Jean-Francois Bonnel Archive

Jean-François Bonnel And His Swinging Jazz Cats  – With Thanks To  Benny Carter – Arbors Records

Jean-François Bonnel And His Swinging Jazz Cats – With Thanks To Benny Carter – Arbors Records

Jean-François Bonnel And His Swinging Jazz Cats  – With Thanks To Benny Carter – Arbors Records ARCD 19452 51:25**** Thoughtful and creative interpreters of Benny Carter’s music ( Jean-François Bonnel – alto sax, clarinet #3,10; Chris Dawson – piano; Charmin Michelle – vocals #1,3,4,5,7,10; François Laudet – drums) Benny Carter was a true jazz original. A top of the line trumpeter as well as  a pure alto saxophonist, he made a unique contribution to the jazz world.  Therefore it may seem passing strange that it would be a couple of French jazz musicians to delve into Carter’s world and come up with a dandy release entitled With Thanks To Benny Carter. In this ten track session, the band delves into compositions either written by Carter or those connected to him via his recordings. For those who may be unfamiliar with Jean-François Bonnel, he is a highly regarded French musician, who doubles on alto and clarinet. He took a serious interest in Carter’s saxophone style by transcribing his solos and also studying his compositions. While not playing entirely in Carter’s manner he is certainly informed by his technique. One of Carter’s best known numbers “When Lights Are Low” leads off the session […]