Michel Legrand – Legrand Jazz
Legrand Jazz is a landmark 1958 album by French composer and arranger Michel Legrand, recorded for Columbia Records. It is celebrated for its highly inventive orchestral arrangements of jazz standards, performed by an extraordinary “who’s who” of American jazz legends.
The Sessions & Personnel
The album was recorded in New York City over three sessions in June 1958, featuring 31 of America's greatest jazz musicians divided into different ensembles:
Group 1 (June 25): Includes Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, and Paul Chambers. This session is often the most famous, as it is one of the rare times Davis and Coltrane recorded together under another leader.
Group 2 (June 27): Features Ben Webster on tenor sax with an unusual ensemble of trombones (including Jimmy Cleveland) and rhythm section.
Group 3 (June 30): A brass-heavy session featuring trumpeters like Art Farmer and Donald Byrd.
Critical Reception
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars and stated:” Throughout this superlative album, the arrangements are colorful and unusual, making one wish that Legrand had recorded more jazz albums through the years.”
Legacy
The album remains a critical favorite for its "Gallic insouciance" and how Legrand, only 26 at the time, managed to reinvent standard repertoire into something unique and forward-looking. It has been reissued numerous times, including as a high-fidelity SACD by Impex Records.
Photo by Studio Harcourt via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.