No, not that Paris. The city in France, rube. When I found out Sonny Rollins, my all-time favorite, was playing at the famous Olympia music hall in Paris last May I had to go. I love Paris almost as much as Sonny's playing and one reason is that jazz is still a big deal. Mr. Rollins, without a piano and with a conga player, which I hope to hear on CD later this year, got a standing ovation. I mean everybody was on their feet and no one went anywhere until they were absolutely sure he was done.
I was in Paris a week and went to jazz every night and got turned on to a couple new (to me) artists in the process, including the guitarist Mike Stern and Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, who's a little bit Miles, a little Dave Douglas and mostly himself. He mixes in some interesting electronic effects. I saw him at Duc du Lombards, another nice Paris jazz club, and bought his CD "Angel," which I like.
I received e-mail from the Olympia recently saying Mr. Rollins is playing there next May. I'm there.
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