Barney Wilen

• 2-CD SET

• NEWLY REMASTERED EDITION

• THE COMPLETE ALBUM PLUS 4 BONUS TRACKS

• ALSO INCLUDING A BONUS CD

• 28-PAGE BOOKLET

French saxophonist BARNEY WILEN’s career was boosted in 1957 when he joined Miles Davis on the soundtrack of Louis Malle’s film noir classic Ascenseur pour l’échafaud. However, Wilen’s popularity slowly waned starting in the 1970s, eventhough he would produce lots of wonderful music in the intervening years. The release of the LP La Note Bleue in 1987 marked a rebirth in his career. That legendary album followed the success of a Jacques de Loustal & Philippe Paringaux comic book partly inspired by his life, titled Barney et la Note Bleue, which put the saxophonist’s name back into the scene.

La Note Bleue was awarded the Grand Prix Jazz de l’Académie Charles Cros as “The Best French Jazz Album of 1987”, and features BARNEY WILEN on tenor and soprano saxophones, ALAIN JEAN-MARIE on piano, PHILIPPE PETIT on guitar, RICCARDO DEL FRA on double-bass, and SANGOMA EVERETT on drums.

BONUS CD

CD2 consists of a previously unissued 1989 Radio France live broadcast by tha Barney Willen Quartet. Recorded on September 27, 1989 at the Parisian jazz club Le Petit Opportun, the broadcast features Wilen offering fresh new interpretations of songs from La Note Bleue. It is issued here thanks to the collaboration of the INA (Institut National de l`Audiovisuel). Wilen is backed here by JACKY TERRASSON on piano, GILLES NATUREL on doublebass, and PETER GRITZ on drums.