Michel Legrand has spent most of his life as a composer in the studios and for films, but this release is a jazz classic.
Legrand took 11 famous jazz compositions and arranged them for three different groups. Tenor great
Ben Webster, flutist
Herbie Mann, four trombonists, and a rhythm section perform pieces by
Duke Ellington,
Earl Hines,
Django Reinhardt ("Nuages"), and the
Count Basie-associated "Blue and Sentimental." A big band with trumpeters
Art Farmer and
Donald Byrd and altoist
Phil Woods plays "Stompin' at the Savoy," "A Night in Tunisia," and
Bix Beiderbecke's "In a Mist." The most famous session has
Miles Davis,
John Coltrane,
Phil Woods,
Herbie Mann, pianist
Bill Evans, harp, vibes, baritone, and a rhythm section performing music by
Thelonious Monk,
John Lewis,
Jelly Roll Morton ("Wild Man Blues"), and
Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz." Throughout this superlative album, the arrangements are colorful and unusual, making one wish that
Legrand had recorded more jazz albums through the years.