Personnel:
Géo Daly (vib), Fred Gerard, Bernard Hulin, Jean Liesse (tp), Bill Tamper, André Paquinet, Charles Verstraete, Benny Vasseur, Gaby Vilain (tb), Francis Weisc (cl, as), Marcel Cauvin, Claude Marchand (as), André Ross (ts), Michel de Villers, Pierre Guillotin (bs), Christian Chevallier, Raymond Le Senechal (p), Mimi Perrin (p, vcl), René Duchaussoir, Pierre Cullaz (g), Alix Bret, Jacques Perrin (b), Bernard Planchenault, Jean-Pierre Drouet (d)
Reference: FSRCD 1086
Bar code: 8427328610865
Fresh Sound Records presents:
Rare and Obscure Jazz Albums
A CD series created for the most discerning jazz collectors
· Hard to find albums in Collector's Edition
· 2 Original releases on 1 CD
· Original Cover Art, Liner Notes
· Complete Personnel Details
· Mono Recordings
· Newly Remastered in 24-Bit
Vibraphonist Géo Daly was one of the defining voices of post war French jazz. With brilliant technique, a bright, propulsive sound,and a constant urge to evolve, he established himself in the late 1940s as France’s leading vibraphonist, bringing to the instrument both the exuberance of Lionel Hampton and a modern European sensibility of his own. After early success with the celebrated Edwards Band, Daly became a central figure at La Rose Rouge, the legendary Saint-Germain-des Prés cabaret at the heart of Parisian nightlife.
The recordings gathered here capture Daly at his peak: vibrant, inventive, and irresistibly swinging. Joined by a remarkable cast—including Michel de Villers, Christian Chevallier, Bill Tamper, André Ross, Alix Bretand, Bernard Planchenault—he evoques the sound of a Paris where jazz flourished until dawn.
Released in 1958, Dancing-Party at Saint-Germain-des-Prés captures the vibrant spirit of Parisian jazz at a defining moment. The álbum introduced two rising talents of the French scene: pianist and Singer Mimi Perrin, later internationally acclaimed with Les Doublé Six, and guitarist Pierre Cullaz, whose refined playing would make him one of France’s leading jazz guitarists.
With a lively blend of swing, chanson atmosphere, and Left Bank sophistication, these recordings evoke the clubs and cabarets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where modern French jazz found its own voice. A rare and charming snapshot of an era, this album stands today as both a musical delight and an important historical document.
—Jordi Pujol
"If you think all of today's jazz sounds the same, you’re probably correct as there are more imitators now than creators. Spain’s Fresh Sound Records looks forward by looking back to a day when artists painted with different colored brush, both in the US and abroad.
It was definitely April in Paris when Frenchy Geo Daly/vib teamed up with Christian Chevalier/p, Alix Bret/b, Bernard Planchenault/dr, André Ross/ts, Bill Tamper/tb and Michel de Villers/bar for some chestnuts in blossom on this 1953 sesion. Daly’s vibes hint at Milt Jackson on a lovely “Day Dream” while Chevalier’s material such as “Prez Wiggins” and “Cat Trick” have a full bodied bounce. A larger ensemble sounds like the background for a film on “The Day of the Fog” and “ The Night of the Cat”, with vocalist Mimi Perrin accompanying herself on piano with a team of Claude Marchand/as, Pierre Cullaz/g, Jacques Perrin/b and Jean -Pierre Drouet/dr with a June Christy ish coo on “How About You”, “Fine and Dandy” and a peppy “Just One Of Those Things”. Bop with a beret."
—George W. Harris (June 22, 2026)
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