Jean-Michel Davis Quintet
This n’ That

Cross those sticks and strike them vibes, far from me to tell you lies…
Jean-Michel has been our road companion for more adventures than I can remember, since Le Chicot à bois sec, les Primitifs du Futur etc. just name it.
When he joined our family of musicians, Jean-Michel had Berklee School labels stuck on his instrument cases, impressive and even more chic than the CIM (famous jazz school in Paris).
He had spent many years in Manhattan as a waiter in the local restaurants, working by day to pay for his studies, then by night, organizing jams, encountering Pat Metheny, Gary Burton or Vernell Fournier, the historic drummer of Ahmad Jamal’s trio.
For bio loving fans, check out his website or Wikipedia, I won’t say more…
Jean-Michel remains a musician who values the notion of “profession”, the “Spiel” says Daniel Colin, our great common friend, a state of mind that has changed quite a bit in recent times.

Little by little he has gathered the elements of his universe to build his own combo surrounded by talented musicians. Here he is on his favorite path, fragrantly fifties, we think of George Shearing’s 5tets, jazz of course, but with a latino touch à la Cal Tjader, with an occasional professed taste for easy listening music.
In this last opus he was keen to work together with his daughter Juliette Pearl, also a trumpet player but here a vocalist, and our companion Daniel Huck, a saxophonist but here a singer/scatter. A lovely contrast: freshness/innocence for Juliette Pearl and experience/gentle passion for Daniel.
His album contains some covers of course, but also some personal compositions that reveal his “inner music” and reflect the different periods of his life as a musician.
Not bad for a man, a drummer, who started with snare drum rolls behind the acrobatic acts in the Achille Zavatta circus. Ah, the vision of the sculptural trapeze artists in sequins, we never completely recover…
Dom Cravic, February 2022   
© Frémeaux & Associés 2022

After exploring light music in Forgotten Dreams* with the Novelty Fox ensemble, and after creating the Ethereal Vibes quartet in a post-bop aesthetic for the realization of Vibraphone Jazz*, I wanted to continue the adventure with Julien Charlet, Raphaël Schwab and Frédéric Loiseau, by asking the pianist Patrick Villanueva to join the combo. In an effort to produce a jazz record accessible to all, I was eager to invite two vocalists that I particularly appreciate: Juliette Pearl Davis and Daniel Huck. To bring his color to two selections of the proposed collection, the flutist Hubert de Villèle also joined the team.
The goal of This n’That is to bring together beautiful melodies, adapted from personal compositions and timeless standards, and to present solos of controlled length, allowing each soloist to express himself.
This n’That reflects a personal evolution towards a more modern expressive style that is nevertheless rooted in swing jazz. The instrumentation produces rich and varied tones and draws on standards from the Broadway Songbook or from composers/songwriters such as Dana Suesse, George Gershwin, Bronislau Kaper, Kurt Weil and Arthur Schwart. These references are also accompanied by what great figures such as Charles Trenet and Serge Gainsbourg have brought to jazz. This patchwork corresponds to my wandering nature and to the pleasure I have in associating varied traditions. In addition, Thomas Vingtrinier’s sharp and reactive engineering closely follows the action and “live” performances of the outstanding musicians who continually provided their expert accompaniment. This record could have been called Jean-Michel Davis and Friends.
Finally, this new creation is one more step in a fruitful collaboration with Frémeaux et Associés and places this project in an artistic and collaborative process so important to me.
Jean-Michel Davis
© Frémeaux & Associés 2022

The arrangements are by Jean-Michel Davis.
The flute counterpoint on the last two sections of La Javanaise was transcribed from the version sung by Serge Gainsbourg and arranged by the Englishman Harry Robinson.
The arrangement of Poésie is by Les Movies Swingers*, with special thanks to François Fichu, Charly Cohen and Daniel Colin.
The end of the solo section of Feelin’ Good is a transcription of the last eight bars of vibraphonist’s Victor Feldman solo, on the eponymous track, in the audio accompanying the collection Mallets In Wonderland, published by Kendor Music, Inc.


* Forgotten Dreams Jean-Michel Davis présente Novelty Fox - Frémeaux et Associés Réf. : FA507
* Vibraphone Jazz Jean-Michel Davis & Ethereal Vibes - Frémeaux et Associés Réf. : FA8534
* Jazz versions from the big and small screen repertoire Les Movies Swingers - Frémeaux et Associés Réf. : FA440





This n’That

1.    Chasin’A Dream    3’16
    (Jean-Michel Davis) - éd. Frémeaux & Associés
2.    You And The Night And The Music    4’46
    (Arthur Schwartz - Howard Dietz)
3.    Feelin’ Good    3’59
    (Victor Feldman) - éd. Kendor Music, Inc.
4.    Poésie    3’21
    (Charles Trenet)
5.    La Javanaise    3’40
    (Serge Gainsbourg)
6.    Liebeslied    3’17
    (Kurt Weill)
7.    Embraceable You    4’56
    (George & Ira Gershwin) -
    éd. New World Music Corp., N.Y.
8.    Song For Raphaël    4’47
    (Jean-Michel Davis) - éd. Frémeaux & Associés
9.    On Green Dolphin Street    4’29
    (Bronislau Kaper)
10.    My Silent Love    3’54
    (Dana Suesse - Edward Heyman)
11.    No Regrets    4’16
    (Jean-Michel Davis) - éd. Frémeaux & Associés


Jean-Michel Davis Quintet
featuring Juliette Pearl Davis & Daniel Huck
Jean-Michel Davis, vibraphone, marimba (2, 5), xylophone (3), glockenspiel (7).
Frédéric Loiseau, guitare.
Raphaël Schwab, contrebasse.
Julien Charlet, batterie & tambour de basque (3).
Patrick Villanueva, piano (1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11) accordéon (3, 4).
Juliette Pearl Davis, chant (2, 4, 7, 10).
Daniel Huck, chant & scat (3, 4, 5, 7).
Hubert de Villèle, flûte (5, 6).
Enregistrement, montage, mixage Studio Sequenza
à Montreuil-sous-Bois.
Enregistré par Thomas Vingtrinier du 20 juin au 22 décembre 2021.
Assistant Camille Tirard.
Stagiaire Sacha Verdet.
Mastering J Raph i.n.g à Cordes sur Ciel.
Graphisme Cynthia Fay Davis.
Photos Cyril Isy Schwart.
Clip Poésie images Lionel et Cyril Isy Schwart,
montage Jean-Pierre Dumonteil.
Coordination Augustin Bondoux.
Fabrication et distribution Frémeaux & Associés www.fremeaux.com.
Produit par Jean-Michel Davis pour Frémeaux & Associés.
Partenariat We See Music Diffusion contact@weseemusic.com
Contact Jean-Michel Davis Tél. : + 33(0)6 08 60 89 54.
Merci à Frédéric Loiseau, Raphaël Schwab, Julien Charlet,
Patrick Villanueva, Juliette Pearl Davis, Daniel Huck, Vincent Vingtrinier, Raphaël et Valérie Jonin, Cynthia Fay Davis, Cyril & Lionel Isy Schwart, Jean-Pierre Dumonteil, Charles Huck, Philippe Ghielmetti, Serge Elhaïk, Yvon Davis, Philippe Baudoin, Dominique Cravic.
facebook.com/jeanmicheldavisetherealvibes
jeanmichel.davis.free.fr
Julien Charlet joue sur les cymbales Bosphorus.
Patrick Villanueva joue sur un piano Grand Concert Fazioli F278.
Jean-Michel Davis joue sur un vibraphone Bergerault années 70,
modèle Michel Hausser, un marimba Deagan années 40 modèle 36,
un pit xylophone Deagan années 30,
modèle 830 avec lames en palissandre.
A la mémoire de Sol et Marcia Stone