John Lewis & His Rock'n'Roll Trio Afternoon In Paris (LP, 180g colored Vinyl, Ltd.)

In 1956, John Lewis led this gathering in Paris together with Sacha Distel, a French guitarist who never really made a name for himself in the US but was highly respected in French jazz circles.
The same can be said of the other French musicians who participated in “Afternoon In Paris” – neither tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen nor bassist Pierre Michelot were big names in the US, although both were well known on the European jazz scene.
With Lewis on piano, Distel on guitar, Wilen on saxophone, Michelot or Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke or Connie Kay on drums, this partly American, partly French group of improvisational artists offers an above-average bop album, ranging from “Willow Weep For Me,” “All The Things You Are,” and “I Cover The Waterfront” to Milt Jackson's “Bags' Groove” and Lewis' title song.
The powerful-sounding Wilen was only 19 when “Afternoon In Paris” was recorded, but his lyrical yet strongly swinging solos prove that he matured quickly as a saxophonist. A truly mythical LP and one of the best ever recorded in France!!!
Recorded: December 1956 in Paris