Barney Wilen

• 2-LP SET GATEFOLD EDITION

• 180 GRAM VIRGIN VINYL

• INCLUDES 4 PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED ALTERNATIVE TAKES

GATEFOLD EDITION WITH SPECIALLY PREPARED ESSAYS BY RENOWNED JAZZ WRITERS ASHLEY KAHN & PHILIPPE VINCENT, BASSIST RICCARDO DEL FRA, DRUMMER SANGOMA EVERETT, AND PATRICK WILEN

FRENCH BALLADS IS BARNEY WILEN’S PERFECT SYNTHESIS BETWEEN JAZZ AND THE FRENCH CHANSON.

Following the unexpected success of his comeback album La Note Bleue, iconic French saxophonist Barney Wilen embarked right away on his following project, an album consisting of jazz versions of wonderful French chansons.

According to Philippe Vincent: “Barely three months after the release of La Note Bleue, I thought that he was going fast, but he was not completely wrong to want to strike while the iron was hot. In addition, it is true that many musicians quickly turn to their next project as soon as the previous one has emerged. His idea was to devote a recording to a repertoire of French melodies, and I was immediately seduced by this proposition, as his playing style and his saxophone phrasing could approach singing.” The new album constituted another success and is, because of its repertoire and approach, a quite unique work in the whole story of jazz.

PERSONNEL:

• BARNEY WILEN - tenor & soprano sax
• MICHEL GRAILLIER - piano
• RICCARDO DEL FRA - bass
• SANGOMA EVERETT - drums

Recorded and mixed at Gimmick Studio, Yerres, France, on June 24-26, 1987.

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1 L'AME DES POÈTES
• A2 WHAT ARE YOU DOING THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
• A3 SOUS LE CIEL DE PARIS
• A4 SYRACUSE
• A5 UN ETÉ 42 [SUMMER OF ‘42]

• SIDE B
• B1 MY WAY
• B2 LES FEUILLES MORTES [AUTUMN LEAVES]
• B3 ONCE UPON A TIME
• B4 SEULE CE SOIR

• SIDE C
• C1 MANOIR DE MES RÊVES
• C2 TEARS
• C3 LA VIE EN ROSE
• C4 LES MOULINS DE MON COEUR

• SIDE D
• D1 SYRACUSE (*)
• D2 UN ETÉ 42 [SUMMER OF ‘42] (*)
• D3 LES FEUILLES MORTES [AUTUMN LEAVES] (*)
• D4 SEULE CE SOIR (*)

• TOTAL TIME: 77:03 min.
• (*) BONUS TRACKS