Archive for the ‘music’ Category

Paris Jazz Repertory Septet Performs Concert Climat in Paris

Monday, December 30th, 2019
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By Monique Y. Wells

On 17 December 2019, the Café de la Danse theater in Paris’s Bastille district was transformed into a magical space where the Paris Jazz Repertory Septet (PJR7) and singer Joseph Langley invited the public to focus on climate change through the lens of jazz.

Café de la Danse
Café de la Danse
© Entrée to Black Paris

Pianist/trombonist Joe Makholm of PJR7 is the composer of Concert Climat, a musical trilogy dedicated to this environmental crisis.  After reading three books on the topic – This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein, Eaarth by Bill McKibben, and Storms of My Grandchildren by James Hansen – Makholm set about adapting them into music.  Read his account of how he approached this by clicking HERE.

Joe Makholm at Café de la Danse
© Entrée to Black Paris

After Makholm finished the first two parts of the trilogy, the septet performed them at the Sunside/Sunset jazz club in Paris on December 1, 2015.  Makholm completed the third part of the trilogy a few months later and PJR7 performed the entire trilogy on May 29, 2016 in a 4-hour concert at the 45° Jazz Club in Paris’ 10th arrondissement.

For the December 17 concert, the septet regaled a practically full house by performing This Changes Everything, the second suite of the trilogy, in its entirety for the first time since a January 2017 rendition at the Sunside.  It is composed of five sections: “The Extractivists: Hot Money – Laughing at the Science”; “Blocadia”; “In the Sacrifice Zones”; “Magical Thinking”; and “Extraction to Renewal.”

After the intermission, the septet performed excerpts from Eaarth, the first suite, and Storms of My Grandchildren, the third suite.

Makholm conducted the group from the piano bench as he played, just as Duke Ellington used to direct his orchestra. 

Each member of the group had the opportunity to showcase his unique talent.   

Upper left: Detail of Concert Climat flier
From lower left to upper right: Joe Makholm (conductor and pianist), Philippe Nadaud (alto and soprano saxophone), Pascal Baselli (drums), Stéphane Renard (bass), Claudio Pallaro (tenor and soprano saxophone), Jean-Christophe Vilain (trombone), and Franck Delpeut (trumpet)
Photos © Entrée to Black Paris

Vocalist Joseph Langley closed each set with a song – “Breaking the Rules” for This Changes Everything and “Leave It in the Ground” for Storms of My Grandchildren.

Joseph Langley (vocals)
© Entrée to Black Paris

It was an extraordinary evening!

The recording of the full Concert Climat trilogy is available in a 3-CD box set.  For information, contact Joe Makholm at contact@concertclimat.com

Listen to Makholm’s World Radio Paris interview about the December 17 concert HERE.

Jazzman in the Metro

Wednesday, October 4th, 2017
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Jazzman in the Metro

Jazzman in the Metro
Photograph by Discover Paris!

Jazzman Carl Marcelin plays a mean sax in the Châtelet metro station. Click here to listen! https://youtu.be/KCR4vSFXzZ8

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Sunday Morning on Rue Mouffetard

Sunday, July 30th, 2017
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Sunday Morning on Rue Mouffetard
Photograph by Discover Paris!

A little boy watches a jazz band from the shoulders of his father.

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Sweet Accordion Music on Rue Mouffetard

Sunday, July 16th, 2017
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Sweet Accordion Music on Rue Mouffetard
Photograph by Discover Paris!

Jazz bands make their appearance on rue Mouffetard quite often, but accordionists are rare.

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An African Fair in Paris – Part I – The Opening Ceremony

Thursday, June 2nd, 2016
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The 5th annual African Fair was held last weekend at Les Esselières, an exhibition hall in the Paris suburb of Villejuif. Organized by the Chambre de Commerce Africaine de Paris and sponsored in large part by Appolinaire Timpiga Compaoré, a businessman from Burkina Faso, the fair featured food, music, dance, and exhibits by artisans, non-profit associations, fashion designers, public relations specialists, telecommunications, cosmetics, and more…

Four Officers of the African Chamber of Commerce of Paris

Four Officers of the African Chamber of Commerce of Paris
From left to right: Maximilien Bouteillier – General Secretary, Boubacar Sabaly – Public Relations, Michel Réchal – Technical Manager, Marc Yao – President

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Daffirma Ibamu presided as master of ceremonies.

Daffirma Ibamu

Daffirma Ibamu – Master of Ceremonies
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

At the opening ceremony, a number of dignitaries took the stage to express their aspirations for African economic development.

Lasana Kouyaté - Former Prime Minister of GuineaSiaka Koné - Commercial and Marketing Director of Télécel FasoMamadou Sangaré - Minister Counsellor of the Ambassador of Burkina Faso

Lasana Kouyaté – Former Prime Minister of Guinea
Siaka Koné – Commercial and Marketing Director of Télécel Faso
Mamadou Sangaré – Minister Counsellor of the Ambassador of Burkina Faso

Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And then the fun began!

Academie Woyo

Academie Woyo
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Academie Woyo, representing the Woyo people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, performed drums and dance. A video of their practice session held at Parc de la Villette in Paris can be viewed here.

Dancing…

Woyo drumming and dancing

Woyo Drumming and Dancing
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

and singing…

Mélodie Rémy and Celia Soulmusic

Mélodie Rémy and Celia Soulmusic
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Celia Soulmusic’s Facebook page can be viewed here.

Next…a fashion show.

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A Tribute to Jo Privat

Wednesday, April 6th, 2016
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Balajo

Balajo
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I was recently honored to receive an invitation from author and journalist Claude Dubois to attend a concert at Balajo, a dance hall on rue de Lappe.

Muriel Privat (on left with microphone),  Jo Privat, Junior (on right with accordion)

Muriel Privat (on left with microphone), Jo Privat, Junior (on right with accordion)
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The concert was held in honor of Jo Privat (1919 – 1996), who played the accordion there for some fifty years. When I arrived, Jo Privat, Junior (the son of Jo Privat) and his wife Muriel were on stage with other musicians performing waltz musette to an appreciative audience of mostly old folks, who were turning on the dance floor.

Claude Dubois Talks about Jo Privat

Claude Dubois Talks about Jo Privat
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

During the intermission, Mr. Dubois took the stage to recount his memories of Jo Privat, whom he was acquainted with, when, as a young man, he frequented Balajo. Mr. Dubois has written a number of books about the colorful history of the places on rue de Lappe, including a 640 page tome entitled La Bastoch (Paris, Tempus Perrin, 2011).

Antoine and Daniela

Antoine and Daniela
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A number of people were there dressed in clothes that evoked the fashions of the 1930s, including a dapper young couple who posed for a photograph.

Gaston, Claire, and Dominique

Gaston, Claire, and Dominique
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I liked the scarf that Gaston was wearing, so I asked him to pose with his friends.

Claude Dubois et Raoul D'Aubervilliers

Claude Dubois et Raoul D’Aubervilliers
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Mr. Dubois posed with a friend Raoul D’Aubervilliers.

A sample of the music of Jo Privat can be heard on YouTube at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRLvLcYKHyQ.

Claude Dubois’ book on the life of Jo Privat is available on Amazon.fr at the following link: http://amzn.to/1Sb4w6i.

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The Roots of American Music

Thursday, February 18th, 2016
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On Wednesday, February 17, the cultural service of the American Embassy in Paris hosted a concert entitled “The Roots of American Music.” Soprano Nicole Taylor, accompanied by pianist Daniel J. Ernst, sang a medley of spirituals that were composed or arranged by 20th century African-American song writers.

Nicole Taylor, Soprano

Nicole Taylor, Soprano
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Daniel J Ernst, Pianist

Daniel J Ernst, Pianist
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The backdrop for the performance was a work of art rendered by French artist Batsh.

Stage for Performance

Stage for the Performance
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Batsh

Batsh
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

More art by Batsh can be viewed on his Web site and here.

Following the wonderful performance before an appreciative audience, everyone repaired to the Green Room for beverages and hors d’œuvres. Among the attendees at the concert was Madame George Pau-Langevin, Minister of French Overseas Territories.

Madame George Pau-Langevin, Minister of French Overseas Territories

Madame George Pau-Langevin, Minister of French Overseas Territories
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

There are a number of videos of Nicole Taylor on YouTube, including this one, a performance that she gave in Doha, Qatar in 2012.

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Caroline Nin Sings Edith Piaf

Friday, April 24th, 2015
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Caroline Nin

Caroline Nin
Photograph courtesy of Caroline Nin

French chanteuse Caroline Nin opened a one-woman show last night at the Essaïon Theater, singing many of the famous cabaret songs of Edith Piaf. During the performance she recounted anecdotes from Piaf’s life, giving the audience an appreciation of the epoch in which she lived and the events that shaped her. I particularly enjoyed hearing Nin sing Mon Légionnaire, the haunting account of Piaf’s one-night stand with a French legionnaire whom she met in a bar.

Knowing next to nothing about Piaf’s life before I saw Nin’s show, I was intrigued to learn about some of its gritty details.

Nin will perform Thursday evenings in French and Friday and Saturday evenings in English through August 1st. For booking information in English, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

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Tropical Stars Shine over Paris

Saturday, May 10th, 2014
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Collage of Caribbean Singers

Big-name singers from the Caribbean performed last night on an outdoor stage at the Foire de Paris.

VBJ Soul Men

VBJ Soul Men
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Of all of the performers that came on stage, only one group, the VBJ Soul Men, sang hits that Americans will easily recognize—they gave a powerful rendition of “I’m a Soul Man.” Their Web site (in French) can be found at the following link http://vigonbamyjay.fr

A good time was had by all!

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Disco Is Back!

Thursday, March 13th, 2014
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Tom in Disco Pose

Tom in Disco Pose
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Our intrepid blogger tries out his disco steps on one of the dance floors at the Great Black Music exposition that is taking place through August 24 at the Cité de la Musique.

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