This is one of my more obscure links. Sorry about that.

Ever since I started playing the clarinet 43 years ago this month I have noticed two words on most reeds I have used (and the ones I’ve discarded too.)

Those two words are FRANCE and SUPERIEURE

They came to mind when London’s French Music Bureau sent me an email with the super-efficiency one expects of the superior country which designed both the Alexandrine verse meter and the Exocet missile.

The email sent me the names of the winners of last week’s French Jazz Awards

French Artist of Group : Marc Ducret (guitar)

French Vocalist or Vocal Group : Bernard Lubat (voice, percussion, piano)

Best New French Act (Frank Ténot Prize) : Emile Parisien Quartet (Emile Parisien/saxophone, Julien Touery/piano, Ivan Gelugne/double bass, Sylvain Darrifourcq/percussion).

French Instrumental Album : “Around Robert Wyatt” (Bee Jazz/Abeille Musique) de l’Orchestre national de jazz de Daniel Yvinec

Public Award : Patrick Artero (trumpet, bugle)

Now comes the efficient bit. Here is where you can hear the winners, including a taxpayer-funded big band…in the UK

9/10/11 October – Marc Ducret – On the Outside Festival, Gateshead

Performing at London Jazz Festival 2009

14th November – Alban Darche Quartet – The Vortex
15th November – The Emile Parisien Quartet – Charlie Wright’s
15th November – l’Orchestre National de Jazz – Barbican Centre

Voila!

(Comment j’aimerais gerer un Bureau de Musique Britannique a Paris. Ca serait mon ideal, mon reve absolu!)