Barney Wilen
Born in Nice in 1937 to a French mother and an American father, he left France with his family in 1940 and spent the next six years in America, where an uncle gave him a saxophone. He also possessed an inquiring and unorthodox mind, and was keen to
venture beyond the confines of an idiom he had so quickly masteredHis style was never one that cried out for attention, but it evolved
into an approach that could hold its own among the hard-bop giants of
the day, such as Roy Haynes, Milt Jackson and Donald Byrd, with whom he
also recorded during the 1950s.
Born in Nice in 1937 to a French mother and an American father, he left France with his family in 1940 and spent the next six years in America, where an uncle gave him a saxophone. He also possessed an inquiring and unorthodox mind, and was keen to
venture beyond the confines of an idiom he had so quickly masteredHis style was never one that cried out for attention, but it evolved
into an approach that could hold its own among the hard-bop giants of
the day, such as Roy Haynes, Milt Jackson and Donald Byrd, with whom he
also recorded during the 1950s.
Jazz Sur Seine
A fantastic early recording from the great French tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen – best known as an artist who recorded famously in the soundtrack world of the French new wave, and with Art Blakey – but who's even more striking here on a rare small combo date from the 50s! The session's a monster – cut with rhythmic backing by Milt Jackson on piano (!?), Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – and two cuts feature additional percussion by Gana M'Bow, which gives the set a wonderful kick…
Moshi
Much needed repress. Originally issued by the seminal imprint Saravah in 1972, and among the most uncategorizable and sought after artefacts of the French avant-garde, Barney Wilen’s Moshi is nothing short of a masterpiece - long holding a coveted spot in the hearts of adventurous listeners and record collectors alike. A wild unkept cultural collage. A series of sonic experiments. A spiritual, psychedelic pilgrimage into the unknown - darting from one continent to the next, each of its tangents …