One year ago, on 25 July, I published Le Jazziste by Mary goes to Paris, the ninth chapter of my journey to discover women in jazz from all over the world.
I had arrived in Paris following the musical traces of Sophie Alour, a French saxophonist whose trail had led me towards distant places and sounds, with strong, powerful echoes.
Before continuing this new journey, I invite you to return to that chapter for a moment and relive some of its vibrations with me…
Here is Des lendemains qui chantent, from the album Le temps virtuose.
One year later, as punctual as a Swiss watch, that call reached my ears once again.
This time, I didn’t have a particular jazzwoman to follow. I simply wanted to discover more. So I immersed myself in the geography of Parisian jazz clubs, starting from the legendary Rue des Lombards and then letting myself drift from one rive to the other, with just one goal: to get a little lost among the magnificent streets of Paris…
Le Baiser Salé, 38Riv, Le Caveau de la Huchette, Duc des Lombards… different places, yet all sharing that mysterious, intimate, underground atmosphere that I still, without a doubt, associate with jazz clubs.
(ph. Mary Blengino)
Walking into a jazz club alone has become one of my little pleasures. A girl on her own, a cocktail or a glass of red wine in her hand, the expression of someone who knows the repertoire almost by heart, a few lyrics quietly sung under her breath, spontaneous smiles, fingers naturally snapping to the beat, and that slightly enchanted look that comes over me whenever I listen to jazz: a combination that, for some reason, often seems to intrigue both the audience and the musicians on stage, who invariably end up asking me whether I’m a musician too.
And I find it terribly amusing!
When I travel, I feel a little like an undercover jazz agent. Not always with a notebook in my hand documenting every detail, but certainly ready to capture what truly matters to me: a song that gets inside me in that particular moment and that I will inevitably keep singing in my head (and out loud) for days afterwards, the interactions on stage, a glance between musicians, the expressions of the audience, the atmosphere of a room.
After all, I am (also) a researcher.
To research.
And I have chosen to research women in jazz: this incredible musical world of which I myself am a part.
To seek them out, listen to them, and celebrate them, because too many have been forgotten, underestimated, or left on the margins of jazz narratives for decades.
And so, here I am, once again, in Paris.
This time, the trail led me towards Catia Werneck, performing at Le Baiser Salé with her 100% Brésil project; towards the original, narrative jazz of pianist and composer Pieternel Van Oers and her trio; and all the way to 38Riv, where I discovered Élisa Lécuyer‘s beautiful project dedicated to Anita O’Day: an encounter between music and storytelling that couldn’t help but catch my attention.
Three women, three completely different paths.
And three more reasons to keep getting lost in Parisian jazz clubs…
There is plenty to get lost in when it comes to Catia‘s warm, seductive voice too, which I would like to tell you a little more about.
Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Catia Werneck carries the soul of Brazilian music with her, moving between samba, bossa nova, jazz, soul, and contemporary sounds.
With 100% Brésil, accompanied by Vincent Bidal on piano, Laurent Vernerey on bass, and Stéphane Huchard on drums, she brings this energy into the heart of the Parisian jazz scene, creating an ideal bridge between Rio and Paris (where she moved at a very young age), two distant cities deeply connected by music, encounters, and cultural exchange. A little corner of Brazil in the heart of the French capital, where every song carries a heartbeat from Rio.
(ph. Mary Blengino)
I recommend the modern sound of the album Tudo Bem, and in particular the track Incrivel.
Nada a perder, from the album Primavera, is another little gem that I recommend listening to while simply letting yourself be carried away, like by the fresh breeze you can feel while walking along the Seine…
Enjoy!
From jazz (and Paris) with love,
🌹 Mary xx
