It was in Paris that
John Lewis
co-led this 1956 date with
Sacha Distel
, a French guitarist who never became well-known in the U.S. but commanded a lot of respect in French jazz circles. The same can be said about the other French players employed on
Afternoon in Paris
-- neither tenor saxophonist
Barney Wilen
nor bassist
Pierre Michelot
were huge names in the U.S., although both were well-known in European jazz circles. With
Lewis
on piano,
Distel
on guitar,
Wilen
on tenor,
Michelot
or
Percy Heath
on bass, and
Kenny Clarke
Connie Kay
on drums, the part-American, part-French group of improvisers provides an above-average bop album that ranges from
"Willow Weep for Me,"
"All The Things You Are,"
and
"I Cover the Waterfront"
to
Milt Jackson
's
"Bags' Groove"
' title song. The big-toned
was only 19 when
was recorded, but as his lyrical yet hard-swinging solos demonstrate, he matured quickly as a saxman. It should be noted that all of the Americans on this album had been members of
the Modern Jazz Quartet
; the only
MJQ
member who isn't on board is vibist
Jackson
. ~ Alex Henderson