Maurice Vander started as a jazz pianist in 1950, playing at Club Saint Germain, where he had replaced Eddie Bernard. He then left for military service. On his return fourteen months later, he played with Roger Guérin, and later with Bobby Jaspar, with whom he went to Tahiti in 1952 to stay for a year, playing middlejazz in outdoor dances.

In 1953, he returned to Paris to work with Django Reinhardt (with whom he made his first record), then with Clifford Brown. He also recorded with Jimmy Raney, played with Aimé Barelli, and then joined André Ekyan’s group at Maxim’s. “Then I had the opportunity to record with Henri Crolla, and then under my own name for Vega when the label was just starting out; in 1955-56 I toured with Chet Baker in Europe, and then Stéphane Grappelli took me to Hamburg.

“1957 was a big turning point in my life. I met Maria Vincent, a singer for whom I would become an accompanist. In her, I found my soul-sister. We left and traveled the Middle East for two years: Istanbul, Tehran, Cairo…”

Back in Paris, Vander worked at the Blue Note club, shortly after it had opened. There he formed a trio with Pierre Michelot and Kenny Clarke. Their stay had really successful moments, and ran from 1959 until 1962, with daily performances where they alternated with the featured American guest of the week. In November 1960, Maurice Vander—one of the most prominent jazz pianists in Europe at the time—joined forces with the talents of Michelot and Clarke. The trio was warmly acclaimed by the audience at the “Blue Note”, and that good response led to the recording of these excellent live performances. There is no doubt that Vander, Michelot and Clarke were truly “three of a kind”.

Jordi Pujol
(Taken from the liner notes of "Jazz At The Blue Note" · FSRCD 952)