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Les Double Six
Les Double Six
Les Double Six
Genres: International Music, Jazz, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (20) - Disc #1

Long before Air staked their claim on continental cool, Les Double Six injected their own savoir-faire into the jazz and pop scenes of the 1960s. Specialists in "vocalese," the French combo stretched their six voices to so...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Les Double Six
Title: Les Double Six
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: RCA
Release Date: 7/13/1999
Genres: International Music, Jazz, Pop
Styles: Europe, Continental Europe, Swing Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Bebop, Oldies, Vocal Pop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 743216565924

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Long before Air staked their claim on continental cool, Les Double Six injected their own savoir-faire into the jazz and pop scenes of the 1960s. Specialists in "vocalese," the French combo stretched their six voices to sound like a full big band, singing lyrical versions of jazz, accompanied by only a simple rhythm section. Here, the sextet performs their own versions of works by Quincy Jones (who also provides the liner notes for this reissue), John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Charlie Parker. The resulting sound is distinctly swinging '60s, a cinematic soundtrack to a Parisian cocktail party, as chilled as a fresh magnum of champagne. --Robert Burrow

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CD Reviews

Techinque and humor
Percival Bisca | São Paulo, Brazil | 03/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recording in the early 1960's, these 6 French singers (actually one of them was American)took original big band arrangements (Count Basie, Quincy Jones, Gerry Mulligan) and substituted voices for the instruments.



Unlike other singing ensembles, instead of using original lyrics or scat singing (ta-ta-ta or ba-ba-ba)they devised French lyrics to match the sounds of the instruments, sacrificing poetics for pure phonetics. Yet the long, long lyrics (every chord and every solo have corresponding words) make sense, frequently with a fresh sense of humor.



In some passages, in order to sound like a big band, they re-recorded over previous recordings (doubling the sound, hence their name Double Six).



Some of my friends think the original big band recordings are better, but there should be no comparison. This is a different thing and should be appreciated as the vocal tour de force it really is. Magnifique!!!



"
Impress your French class
Don Edwards | Picton, Ontario, Canada | 03/08/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Back in the mid-Sixties, I took my Double Six LP to school and played it for my high school French class. My teacher was totally befuddled by the extraordinary scatting of the Double Six on the 'Rat Race" cut. After all these years, I was delighted to find out that I could finally retire my worn-out vinyl version with the CD reissue. Without a doubt, it is a classic vocalese album. You'll enjoy it thoroughly even if you don't speak French. Double your pleasure by listening to many of the same tunes arranged instrumentally by Quincy Jones on the Count Basie release on Roulette, "One More Time.""
A classic vocal jazz album
Don Edwards | 04/06/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you can get by the fact that it is sung in French, this is a classic vocal jazz album! It is right on, very tight, and very cool. If you love the vocal jazz sound you will love this album!"