s Ronnie Scott, Victor Feldman, Johnny Danworth, Tony Crombie and Jack Parnell; Belgium's Bobby Jaspar, Fats Sadi, Toots Thielemans, Jack Sels and Francy Boland; France's Henri Renaud, Jimmy Gourley, Roger Guérin, Pierre Michelot, Maurice Vander and Sacha Distel; and Sweden's Lars Gullin, Rolf Ericson, Arne Domnérus, Ake Persson, Gunnar Svensson and Rolf Blomquist. Plus dozens of others, including young jazz musicians from Germany, Italy and Austria.
Now, we finally have a new box set on jazz in the Netherlands between 1955 and 1957. Released last month, Cool Jazz From Holland (Fresh Sound) is a two-CD set with a 28-page booklet that details the Dutch contribution to bop and West Coast jazz. The set features one fabulous harmony-rich recording after the next. In fact, there are no bad tracks on this box. All 52 tracks are fabulous. You can listen from start to finish without ever thinking about skipping over anything. And if I gave you a blindfold test, you'd bet money I was playing you jazz recorded in Hollywood or New York. [Photo above of Rita Reys courtesy of Fresh Sound]
I last posted about Dutch jazz nearly a year ago when I wrote about Rob Madna and Frans Wieringa. This new box features Madna and includes groups led by Rob Pronk, Wessel Ilcken, Tony Vos, Stido Alstrøm, Rita Reys, Herman Schoonderwalt, Frans Elsen and Pim Jacobs. I've listened to this set five times and love every minute of it. Cool Jazz From Holland is one of my favorite historical sets of the year.
What's most remarkable is the Dutch passion for the West Coast's relaxed sound. That's likely a result of Dutch musicians falling in love with the breezy, sophisticated quality of Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre, Russ Freeman and others. I've always viewed West Coast jazz as the product of Los Angeles optimism and opportunity in the 1950s. It turns out that the West Coast sound reflects the optimism of anyone who feels gloriously free and happy to be alive.
Young European musicians who came of age in the late 1940s and at the dawn of the 1950s fell in love with American bebop and cool jazz records brought over by touring American musicians and then released there by European distributors. Once European musicians deciphered how to play modern jazz, dozens of great arrangers and artists emerged and united to form groups, recording on newly established European labels in London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Stockholm and elsewhere. The quality of the jazz remains remarkably excellent.
When we think of 1950s jazz in Europe, we often think of artists such as the U.K.'s Ronnie Scott, Victor Feldman, Johnny Danworth, Tony Crombie and Jack Parnell; Belgium's Bobby Jaspar, Fats Sadi, Toots Thielemans, Jack Sels and Francy Boland; France's Henri Renaud, Jimmy Gourley, Roger Guérin, Pierre Michelot, Maurice Vander and Sacha Distel; and Sweden's Lars Gullin, Rolf Ericson, Arne Domnérus, Ake Persson, Gunnar Svensson and Rolf Blomquist. Plus dozens of others, including young jazz musicians from Germany, Italy and Austria.
Now, we finally have a new box set on jazz in the Netherlands between 1955 and 1957. Released last month, Cool Jazz From Holland (Fresh Sound) is a two-CD set with a 28-page booklet that details the Dutch contribution to bop and West Coast jazz. The set features one fabulous harmony-rich recording after the next. In fact, there are no bad tracks on this box. All 52 tracks are fabulous. You can listen from start to finish without ever thinking about skipping over anything. And if I gave you a blindfold test, you'd bet money I was playing you jazz recorded in Hollywood or New York. [Photo above of Rita Reys courtesy of Fresh Sound]
I last posted about Dutch jazz nearly a year ago when I wrote about Rob Madna and Frans Wieringa. This new box features Madna and includes groups led by Rob Pronk, Wessel Ilcken, Tony Vos, Stido Alstrøm, Rita Reys, Herman Schoonderwalt, Frans Elsen and Pim Jacobs. I've listened to this set five times and love every minute of it. Cool Jazz From Holland is one of my favorite historical sets of the year.
What's most remarkable is the Dutch passion for the West Coast's relaxed sound. That's likely a result of Dutch musicians falling in love with the breezy, sophisticated quality of Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre, Russ Freeman and others. I've always viewed West Coast jazz as the product of Los Angeles optimism and opportunity in the 1950s. It turns out that the West Coast sound reflects the optimism of anyone who feels gloriously free and happy to be alive.
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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