I
“Eve Williams la Magnifique”
« Je suis devenu Eddie. Qu’à cela ne tienne, Nicole deviendra Eve. J’ai décidé d’être Barclay, affaire conclue, de Ruault on passera à Williams. Et nous voilà avec la chanteuse de mon orchestre, Eve Williams. Ça sonne bien, hein! Évidemment, Eve Williams ne chante pas tout à fait comme Judy Garland… Elle chante même complètement faux, elle chante comme une casserole! (Pas pour longtemps d’ailleurs, elle fait de rapide progrès.) Elle s’en fout, Eve Williams la magnifique. Je m’en fous, moi Eddie Barclay, on a gagné ensemble un diamant gros comme le Ritz… Nicole et moi, nous ‹ allions bien ensemble ›, ‹ nous collions l’un à l’autre ›. Elle était mon double, mon frère jumeau au féminin, le seul double et le seul frère jumeau féminin que j’aie jamais eu de toute ma vie. Partenaire en affaires, partenaire dans la vie, idéale complice de nos journées et de nos nuits quotidiennes, indispensable à mon équilibre… D’autres femmes vinrent plus tard (beaucoup plus tard) meubler ma vie et furent à leur tour Madame Eddie Barclay. Aucune de ces femmes, pourtant très aimées, n’a ressemblé à celle-là. Elle savait recevoir, improviser, charmer les musiciens, qu’ils soient français ou américains, parler l’anglais, danser. Nicole, en un mot, était quelqu’un qui réussissait tout ce qu’elle faisait… Nous ne doutions de rien et surtout pas de nous-mêmes, atout incomparable. Le monde était à nos pieds, nous nous aimions! Avec mes orchestres, mon boulot dans les clubs, je connaissais la terre entière. Nicole parlait bien l’anglais, elle avait le contact, ‹ le feeling ›. Elle était en plus une gestionnaire qui s’ignorait, elle ‹ savait › y faire. Quand elle ne savait pas, eh bien, elle apprenait, à toute allure. Je n’étais pas un bon gestionnaire, je ne l’ai jamais été, et ne le serai jamais. L’accord était complet. Et ‹ Blue Star › naquit… On n’est pas riche, mais, c’est certain, on va le devenir, foi de Barclay et d’Eve Williams! … aucune femme n’a compté comme elle, aucune n’a partagé si fort ma vie. Aucune surtout n’a été à ce point mon associée en affaires, partie prenante de tout ce qui était ‹ le métier ›. Les autres femmes, je les ai épousées, je leur ai donné mon amour, mon nom et la sécurité. Mais elles n’ont jamais eu la moindre responsabilité dans la ‹ Maison Barclay › La seule qui en était capable, c’était Nicole. Nicole, avec qui je construisais la compagnie, pierre après pierre, disque après disque, succès après succès. Je ne sais pas si l’on peut dire que sans elle je n’aurais rien fait, rien construit. Sans elle, en tout cas, rien aurait eu la même saveur, la même passion, la même force. Elle était le pilier de cette petite maison Barclay qui avançait, timide, au milieu des géantes multinationales ».[•]
“I’ve become Eddie. No problem, Nicole will become Eve. I decided to be Barclay, that’s a deal signed and sealed, and from Ruault we move on to Williams. So now here we are with the singer in my band, Eve Williams. That sounds good, right? Obviously, Eve Williams doesn’t sing quite like Judy Garland…. She even sings completely false, her voice is lousy! (Not for long, though--she’s a quick learner.) Eve Williams the magnificent doesn’t care a bit. As for me, Eddie Barclay, I don’t care either; together we won a diamond as big as the Ritz.... Nicole and I, we “went well together,” we “hit it off.” She was my double, my female twin brother, the only double and only female twin I ever had in my whole life. Partner in business, partner in life, the ideal accomplice for our days and nights. To keep my balance I’d have been lost without her.... Later (much later), other women came and filled my life, taking their turns to be Madame Eddie Barclay. While they were loved very much, none of these women remotely resembled that one. She could host a party; she knew how to improvise, and charm a musician whether he was French or American; she spoke English, and she could dance. Nicole, in a word, was someone who made everything she did a success.... We didn’t suspect a thing; we weren’t sure of anything, especially not of each other, and there’s nothing like having that kind of ace in your hand. The world was at our feet. We loved each other! With my bands, my job in the clubs, I knew everyone in the world. Nicole spoke English, she had that touch, that “feel.” On top of that, she was a manager without knowing it. She just knew how to do it. When she didn’t know, well, she just learned how, and she learned fast. I wasn’t a good manager; I’ve never been one, nor will I ever be. We were a chord that was complete. And Blue Star was born.... We weren’t rich, but there was no doubt we were going to be; you could take our word for it, Barclay and Eve Williams said so! … No woman mattered as much as she did; no woman shared my life so strongly. Above all, nobody was ever a business partner as important as she was; she was a party to everything where “the business” was concerned. The other women, I married them, I gave them my love, my name, and security. But they never had the slightest responsibility in the Barclay house. The only one capable of that was Nicole. Nicole, who I built the company with, brick by brick, one record after the other, hit after hit. I don’t know if you can say I wouldn’t have done anything without her, building nothing at all. Without her, nothing would have tasted the same anyway; nothing would have had the same passion, the same strength. She was the cornerstone of this little Barclay house that was making headway, timidly, in the midst of global giants.”
Nicole Monique Marie Vandenbussche was born in Le Touquet, Pas-de-Calais, on Wednesday 16 February 1927.[•] To our knowledge, no other biographical information about Nicole exists, except for this one mention in Eddie’s biography Que la fête continue:
« …Nicole, née d’une ‹ alliance › illégitime entre une dame et un conseiller général qui ne l’a pas reconnue ».[•]
“….Nicole, born of an illegitimate ‘alliance’ between a lady and a General Councillor who didn’t recognize her.”
In a letter dated 12 October 1946, this time in English, (probably written by Nicole), Eddie Barclay introduced his “new wife” whom Allan Morrison had supposedly met at “Le Club.”
Paris, the 12th of October 1946 / Mr Allan Morrison / 45W. 66th Street / New-York, N.Y. /U.S.A.
Dear Allan, I have received both your packages in very good condition, and I lose no time to tell you how much I am thankful. I must say your records are simply terrific, and I don’t mean maybe. Boy, are they good! You can’t know how happy I am to have these new records in my collection. A lot of my friends are coming up here every day; they are all crazy about Woody Herman, who is not very well known in France for the time being, but he will be, I’m telling you. The Count is very well known in France but that Queer Street is really something. I’m sending you the best records on my own “Blue Star” label. I hope you will enjoy them, I wish you could do me a great favor. I’d like you to contact some record-firm managers for me for the purpose of exchanging or renting matrixes or selling them in France only. This is really necessary: all the other French firms have already started that kind of trade with the States. I shall be really happy and thankful if you can handle this business for me. You could work in my own name, and ask all those firms for every interesting proposition they could make, with all the details (rental price for matrixes, and a list of those matrixes they could let me have). Try to get in touch with the following firms: Ara, Jamboree, Majestic, National, Continental, etc, etc. When you get all this information compile it all and send it to me, or a copy if you want to keep it.... It is understood that a percentage will be turned over to you on each deal which will be completed thru you. As I told you, I wish you to record for me one or several Jam Sessions with musicians of your own choice [request from April 26] that you could select one by one with the purpose of paying less than the prices you told me in your letter. Charles Delaunay[[•]], the Hot Club secretary who is just back from the States, recorded the best musicians there and paid a lot less than your indicated prices. To be a good and interesting deal you shouldn’t pay more than 60 [?] bucks per musician for one session. And I must tell you this price is already six [unreadable] the pay in France. Study the question very closely, I will be greatly thankful to you in case of success for both our interests. On another hand, could you send me another package of records including, for the most part, records by Slim & Slam. I have the idea to record for my firm tunes on those lines. I particularly insist on paying you back for those records. Let me know the way you think is the best for the payment. With all my thanks, for what you have done and what you will do for me, I send you all my friendship with the hope we shall very soon meet again. [Eddie Barclay]
P.S. Nicole, my new wife you already met at “Le Club,” sends you her best regards. I forgot something: try to include in the package some records by this new star Gillespie.[•]
Competition is brewing for Swing, with the new Blue Star labels of course, but also the first jazz records from Le Chant du Monde and Léon Moussinac, and René Cacheux’s label Pacific. Charles Delaunay is making his first visit to the United States[•] to complete his New Hot Discography currently in the finishing stages, but also to organize recording sessions for Swing with Benny Carter, Duke Ellington, Jonah Jones, Gene Sedric, Louis Armstrong, and a bop session with Kenny Clarke and His 52nd Street Boys.[•] As for Eddie Barclay, he is repeating his requests for sessions and talking for the first time about licensing. No sessions have been produced to our knowledge, and the first licensed records will not appear before 1948, the period of Nicole’s trip to New York, but not for any of the labels mentioned above.
Paris, the 22nd of October 1946 / Mr Allan Morrison /Ebony / 5125 South Calumet Avenue /Chicago 15, Illinois /U.S.A.
Dear Allan, I just received your letter dated Oct. 15. I see you did not get the last letter I wrote to you about 10 days ago [October 12]. I met Delaunay, he told me he has seen you all right in New York. As I told you in my last letter [“I wrote to you about 10 days ago”], I got the two packages you sent me in very good condition. I told you how much I appreciate the records of Woody Herman [a June 27 request], as well as the others. Regarding your offer to send me a radio set with two fountain pens, I say I’ll certainly be very glad to get them. What I’d like to get is two Eversharp with a black body and gold lid, and if it is not too much, a Parker 51 (I think this is the right number). For the radio I leave it to your judgment. I’m sure it will be perfect. During the time I was typing this letter I had the visit of your friend John Pittman, who is certainly a very fine fellow. He wants some information regarding the life of coloured people here in France. I’ll certainly do my best to help him. I will set up an appointment with some of the coloured musicians I know very well here in Paris. They certainly will tell him all that he is looking for. He begged me to send you his best regards. He is coming over here to-morrow morning along with his wife for breakfast. I forgot to tell you that I had the visit of another of your friends, Ann Brown, with her little daughter. I can’t tell you how much they are both wonderful people. We certainly enjoyed and appreciated their visit very much. Don’t hesitate one second to send us your friend coming over here. You know that your friends will always be welcome. Regarding the payment of the packages you send us, I think the only way to do this is to pay you through a lady friend we have in New-York, and who deals in exports with one of my friends who is writing you this letter. He will write to her to be in contact as soon as possible. I appreciate very much all that you have done and are doing for me. I hope to receive a letter from you soon. In the meantime, my wife sends you her best regards, and I send you all my friendship. [Eddie Barclay][•]
The first four discs, Blue Star N° 1 and N° 13 by Eddie Barclay, N°5 and N°16 by Jerry Mengo, all dating from the first sessions in early 1945,[•] come out at the end of this month of October, and are reviewed in Jazz Hot dated November 1946.[•] Probably to accompany those releases comes the return to Le Club of the Eddie Barclay / Jerry Mengo orchestra and “the new jazz singer Eve Williams.”
Review of the first Blue Star record B. S. N°1 Eddie Barclay and His Orchestra:[•]
Blue Star. Eddie Barclay and His Orchestra B.S. N°1 : Body and Soul / You Belong to Me.
La première face fait surtout entendre Bobby Nichols, le trompette de l’orchestre de Glenn Miller qui vint en France au début de 1945, dans le style rhapsodique que jouent les trompettes actuels des grandes formations d’outre-Atlantique. Il joue également dans You Belong to Me, où André Ekyan prend un allègre solo, au style coulant, suivi de Rostaing à la clarinette.
Side one mostly features trumpeter Bobby Nichols who came to France with the Glenn Miller Orchestra early in 1945. He plays in the rhapsodic style of the horns you now hear from big bands across the Atlantic. He also appears in You Belong to Me, where André Ekyan takes a lively solo in a flowing style followed by Rostaing on clarinet.
Review of the Blue Star B.S. N°13 Eddie Barclay and His Orchestra:[•]
Blue Star. Eddie Barclay and His Orchestra B.S. N°13 : I Walk Alone / A Lovely Way To Spend an Evening.
Le même orchestre accompagne ici le sirupeux Johnny Desmond dans deux succès le l'après-guerre. Nous n'avons jamais aimé ce chanteur inexpressif. Laissons-le à ces dames.[!]
Here the same orchestra accompanies the syrupy Johnny Despond in two hits of the post-war years. We never liked this expressionless singer. Let’s leave him to the ladies.[!]
First communiqués via ads inserted in Jazz Hot:
Sponsorship of the 10th “Young Hopefuls” Tournament:
« Le Tournoi du 22 décembre a donné les résultats suivants : …Coupe des Solistes, offerte par les disques « Blue Star » : Raphaël Schecroun (piano)… Nous donnerons dans notre prochain numéro le compte rendu de cette importante manifestation »[•]
“The tournament on December 22 resulted in .... the Soloists’ Cup was awarded by Blue Star Records to Raphaël Schecroun (piano)…. A report of this important event will appear in our next issue.[•]
The below letter to Allan Morrison from Eddie Barclay is the last one held at The New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Paris, December 26, 1946.
unreadable, I would not fail to send you my best wishes for the new coming year. I hope you spent the merriest Christmas that can be.
I received your magazine Ebony, with the Negro Digest, a few days ago. Thanks a lot for them. We have presently in Paris, Don Redman and his Orchestra, with Tyree Glenn who is a wonderful trombone, Peanuts Holland a terrific trumpet, Billy Taylor an amazing pianist. I must say a lot of people and myself have been disappointed by Don Byas. He played terribly cold at the concert given at the Salle Pleyel, ten days ago. He’s got a wonderful technique but he shows it too much. Anyhow we all enjoyed very much that concert and we are very happy to have real good coloured Jazz musicians. Tyree Gleen paid us a visit a week ago. He insisted in borrowing your Ebony, and your Negro Digest. I let him have it for a few days. That will carry me back home he said. I wish you could do me a favor. I would like you note for me the big actuel HITS in the States. Pure Hot Jazz as well as commercial stuff. If that is not asking you too much could you send me the music of these tunes, for big formations. (saxes, trombones, trumpets, rhythm). Could you have us forwarded a few records of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, in that BE-BOP style whose all Jazzmen are talking about here. Would you be interested to have for your magazine pictures of French coloured musicians, playing or chatting around. Some Don Redman guys for instance. (not as French). Many thanks for all this. With all my friendship. E. Barclay[•]
1946 would also show the first signs of a split, with Hugues Panassié’s resignation from Jazz Hot in December.[•]
Allan Morrison, very much a “New Yorker,” couldn’t adapt to life in Chicago and chose to resign. In a letter to John Johnson he explained why:
January 3, 1947 / John H. Johnson / Editor and Publisher / Ebony / 5125 South Calumet Avenue /Chicago, Ill.
Dear John y.
Confirming our conversation this morning I am submitting my resignation as Associate Editor of Ebony-Negro Digest. As I explained to you it has become impossible, for a number of reasons, for me to continue working in Chicago under present conditions. The High Cost of living has become higher during the year I have worked for Ebony-Negro Digest as a result I have found the expenses involved of living in Chicago and maintaining a home in New York prohibitive at present income. My resignation, as we have agreed, will become affective January 17 by which date I expect to have completed work on hand. Naturally, I wish for both magazines long life and increasing success. Particularly do I hope that both Negro Digest and Ebony will develop into even more effective agencies assisting the struggle of the Negro people for an expanding share in American democracy. Sincerely, Allan Morrison.[•]
Ebony executive editor Ben Burns remembered:
Allan turned out to be a choice find indeed, but unhappily he was unwilling to stay in Chicago, in spite of all I could say to persuade him to give up Harlem. One of those urban New Yorkers to whom the rest of the United States is the boondocks, Morrison was morose on the South Side, missing the hectic Harlem life and rich theater and nightclub scene of Broadway. Even though he was paid more at Ebony than he could possibly make working for any Negro newspaper, he still could not tolerate Chicago. His unhappiness, however, was not reflected in his lucid, incisive prose. Despite my frantic appeals, Allan left Ebony in spring of 1947 to return to New York as a freelancer.[[•]] Several years later, when Ebony was able to open a New York bureau, I prevailed upon Allan to rejoin our staff.[[•]] Allan was not only a fine writer but also a scintillating personality….” Ben Burns.[•]
While Eddie Barclay was having no luck with his own plans, Charles Delaunay was hindered by the type of contract that bound him to Pathé Marconi.[•] He arrived back in the USA on 31 December[•] aiming to reach agreement with Victor over the creation of a US version of Swing. He came back empty-handed on 14 February[•] after opposition from E.M.I UK, who argued that European authorities were placing Swing “under administration.[•] ” Another unsuccessful attempt was made on 17 June 1947.[•]
As for Hugues Panassié, he continued towards a split. Panassié was A&R director of the Swing label, and in Delaunay’s absence he recorded Don Byas on Monday 6 January, for Swing[•] and the two following Mondays, 13 & 27 January.[•] He did this for Eddie Barclay, but did not inform Delaunay.[•] A lack of artists available for recording was a problem common to all the labels – none of which had any recourse to artist-exclusivity. The arrival of Don Redman and his musicians, Peanuts Holland, Tyree Glenn, Don Byas, Billy Taylor, Ted Sturgis and Buford Oliver was an opportunity too good to miss.
It was a difficult year for Delaunay, who had to deal with another “betrayal” in the shape of Django Reinhardt. On 16 April 1947,[•] Django played music for Marcel Carné’s film “La Fleur de l’âge” (screenplay by Jacques Prévert); the film remained unfinished but two sides that had been recorded were recovered by the Barclays and issued on the label Blue Star.[•] The imprint had no great names in its stable at the time; two years later the guitarist Django Reinhardt would be the label’s first international star since its inception.
After a second unsuccessful attempt to reach agreement with Victor on the creation of a U.S. Swing company (on 17 June 1947), Delaunay still had EMI to reckon with. He learned in July that a meeting between Barclay, Panassié and someone representing Pathé Marconi had taken place on 9 June, reportedly to discuss distribution of Blue Star as a replacement for Swing.[•]
II
Django Reinhardt “Blues for Barclay”
On July 6 and 18, 1947,[•] Barclay would record the first Blue Star sides by Django Reinhardt with the “Nouveau Quintette.” It was a new “electric” Django who played in total freedom and was filled with new ideas.
Hubert Rostaing:
« Eddie Barclay nous laissait une totale liberté pour choisir les titres enregistrés. Comme cela nous étions très à l’aise car Django n’enregistrait que la musique qu’il aimait ».[•]
“Eddie Barclay gave us a totally free hand to choose the titles we’d record. We were very comfortable with that, because Django only wanted to record music he liked.”
In France, the release of a 78 rpm album by Don Byas in September 1947 produced by Panassié[•] was a first. Another that featured Tyree Glenn would follow (both records made during the sessions on January 13 & 27):
« La firme Blue Star est heureuse de présenter en France les premiers albums de jazz. Leurs tirages limités donneront aux amateurs et collectionneurs internationaux l’assurance de posséder des albums de valeur, présentés par l’éminent critique de jazz Hugues Panassié. Chacun de ces albums contient une session complète d’enregistrements réalisés par les meilleurs solistes américains et continentaux » [•]
“The Blue Star company takes pleasure in introducing the first jazz albums to France. Their limited editions will give international fans and collectors the assurance that they own albums of value presented by the eminent jazz critic Hugues Panassié. Each of these albums contains a complete session of recordings performed by the best American and continental soloists.”
On 20 September 1947, Charles Delaunay wrote a letter denouncing the contract binding him to Hughes Panassié:
“Vous comprendrez dans ces conditions, que je dénonce l’accord du 2 décembre 1937 qui régissait nos rapport et que je poursuive seul l’exploitation de la marque Swing”[•]
“You will understand that under these conditions I am denouncing the agreement of 2 December 1937 that stipulated our relations, and that I shall continue alone in exploiting the brand Swing.”
On 27 September 1947, Charles Delaunay received a visit from Eddie Barclay announcing:
“officiellement son association avec M. Panassié, pour l’exploitation de sa marque Blue Star ”.[•]
“officially announced his association with M. Panassié for the exploitation of his brand Blue Star.”
As for Panassié, he would publicly announce his collaboration with Barclay in his second Bulletin Panassié, writing:
“J’ai donc décidé de transférer mon activité à Blue Star où je retrouverai mon indépendance …” [•]
“I have therefore decided to transfer my activity to Blue Star where I will find my independence again....”
On 2 October 1947, a General Meeting of the Hot Club de France decided to exclude Charles Delaunay.[•]
On 4 October 1947[•] a third session by Django Reinhardt was recorded, still with his “Nouveau Quintette,” following the reopening of the “Barclay’s Club.”
“As soon as the Nicholas Brothers arrived in Paris they came to listen to Django Reinhardt at the ‘Barclay Club.’”..
Rue Pergolèse…. Jean-Marie Masse remembered his first visit in Claude-Alain Christophe’s book “Jazz à Limoges,” after Eddie Barclay showed he was keen to make his acquaintance after their exchanges during the Occupation:
« À l’occasion d’un voyage à Paris, Jean-Marie se rend donc un matin rue Pergolèse, au siège de son entreprise… Sur la porte d’un appartement, Jean-Marie voit une plaque ‹ Disques Blue Star › et sonne. [Jean-Marie Masse]—Je sonne plusieurs fois et vois enfin Eddie ouvrir en robe de chambre, les yeux en couilles d’hirondelle : — Vous désirez ? —Je suis Jean-Marie Masse —Ah, bien entrez. Excusez-nous, on a eu des amis très tard hier soir et on dort encore … Et je vois dans la pièce de ‹ Disques Blue Star ›, un table, un ou deux fauteuils et, dans un coin, une espèce de plumard où Madame Nicole Barclay pionçait encore…»[•]
“So, taking advantage of a trip to Paris, one morning Jean-Marie went over to rue Pergolèse and the company’s headquarters.... On the door of an apartment Jean-Marie could see a plate that said, “Disques Blue Star,” and he rang the bell. [Jean-Marie Masse]—“I rang several times and finally Eddie opened the door in his dressing-gown, his eyes the size of a swallow’s balls. He said, “What do you want? —“My name’s Jean-Marie Masse” —“Ah, well, come in. You’ll have to excuse us, we had friends over until late last night and we were still asleep....” Inside the room that was “Disques Blue Star” there was a table, one or two armchairs and, in one corner, a kind of bed where Madame Nicole Barclay was still fast asleep….”
On November 1st 1947, Panassié rescinded his contract with Swing.[•]
The Blue Star new-release sheet in November announced the first release by Django Reinhardt & The Hot Club de France in December, but it didn’t appear until February 1948.
Rex Stewart and his orchestra in Europe. During December and early in January, Blue Star recorded a concert at Salle Pleyel, produced six sessions with Rex Stewart,[•] and also one afternoon and evening at the Barclay’s Club.[•] The records were issued in the course of 1948 during Rex Stewart’s stay in Europe.
The first advertising insert in the 1947 special issue of “Disques classiques - danses - chanson - jazz,” Armand Panigel’s magazine that marked the return of this referential record-industry publication founded by J-M. Gilbert & Henry-Jacques in 1934. Hugues Panassié had a seat on the editorial committee. The Barclays and Disques magazine would maintain a close and lasting relationship.
On February 22-28, Hugues Panassié and the city of Nice programmed what would be the city’s first International Jazz Festival.
In April, Blue Star released its first record under license from Ross Russell’s label Dial, “Tempo Jazz Men featuring Gabriel” (Dizzy Gillespie), possibly with the aid of Alan Morrison. Blue Star B.S. N° 60 was not the equivalent of the original but a combined selection from Dial 1005 A and 1008 A. The Barclays sub-licensed it to Celson, the young Italian label of Walter & Ernest Guertler, and Tono, the Danish label owned by Erik Ølgaard. The two labels carried the mention “Blue Star Series”, and they would be the Barclays’ first European partners.
Meanwhile, Charles Delaunay and the Hot Club de Paris presented the “La Grande Semaine du jazz” from 11 to 16 May 1948. On May 15 the presence of the “Howard McGhee Sextette Be-Bop” was the chance for Delaunay to make a recording under the supervision of Jean-Jacques Finsterwald, the future general representative of Jazz-Disques in Switzerland,[•] and one of be-bop’s founders (Down Beat would vote him “Best Trumpet" in 1949[•]). Delaunay was still holding the reins at Swing (until 15 June 1948[•]) and in December, together with Léon Cabat and Albert Ferreri, he founded Jazz-Disques; he would reserve this recording for the first serial number of his new label called Vogue (N° 5001). Similarly, on May 18 the Barclays would record (at the same Technisonor studio) the Howard McGhee Sextet under the supervision of Eddie. Nicole would be celebrated in two titles composed by McGhee, namely “Nicole” and “Prelude to Nicole.”
III
Nicole in New York
A major event: on Friday 18 June 1948 Columbia Records introduced its new LP (Long-Playing) Microgroove record at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, New York. (see The Modern LP: https://jazzinfrance.com/modernlp)
The story goes that Allan Morrison sent first a telegram and then made a phone call to alert the Barclays to this revolutionary invention, and persuade them to go to New York. Only Nicole was indeed in New York in the period following the announcement, right in the middle of Columbia’s marketing campaign. The period spanned at least the beginning of August to the beginning of September, as shown by a photograph that appeared in the magazine Jazz News (page 22 N° 2 of Jazz News: Blue Star Revue) dated January 1949, and especially by the account of her stay in the October 1948 issue of Jazz Hot:
De la 52e Rue à Manhattan, Il faut dire que j’ai été assez désappointée, moi qui m’attendais à entendre partout dans la rue de la musique qui me fait plaisir. La 52e rue est maintenant une rue de burlesques; les patrons des clubs ont trouvé qu’il était plus intéressant de faire déshabiller quelques girls bon marché, que de faire jouer des musiciens bop ma foi fort chers. La 52e rue est morte en ce qui concerne la musique de jazz en général et le bop en particulier. Le dernier fortin du be-bop dans la 52e rue est certainement « The Three Deuces ». On peut y entendre un morceau de choix: Oscar Pettiford et son trio. Oscar joue maintenant avec Georges Shearing, le pianiste anglais aveugle au jeu assez inspiré d’Art Tatum, et Max Roach, premier drummer bop. Max ne joue pas depuis longtemps avec Oscar; il a remplacé dans le trio il y a deux semaines Shelly Manne,[[•]] l’ancien drummer de Stan Kenton, qui est considéré comme le meilleur drummer blanc de « New Listen ». (Par « New Listen », il faut entendre : « Bop », ou « Be-Bop », ou « Re-Bop », ou « New Sound »; cette terminologie!). Max Roach fut l’élève de Kenny Clarke, et reste son meilleur ami. Pour Max, le meilleur drummer est Kenny; et pour Kenny le meilleur drummer est Max. Au « Three Deuces », j’ai aussi entendu la formation bop de Red Rodney, dont j’apprécie assez peu le jeu mièvre; heureusement qu’il y a là l’excellent trombone (à pistons) Kai Winding, au style mordant et chaud. Il est certain pourtant que peu de blancs peuvent jouer bop sans que cela semble appris note pour note. À la sortie des « Three Deuces », un bolide a failli m’écraser, ainsi d’ailleurs que Chippie Hill qui ne s’est pas gênée pour déverser des flots d’injures sur le chauffeur. Chippie m’a reconnue et emmenée boire un verre à l’Onyx, où elle chante[[•]], et c’est en subissant les « dégueulandis rapsodiques » de John Hardee que j’ai appris que Chippie adorait Paris (elle qui pourtant n’a pas quitté sa chambre du Claridge) et qu’elle n’aspirait qu’à y retourner. Beryl Booker, John Collins, Slam Stewart et John Lewis arrivèrent juste à temps pour m’emmener au « Chicken Roost », avant que Chippie ne finisse de me raconter les malheurs de sa vie devant un double « Rhum and Coc » (lire Coca Cola). Le « Chicken Roost », alia « Royal Roost », alias « Bopera House », est le centre de ralliement de tous les musiciens et amateurs bop. Un croquignolet petit nain vous reçoit, et vous dirige vers le sanctuaire du « New Listen ». La Première fois, on ne sait pas on s’assoit bien sagement à une table, et l’on subit vingt minutes de chanteur pomadeux [sic] et vingt autres minutes de Charlie Ventura,[[•]] avant de savourer pendant un tout petit quart d’heure Tadd Dameron[[•]] et sa formation. Tadd a vraiment la meilleure section rythmique bop « in town » avec notre ami Kenny Clarke; Fats Navarro, ce merveilleux trompette aux multiples idées et Allan Eager, au jeu inspiré de Lester, sont dans leur meilleure forme. Depuis deux semaines, Charlie Parker est engagé pour jouer avec eux, mais le Bird n’a pas encore trouvé le temps de venir… C’est dommage. La seconde fois, on a compris, et on va en attendant d’écouter religieusement la musique de notre ami Tadd, directement au bar où se réunissent tous les musiciens actuellement « in town ». J’y ai vu d’abord toute la nouvelle génération Bop : Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, le trompette que tout le monde écoute maintenant de préférence à Dizzy comme étant celui qui a vraiment quelque chose de nouveau à dire; Wardell Gray, prodigieux ténor dont tout le new listen parle; Gene Ammons, Howard Mc Ghee (qui monte un grand orchestre de 18 musiciens pour jouer à l’Apollo Theater pendant quelques semaines), et puis aussi Lucky Thompson et le grand Coleman Hawkins, Mr Blues, Ella Fitzgerald et son mari Ray Brown, sans oublier Count Basie qui vient ici en voisin: en effet, le Count joue de l’autre côté de Broadway, juste en face du Bopera, au Strand,[[•]] où il accompagne avec son grand orchestre « the first lady in the song » Billie Holiday. Eh bien, c’est à peu près tout ce qu’on peut entendre ici, down town; ah! pardon, mais ma petite amie Beryl Booker (qui vient de quitter le trio Slam pour jouer toute seule ou peut être, aux dernières nouvelles, avec Oscar) va m’arracher les yeux si je ne parle pas de l’excellent trombone Bennie Green, qui fait partie de l’orchestre Charlie Ventura, et à qui nous devons les moments agréables de cet ensemble. Nicole Barclay[•]
“It has to be said about Manhattan’s 52nd Street that I was rather disappointed.... I had been expecting to hear the music I loved everywhere on the street. Today 52nd Street is a place for strip shows, since club owners have discovered it’s more interesting to get a few girls to take their clothes off on the cheap, than to have bop musicians play there, and let me say they do come expensive. 52nd Street is dead for jazz in general, and bop in particular. The last small fortress of be-bop on 52nd is definitely The Three Deuces, where people can hear a select group: Oscar Pettiford and his trio. Oscar is playing at the moment with Georges Shearing, the blind English pianist whose influence is rather Art Tatum, together with Max Roach, the premier bop drummer. Max hasn’t been playing with Oscar that long: two weeks ago he replaced Shelly Manne in the trio, who used to be with Stan Kenton and was considered the best white “‘New Listen” drummer (and by ‘New Listen’ you have to understand ‘Bop,’ ‘Be-Bop,’ ‘Re-Bop’ or ‘New Sound,’ that’s some terminology!). Max Roach was Kenny Clarke’s pupil and he’s still his best friend. To Max, Kenny is the best, and for Kenny the best drummer is Max. At the Three Deuces I also heard the bop group led by Red Rodney, but I don’t rate his soppy playing; fortunately there’s also the excellent (valve) trombone player Kai Winding, who has a hot, biting style. Even so it’s still obvious that whites can play bop without seemingly learning the tune note by note. Coming out of the Three Deuces, a fast car nearly ran me down, and Chippie Hill too, who didn’t mind pouring insults at the driver.... Chippie recognized me and took me for a drink at the Onyx, where she’s singing, and it was when I was being subjected to the sicky rhapsodies of John Hardee that I learned Chippie just adored Paris (the Chippie who never left her room at The Claridge however....) and hoped for nothing better than to go back there. Beryl Booker, John Collins, Slam Stewart and John Lewis came by just in time to take me over to the Chicken Roost before Chippie finished telling me her sad life story in front of a double ‘rum and coke’ (read Coca Cola). The “Chicken Roost,” alias “Royal Roost” alias “Bopera House,” is the rallying point where all the musicians and bop fans go. A cute little dwarf shows you in, and you make your way to the ‘New Listen’ sanctuary. First time you go there, you don’t know what’s going on, and you quietly take a seat before you suffer twenty minutes of some made-up [sic] singer, then twenty more minutes of Charlie Ventura, before you get to taste Tadd Dameron and his band for a tiny quarter-hour. Tadd really has got the best rhythm section in town, with our friend Kenny Clarke. Fats Navarro, that wonderful trumpet with so many ideas, and Allan Eager, whose playing is inspired by Lester, are in top form. Charlie Parker was booked to play with them two weeks ago but the Bird hasn’t found the time to come over yet.... It’s such a shame. The second time you go in, you know what’s going on, and while you’re waiting to listen to the music of our friend Tadd in religious silence, you go straight to the bar where all the musicians in town gather. That’s where I first saw the whole new bop generation: Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, the trumpeter everyone is listening to now rather than Dizzy.... (Miles) is the one who really has something new to say; Wardell Gray is a prodigious tenor the whole ‘New Listen’ is talking about; there’s Gene Ammons, Howard McGhee (who’s to play at the Apollo Theater for a few weeks), and then there’s also Lucky Thompson and the great Coleman Hawkins, Mr Blues, Ella Fitzgerald and her husband Ray Brown, not forgetting Count Basie who comes like one of the neighbours: because the Count really is just the other side of Broadway, he’s playing opposite the Bopera at the Strand, where he and his orchestra are accompanying the “first lady of song” Billie Holiday. Well, that’s about all you can hear downtown. Oh, pardon me, my good friend Beryl Booker (who just quit Slam’s trio to appear all on her own, or maybe with Oscar like I just heard) will scratch my eyes out if I don’t mention the excellent trombonist Bennie Green, who’s with the Charlie Ventura orchestra and to whom we owe the most pleasant moments of that band.
“During her recent stay in New York, Ms. Nicole Barclay, wife of the Jazz News director (sic), listening to a jam session at the Royal Roost. You can recognise Fats Navarro and Allen Eager in the background.”
Disques magazine was the first to give French readers news of a major event: the introduction of the microgroove LP (Long-Playing) disc:
Éditorial. Réalisations nouvelles: après la « haute fidélité » de la gravure, d’autres progrès en vue... Disques de longue durée. D’Amérique nous parvient, en effet, la nouvelle de la mise dans le commerce--et sur une très grande échelle--d’un nouveau perfectionnement, et non des moindres: le disque de longue durée. Sur un un disque de 30 centimètres en matière plastique d’ailleurs, tournant à 33 tours 1/3 par minutes (au lieu de 78 tours) et grâce a l’emploi d’un « micro-sillon », l’on parvient à graver vingt-cinq minutes de musique par face! Il n’est de mouvement d’une oeuvre, quelque longue qu’elle soit, qui ne puisse ainsi être entendue entièrement sans aucune interruption. Le « Magnificat » de Bach tiendrait tout entier sur deux faces (ou si vous préférez, la « Symphonie inachevée » sur une seule face!) L’apparition de ce disque est la réplique attendue de l’industrie phonographique, aux possibilités commerciales de la bande magnétique, qui avant même d’être mise dans le commerce, voit ainsi sa principale vertu largement dépassée. Sans oublier le facteur économie: ce disque—en matière plastique—est vendu près de 5 dollars! Or il équivaut au moins à quatre disques, de 2 dollars. L’acheteur, aussi bien que l’éditeur, ont donc tout à gagner de ce disque qui risque d’ouvrir enfin l’ère de la musique enregistrée à la portée de tous. On ne doit pas se cacher que ce nouveau disque pose de nombreux problèmes qui entraveront longtemps sa généralisation. Il nécessite un appareil reproducteur spécial, il ne se justifie que pour des oeuvres d’une certaine longueur, et sa fabrication exceptionnellement délicate demande l’installation d’un appareillage complexe. Enfin, et surtout sa vitesse de rotation réduite et son « micro-sillon » interdisent la gravure des fréquences extrême ce qui nous ramène aux techniques antérieures à la haute-fidélité. Mais suivant la formule de nos confrères américains, nous pensons que « cette invention est là pour rester », ne serait-ce que parce qu’elle est « lancée », par l’une des plus importantes sociétés du monde: Columbia de New York… Armand Panigel[•]
Editorial. New products: after “high fidelity” in recording, further progress is in sight.... records with a long playing-time. Indeed, from America comes news of the introduction to the market--and on a very large scale--of a new perfection, and not the least: a long-playing record. On a 30 centimetre disc, made of plastic by the way, and spinning at 33⅓ revolutions per minute (instead of 78), thanks to the use of a “microgroove” they have managed to engrave twenty-five minutes of music per side! In this way there is no movement of a work of music, however long it may be, that cannot be heard entirely with no interruption. The whole of Bach’s “Magnificat” could be contained on two sides (or, if you prefer, the entire “Unfinished Symphony” on a single side!) The appearance of this disc is the response that the record-industry has been waiting for, given the commercial possibilities of magnetic tapes, which even before going on sale now sees its principal virtue largely overtaken. Not forgetting the economic factor: this record--made of plastic--is on sale for almost 5 dollars! And it is worth at least four 2 dollar records. So both buyers and publishers have everything to gain from this record that has the potential to finally open up to everyone the era of recorded music. One shouldn’t hide the fact that this new disc poses numerous problems that will hinder its generalisation for a long time. It necessitates a special machine to reproduce (its sound), is only justified for works of a certain length, and its exceptionally delicate manufacture requires complex machinery to be installed. Finally, and above all, its reduced rotation speed excludes the engraving of extreme frequencies, which takes us back to techniques used before high-fidelity. But according to the formula of our American colleagues, we believe “this invention is here to stay,” if only because it has been “launched” by one of the most important companies in the world, Columbia in New York….
In September, the first releases of the second license, Ivin Ballen’s label Gotham. Blue Star B.S. 82 is not an equivalent but a combination of Gotham 110 A and 108 B.
Between October and the end of November came the first releases of the third licence, Circle, the label owned by Rudi Blesh; then the fourth, Wax, bassist Al Hall’s label; the fifth, Esquire, the label of drummer Carlo Kramer and the collector Peter Newbrook; and the sixth licence, Atlantic, owned by Herb Abramson and Ahmet Ertegun.
Following Dial’s first release in France in May on the Blue Star label, in the USA Dial released two Blue Star sides by Don Byas during the month of December 1948. There again it was not an equivalent but a combination (Blue Star B.S. 25 A and B.S. 45 A).
To accompany the development of the label, Jazz News magazine called “Blue Star Revue” saw the light in December 1948 under the title Noël 1948, N° 1. Eddie Barclay was its general manager. Its publishing was entrusted to the magazine Disques.[•]
Éditorial. C’est une marque de disques bien connue qui s’inscrit sur notre couverture, mais il n’en faudrait pas conclure aussitôt que cette revue contient uniquement une publicité plus ou moins déguisée. Nous ne saurions vous tromper par des procédés si grossiers, et moins encore vous intéresser. Pour conserver à notre rédaction son indépendance, nous avons convenu de répartir le texte en plusieurs rubriques, quitte ensuite à ne pas trop en faire sentir les frontières dans le cours de la présentation. Le fond de la revue se compose d’articles analytiques. Si la musique est une, les avis diffèrent à son sujet; ceci est aussi vrai du critique que de son lecteur. Les seules conditions que nous imposerons à nos collaborateurs seront la compétence, et l’absence de toute intention polémique. On ne peut guère exiger l’impartialité, dont le modèle le plus parfait, hormis Salomon est l’Annuaire du téléphone. Peut-être serons-nous parfois un peu débordés, mais une certaine virulence est tonique, quand elle ne vise pas à engendrer des querelles. Nous présenterons aussi des nouvelles du jazz et une chronique de disques français. Celle-ci est effectué simultanément par deux commentateurs différents: un discophile et un musicien professionnel. La divergence des points de vue sera certainement notable, au plus grand profit du public. La marque Blue Star prendra la parole dans nos pages, pour donner sur ses productions, ses réalisations et ses projets le son de cloche, peu connu, jusqu’à présent, du producteur. Enfin, qu’il soit bien entendu que nous lisons toutes les lettres, et les sollicitons cordialement; mais, de même que nous ne saurions imprimer tous les articles, nous sommes tenus d’appliquer le principe bien connu de mécanique élémentaire: « Deux lettres, de même force et de sens inverse, s’annulent ». La Rédaction (rédigé probablement par Boris Vian)
Le sommaire contient un article co-signé Allan Morrison rédacteur à Ebony et Nicole Barclay, Charlie “Yardbird” Parker: Les goûts éclectiques de Charlie Parker l‘ont amené à la création d’un nouveau style.[•]
Editorial: It’s the name of a well-known record label that’s written on our cover, but you mustn’t immediately leap to the conclusion that this review contains nothing but a more or less disguised advertisement. We wouldn’t want to mislead you in such a crude manner, and even less draw your attention. To keep our editorial independence we agreed to spread the text over several sections, even if it implied not making its borders felt too much during the presentation. The review is basically made up of articles that are analytical. While there is only one music, opinions on the subject of it differ; this is as true of critics as it is of our readers. The only conditions that we impose on our collaborators are competence and the absence of any intent to cause controversy. One can hardly demand impartiality, of which the most perfect example, excepting Solomon, is the phone-book. Maybe sometimes we’ll overreach ourselves a little, but a certain virulence can be a tonic when it doesn’t aim to provoke a quarrel. We’ll also be presenting jazz news and a section reviewing French records. The reviews will be produced simultaneously by two separate commentators: a record fan and a professional musician. Diverging opinions will definitely be notable and of great benefit to the public. The Blue Star label will have its say in our pages, and this will provide an echo of its productions, releases and projects from the producer’s perspective, about which little has been known until now. Finally, you should know that we are reading all your letters and we cordially invite you to continue writing in to us; but in the same way as it is impossible for us to print all the articles we receive, we shall be respecting a sound principle of elementary mechanics: “Two letters of equal and opposite force cancel each other out.” Signed, the Editor (probably written by Boris Vian).
In the Contents summary, an article cosigned by “Ebony” editor Allan Morrison and Nicole Barclay: “Charlie “Yardbird” Parker: The eclectic tastes of Charlie Parker have brought him to the creation of a new style.”
The Jazz News review numbered only eleven issues and ceased publication in June 1950. It had probably fallen victim to the workload it represented for the editors, or else it was due to sabotage, as Eddie Barclay and Boris Vian told Michel Netter in a radio interview on the programme “Carrefour du jazz” on Saturday, 30 May 1959:[•]
Michel Netter --Nous parlons surtout en ce moment d’Eddie Barclay éditeur de disques, mais je crois que vous aviez aussi des activités annexes, une revue de jazz? Eddie Barclay —-On avait, monté nous avions (rires) avec l’ami Boris une revue merveilleuse qui s’appelait Jazz News. Pour mieux se rendre compte il faut vraiment prendre un exemplaire, parce que… c’est assez incroyable comme revue. On parlait de jazz d’une façon très sérieuse, mais la présentation, les photos, la conception même de ce petit opuscule était vraiment quelque chose de délirant (rires). Boris j’aimerais bien que tu en parles deux minutes parce que… Boris Vian —-C’est un de mes grands… c’est pas un grand remord vis à vis d’Eddie mais c’est une de mes grandes admirations parce qu’il avait déjà lancé cette petite revue qui marchait pas mal qui était assez bien faite, et puis il m’a demandé d’en assumer la rédaction en chef et à partir de ce moment là ça a duré trois numéros… (rires). Je dois avouer que je me suis livré là à quelques expériences typographiques assez saignantes… Je me rappelle d’une page dont la composition avait été jouée au dé entre le typo… entre le secrétaire de rédaction… entre le rédacteur en chef c’était absolument incroyable il y avait des photos dans tous les sens à l’envers, à l’endroit, il y avait la moitié d’une photo en page 2, on disait pour la suite pour voir les jambes de madame untel, reportez-vous à la page 13, quelque chose comme ça, enfin c’était assez insensé. Je me rappelle un autre numéro, en bas de chaque page il y avait, je ne sais pas, l’oeil de Moscou décline toute responsabilité tant à la teneur du présent numéro, à la page suivant il y avait Paul Reynaud décline toute responsabilité… (rires) toute une série comme ça, était absolument démoniaque. On a bien ri, alors là j’avoue que j’ai beaucoup admiré Eddie parce que il a vu son tirage baisser, mais alors en ligne droite, vraiment à la verticale, comme ça le faisait rire il a continué, (Eddie Barclay: Les conseils de rédactions, ça, ça valait la peine) on a continué jusqu’a la mort, qui n’a pas tardé. Eddie Barclay —-Les gens qui veulent nous confier quelque revue à liquider (rires) nous sommes spécialistes! (rires)
Michel Netter — We’re speaking now to Eddie Barclay the record producer, but I think you’ve also had another activity, with a jazz magazine? Eddie Barclay--I started, or we started, rather (laughter), with my friend Boris here, a marvellous review under the title “Jazz News.” For a better understanding of it, people should really pick up a copy of it, because it’s.... it’s a rather incredible magazine. We talked about jazz in a very serious way, but its presentation, the photos, the very conception of this little opuscule even, was really quite hallucinating (laughter). Boris, I’d like you to say something for a couple of minutes because.... Boris Vian--It’s one of my great.... I feel no great remorse towards Eddie, but I do feel great admiration for his effort, because he’d already launched this little magazine and it was doing quite well. It was rather well produced, and then he asked me to become its Editor-in-Chief; from then on it lasted three issues.... (laughter). I must confess I had a few typographical experiences with it where I almost bled to death.... I remember one page we had to compose by rolling the dice between us: the typesetter, the editor’s secretary and the chief editor. Because it was all absolutely incredible. There were photos all over the place, some backwards and some the right way up; there was half of one photo on page two, and we were saying that to see the legs of madam what’s-her-name, please turn to page thirteen, or words to that effect. Anyway, it was totally crazy. I remember another issue where the bottom of every page had, I don’t know, “our little spy declines all responsibility for the content of the present issue,”.... (laughter). There was a whole series of things like that, it was absolutely diabolical. We had so many laughs, and there I must admit having great admiration for Eddie, because he could see the circulation dropping – I mean in a straight line, it was really vertical--and since it made him laugh he carried on.... (Eddie Barclay: “The advice the editors were giving me stemmed the bleeding”) .... we continued to the death, which wasn’t long in coming.Eddie Barclay--Anybody who wants us to sink a magazine for them (laughter), we’re specialists! (laughter)
It was a calendar coincidence: the divorce between Edouard Ruault and Michelle Barraud was pronounced on 15 December 1948,[•] the same date as the new record company Jazz-Disques (founded by Charles Delaunay, Léon Cabat and Albert Ferreri) registered the label Jazz Selection at the Chamber of Commerce under the N°344.602 B.[•]
In the second issue of Jazz-News, Nicole Barclay gave some details of her activity in an article headlined, “Did you know that... American records are being issued in France?
« Savez-vous que… …les disques américains paraissent en France? » Depuis quelques mois vous avez pu vous apercevoir que la marque Blue Star faisait un réel effort pour l’apparition sur le marché européen d’enregistrements réalisés en Amérique. Un grand nombre d’amateurs de jazz nous ayant écrit pour nous demander non seulement la provenance des enregistrements, mais aussi les futures parutions dignes d’intérêt nous pouvons vous donner les détails suivants: La marque Blue Star a acquis les droits exclusifs pour un grand nombre d’enregistrements des marques suivantes: Dial.-- La principale marque américaine spécialisée dans la musique be bop. Son directeur, Ross Russell, est un des pionniers des plus actifs du bop… Circle.—-Spécialisé dans la musique New-Orléans. Son directeur, Rudi Blesh, fut l’initiateur de Radio Show bien connu « This Is Jazz ». C’est Circle qui publie an Amérique les Claude Luter et Claude Bolling parus en Blue Star… Atlantic.--Une toute nouvelle marque orientée vers ce qu’il est convenu d’appeler la « Progressive Music »… Wax.--Une très sympathique et jeune marque de jazz qui nous a permis de faire paraître un excellent disque par le Al Hall Quintet, avec Ben Webster … Nous allons faire paraître très prochainement de chez Wax quelques faces de Bill Coleman de la meilleure qualité. Nous parlerons dans le prochain numéro des diverses autres marques intéressant les amateurs. Nicole Barclay[•]
For a few months now you will have noticed that the Blue Star label has been making a real effort to see the release in Europe of records made in America. A great number of jazz fans have written to us asking not only where the recordings have come from, but also about future releases of interest, and so we can give you the following details: the Blue Star label has acquired exclusive rights to a great number of recordings made for the following labels: Dial—the main American label specialising in bop music. Its director Ross Russell is one of the most active pioneers in bop; Circle—a New Orleans music specialist. Its director Rudi Blesh was behind the well know radio show “This Is Jazz.” In America, Circle is the label issuing the Claude Luter and Claude Bolling records issued by Blue Star…; Atlantic—a brand new label oriented towards what people are usually calling “Progressive Music”; Wax—a very nice young jazz label that has allowed us to release an excellent recording by the Al Hall Quintet with Ben Webster…. Very soon we shall be releasing a few Bill Coleman sides of excellent quality from Wax. In our next issue we will be talking about various other labels of interest to fans.
In these early days of the year ’49, the Barclays were extending their catalogue, and after Riviera, devoted to popular music, they presented a new classical music label, Classic, and it was Armand Panigel of course who spread the news in his magazine Disques:
Éditorial. Où est le Progrès? Il n’est, aujourd’hui, de progrès que dans l’élargissement des catalogues… par ailleurs, nous sommes heureux d’accueillir dans le monde de la musique classique enregistrée, la nouvelle marque: Classic, qui vient de se présenter au public par la publication simultanée de quatre ou cinq oeuvres de première importance, allant de Mozart à Bartok. Cette jeune marque, soeur puînée de la marque de jazz Blue Star, qui en quelques mois a pris une position de premier plan dans son domaine, se propose d’enregistrer en France quelques-unes des oeuvres de musique de chambre, absentes de nos catalogues, et en même temps de diffuser sous son étiquette les plus réussies des réalisations de certaines marques étrangères. D’ores et déjà, deux enregistrements italiens sont ainsi mis à notre disposition et l’on nous annonce, pour très bientôt, des éditions françaises de quelques enregistrements américains de première importance, cependant que les enregistrements réalisés en France seront publiés dans les principaux pays étrangers. Se situant d’emblée sur le terrain international. Cette jeune marque doit sans doute aller vers un brillant avenir … Armand Panigel [•]
Editorial. Where does progress lie? Today the only progress seen is in catalogue expansion.... and in passing, we are pleased to welcome the new label Classic to the world of classical music recordings, a label that has just introduced itself to the public in releasing four or five major works that range from Mozart to Bartok. This infant label--a younger sister to the jazz label Blue Star, which in a few months has come to the forefront in its own field--is proposing French recordings of some chamber music works that are absent in our catalogues, and at the same time it is to release under its own label some of the most successful productions of certain foreign labels. Two Italian recordings are already available to us, and it has been announced that very soon we shall see French releases of some major American recordings, while recordings made in France will be issued in major foreign territories. From the outset, Classic has positioned itself in the international sphere. This young label is no doubt heading for a brilliant future….
The Paris International Jazz Festival was beginning to take shape. In mid-February[•] Charles Delaunay arrived in the U.S. Anne Legrand:
«...[pour remettre] officiellement la plaque d’honneur du référendum Down Beat à Charlie Parker le 21 février 1949 à New York durant une émission télévisée en direct depuis les studios de la WPIX où le saxophoniste be bop joue pour la première fois avec son confrère de La Nouvelle Orleans. Delaunay, voulant renouveler cette rencontre à Paris, commence, avant son départ, à préparer la venue des musiciens en France pour son prochain festival…» Anne Legrand [•]
“officially giving Charlie Parker the Down Beat referendum shield of honour on 21 February 1949 in New York (during a live television show from the WPIX studios where the bebop saxophonist played with his colleague from New Orleans for the first time.) Before his departure, Delaunay, who wanted to renew this encounter in Paris, began preparing the musicians’ visit to France for his upcoming festival….”
The 1949 Paris International Jazz Festival 1949 planned for May 8-15 is a “unitary” co-production composed of:
« -—Les Spectacles Internationaux de Monte-Carlo, représentés par notre ami Pierre-Louis Guérin. -—Les Productions Blue Star et Mercury Record Corporation représentés par Eddie Barclay. -—Frank Bauer qui assure la lourde tâche de Commissaire général. -—Jazz Parade organisation de concerts de jazz représenté par son directeur M. Betel. Et enfin, le Hot Club de Paris, représenté par son directeur, notre camarade Charles Delaunay. Ce groupe d’organisateurs ne peut que se féliciter d’avoir entrepris, d’un commun accord, un festival qui montrera à tous l’activité que déploie la France pour la réalisation et la présentation des plus grands concerts internationaux ».[•]
“The ‘Spectacles Internationaux’ of Monte--Carlo represented by our friend Pierre-Louis Guérin; Blue Star Productions and the Mercury Record Corporation represented by Eddie Barclay; Frank Bauer, who assumes the onerous task of General Commissaire; the Jazz Parade jazz concert organisation represented by its director M. Betel; and finally the Hot Club de Paris, represented by its director, our comrade Charles Delaunay. This group of organisers can only congratulate itself on agreeing to undertake a festival that will show everyone the activity deployed in France to produce and present the greatest international concerts.”
Billy Shaw of Shaw Artists Corporation was the booker for the American musicians.[•]
The first appearance of the seventh license, Manor, and Regis, the labels of Irving Berman.
Despite all this activity, the “Club” of Eddie Barclay continued to make people dance, this time at the famous “Boeuf Sur Le Toit.”
« Amateurs de jazz. Tout les dimanches vous danserez au Boeuf sur le toit, 34, rue du Colisée ou Eddie Barclay vous recevra dans son Club de 16h. à 19h. 15. Jam-Session avec George Johnson, Hubert Rostaing, Jimmy Woody et J.[ean]-C.[laude] Forenbach, etc. »[•]
“Jazz fans. Every Sunday you’ll be dancing at the Boeuf Sur Le Toit, 34, rue du Colisée, where Eddie Barclay welcomes you to his Club from 4pm to 7.15pm. Jam-Session with George Johnson, Hubert Rostaing, Jimmy Woody and J.[ean]-C.[laude] Fohrenbach, etc.”
Meanwhile, Nicole Barclay had arrived in the U.S. where she was due to meet Norman Granz to conclude a license deal that would turn out to be of capital importance for the company.[•]
“In March 1949, the French record producer Nicole Barclay--who along with her husband, the bandleader and pianist Eddie, had formed Blue Star Records in Paris in 1946—-caught up with Granz at a JATP concert in Pittsburgh[[•]]. Granz, a leading A&R man for Mercury Records at the time[[•]] signed off on a preliminary deal with the label to manufacture and distribute JATP singles and albums on Mercury in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Belgium.” Tad Hershorn [•]
On March 12 Charles Delaunay returned to Paris.[•] He saw his New Hot Discography become one of the “best twelve American books of the year” (1948) awarded by the Music Library Association of America (the only book on popular music mentioned[•]), and among other things, he signed a deal with Apollo Records[•] “and gave his New York friend Walter Schapp a mandate to negotiate contracts for the “Paris International Jazz Festival” (by power of attorney signed on 12 March 1949).”[•]
Nicole also had to “pursue the conversations begun by Charles Delaunay” with the musicians planned for the Festival.
« Savez vous que… » « Au cours de son séjour aux U.S.A., Nicole Barclay a pris sous contrat pour le festival de jazz, Sidney Bechet, Mary Lou Williams et a poursuivi les conversations entamées par Charles Delaunay avec les solistes prévus pour cette grande manifestation ».[•]
“Did you know that...” “In the course of her stay in the USA, Nicole Barclay signed contracts for Sidney Bechet and Mary Lou Williams to play at the Jazz Festival, and pursued the conversations begun by Charles Delaunay with the soloists due to appear at this great event.”
On March 23 Nicole Barclay returned to Paris,[•] her missions accomplished:
“Pond Hop Eyed by Granz Jazz Troupe, Disks,” “Chicago, April 9.--Norman Granz is planning to take his Jazz at the Philharmonic group and his JATP disks into Europe, with a business trip already set for early summer, Granz, Mercury Records’ jazz a.-and-r. chief, said that Mme. Nicole Barclay, of Blue Star, French record firm, visited him last month in Pittsburgh and a preliminary deal has been set, whereby Blue Star would peddle the JATP Mercury singles and albums in France, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium. During his trip, Granz will contact record reps for other European countries outside the Blue Star coverage and explore possibilities of touring his JATP troupe. Granz said that JATP had two previous offers, but bids were shaky because of financial conditions in Europe, so the offers were refused. Because of his increased activity as both a jazz impresario and record rep, Granz says that he is setting up definite advance plans for both Mercury JATP releases and p.-a. tours. Both the forthcoming tours and JATP albums will be released on a four-time per year basis. His next tour, which will last 10 weeks, will start in September JATP hegira will carry the same personnel as the last four, with Flip Philips, Coleman Hawkins and Ella Fitzgerald again getting top billing. Two of the newcomers uncovered for the JATP tour, Sonny Criss, alto, and Tommy Turk, trombone, will be cut soon for exclusive Mercury disking.[•]
The deal with Norman Granz had also opened a collaboration with Mercury since Norman Granz's Clef label was a division of Mercury Records,[•] and in April 1949, Blue Star presented the first Mercury records of Keynote origin on the label Mercury. Keynote Records was purchased in March 1948 by Mercury.[•]
Two Circle recordings also, this tie on the original label contrary to previous issues on Blue Star.
The Festival 49 special issue of Jazz News opened with a record--insert marked “Grand Concours Blue Star, disque N° 125.” This competition, with nothing to follow it up, and no results published in the next issues of Jazz News either, makes us think the insert was actually a teaser. Tony Baldwin has a copy of this rare record. His own observations tell us:
"Blue Star #125 is intriguing on many levels. According to the electroplating figures in the wax (M6-117331/3) one can see that it was processed at the Chatou-sur-Seine pressing plant around December 13, 1948. Therefore the recording itself was obviously made earlier than that. You can also see the so-called "PART" numbers, which are what Pathé-Marconi assigned to any external order. Yet the matrix numbers (1139-S/1141-S) hand-written in the wax do not correspond to any French studio or matrix series that I recognise. Besides, the figures seem to be written in a U.S. or British hand rather than a French one (i.e.: a single stroke for "1", and a "9" without a tail). So, is this really a Paris session?” Tony Baldwin”[•]
That information led us to the American label Manor, the object of a recent deal for the Barclays with the first releases coming in March that year. It was an American session for Manor dated 27 May 1945. The Blue Star A-side title is “Mervel Falls In,” released only in the USA on Manor 2000 as the A-side by the “Manor All Stars”[•]; the Blue Star B-side title is “Pale Shades Of The Count,” Manor 2001 “Roy Stevens And The All Stars” (never published at the time). The personnel for the session is as follows: Kai Winding, Roy Stevens, Ray Turner, Fred Otis, Turk Van Lake, Fred Hoehler and Charlie Perry. A complete session of four titles was released in 1977, this time under Kai Winding’s name, LP Xanadu 124 “Bebop Revisited, Vol. 2.” Nowhere to be found, in other words. As for the subsidiary question nowhere to be found also because they are the originals.... The perfect teaser!
Finally, after being announced last September, with the first Classic releases that were to follow Riviera, people rediscovered Blue Star’s first European partners, the Italian label Celson.
The month’s main event was of course the International Jazz Festival, and Jazz Hot published a special issue rich in biographies and articles on the musicians who were present.
The Billboard provided some additional information:
“Billy Shaw Confounds Paree with Le Jazz Hot et le Jazz Old Hat.” New York, May 7.—Jazz will have its day in France when the annual International Jazz Festival gets under way Monday (9) in Paris at the Salle Pleyel. The clambake, which goes on for a week and spots a series of eight concerts by hot tootles of seven nations, will spotlight a contingent of American jazzmen rounded up for the affair by Billy Shaw, head of the new Shaw Artists Corporation (SAC). The Yank group, which includes types running from the extreme bopster to the old-hat Dixieland proponent, will realize a net of some $6,800 for the week’s efforts. All expenses and transportation fees are being paid for the sponsors of jazz week. Sponsors include the Spectacles International of Monte Carlo, Blue Star Records, the Jazz Parade and Charles Delauney’s Hot Club of Paris. The annual affair is endorsed by the city government of Paris. Participating nations, aside from the United States and France, include England, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. U.S. Reps: Representing Uncle Sam in the series of concerts will be Charlie Parker, Kenny Dorham, Al Haig, Tommy Potter, Max Roach, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Hot Lips Page, Sidney Bechet, Big Chief Russell Moore, Jimmy McPartland, Don Byas, Bill Coleman and Rex Stewart. The latter three tootles have been in Europe for some time and will join the remainder of the American on their arrival. They left New York by plane Thursday (5) with Shaw’s assistant, Billie Miller, supervising the trip. France will be represented by Claude Luter, Aimé Barelli, André Ekyan, Hubert Rostaing, J. C. Fohrenbach, Leo Chauliac, Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. England’s hot tootler contingent will include Vic Lewis’ ork and Carlo Krahmer, Switzerland’s group includes the Hazy Osterwald Quintet and Ernst Hollerhagen. Belgium is represented by Toots Thielemans Trio and the Bop-shots. Italy’s emissary is Armando Trovajoli, while Sweden was due to send an all-star group.[•]
And on Thursday May 5, 1949 the Air France Constellation F-BAZI flight N° 008/90, takes off from Idlewild, New York USA to Orly, Paris France. The poole Miller (Billie Miller) on board: Sidney Bechet; Kenneth Clarke; Tadley Dameron; Margaret Dameron; Miles Davis; Kenny Dorham; Alan Haig; Russell Moore; Oran Page; Charles Parker Jr.; Charles Potter; Maxwell Roach.[•]
First three chapters. Others to follow will be devoted to the Paris Festival, the couple’s first trip to New York, the coming of the LP….