Paris Washboard

Founded in 1988, the band is made up of four instruments: clarinet, trombone, piano and washboard. One can be surprised by its originality and its capacity of movements. The success they have had around the world for 25 years can demonstrate that this kind of group, absolutely unique in the trad jazz world, is bringing something new in a jazz style that started to get more or less worn. Conviviality, youthful enthusiasm, humour, professionalism, choice of a rich and still enlarged repertoire (from the ‘20ies and the ‘30ies, Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Duke Ellington a.o., but also original compositions), and exceptional musical individualities bended with a solid friendship, these are the ingredients of Paris Washboard.

Daniel Barda, the band's founder and leader, is actually a symphonic conductor, dedicating himself as often as possible to his other passion: traditional jazz. In this style of music, his way of playing the trombone is both relaxed and full of vitality. A recent poll published in a jazz magazine elected him best French "New Orleans" trombone player. In the United States, he is very often compared with James Archey, Turk Murphy and Jack Teagarden, three of the greatest North American jazz figures. In 1998, he recorded with Paris Washboard his album 100. This CD will be No. 150!



Stephane Seva, he is an excellent washboard player and he adds a large selection of percussion instruments including cymbals and wood-blocks. He is also a singer and has a good deal of humour and performance spirit. He fits the band perfectly being a member since 2008.



Alain Marquet is a unique clarinet player. Stylistically, he is influenced by Johnny Dodds and Sydnet Bechet in the 1920s: a round and colourful sonority, supple phrases always full of sophisticated embroideries, in which neither the inspiration nor the musicality are missing, nor above all a beautiful and strong execution.



Louis Mazetier, the pianist, is now considered by the American specialized press as the best "stride" pianist in the world. His breathtaking style mixes technical precision with a tremendous enthusiasm. His left hand masters the bass so perfectly that there is no need for Paris Washboard to require the services of a bass player. His main influences are: James P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Art Tatum.

Audiophile Concert Recordings

by Josef-Stefan Kindler & Andreas Otto Grimminger, www.kuk-art.com

The Edition Authentic Classical Concerts & The Castle Concerts Series

Publishing Authentic Classical Concerts entails for us capturing and recording for posterity outstanding performances and concerts. The performers, audience, opus and room enter into an intimate dialogue that in its form and expression, its atmosphere, is unique and unrepeatable. It is our aim, the philosophy of our house, to enable the listener to acutely experience every facet of this symbiosis, the intensity of the performance, so we record the concerts in direct 2-Track Stereo digital. The results are unparalleled interpretations of musical and literary works, simply - audiophile snapshots of permanent value. Flourishing culture, enthralling the audience and last but not least also you the listener, are the values we endeavor to document in our editions and series.

Music that is new, pieces worth listening to and well worth conserving, little treasures from the traditional and the avant-garde - music that is unimaginable anywhere else but in the hotbed of Europe - our "Castle Concerts" series of recordings captures these in their original settings and preserves them for the future. By his endowment to the town church in Bad Homburg, Kaiser Wilhelm II unwittingly did the little church in the palace a favour and helped turn it into one of the most beautiful and intimate concert halls in Europe. The Castle Church fell into disuse and was forgotten. The turmoil and modernization fads of the 20th century passed it by, and it remained untouched. True to the original and with a loving attention to detail the church was restored to create a truly wonderful concert hall. Today the Castle Church sparkles with a renewed radiance that is set off perfectly by the "Music in the Castle" concerts organized with such enthusiasm by Ulrike and Volker Northoff.

Andreas Otto Grimminger & Josef-Stefan Kindler
K&K Verlagsanstalt