1994 · Album
Dreyfus Night in Paris
Recorded July 7, 1994 · Dreyfus Jazz · Produced by Francis Dreyfus
Five Masters in One Room, One Night
A live session where five serious musicians play together with no safety net and nowhere to hide.
Dreyfus Night in Paris captures something you don't often hear on record: five accomplished soloists in a room together, each one capable of leading their own band, and none of them playing it safe. Marcus Miller is the anchor here on bass, Michel Petrucciani on piano, Biréli Lagrène on guitar, Lenny White on drums, and Kenny Garrett on saxophone. These are not sidemen playing support roles. This is a meeting of equals, recorded live at the Palais De Sports on a single night in July 1994.
What makes this work is that nobody seems interested in showing off. You get the sense they're listening to each other, responding in real time, which is exactly what live recording should capture. The rhythm section of Miller and White locks in tight, giving Petrucciani and Lagrène room to move around, while Garrett weaves through the spaces. The album sits comfortably in Miller's catalog as a side project, something that lets him step back from his usual role as bandleader and arranger. It's not essential listening like his work with David Sanborn, but it's the kind of album that rewards careful attention if you already know and like these players.
One thing worth knowing: this took nine years to reach release, coming out in 2003 long after the session itself. That gap doesn't hurt anything. If you're deep into any of these five musicians, this session is worth tracking down. If you're new to jazz, this might feel like five people speaking five different languages at once. For everyone else, it's solid, unpretentious playing from serious musicians.
Who's playing
Where next?
The musicians on this record
Playground 1991
Michel Petrucciani
plays piano here
plays piano here
♫
Acoustic Masters II 1994
Lenny White
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
