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 or
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" and
Lewis' title song. The big-toned
Wilen was only 19 when
Afternoon in Paris 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.