Videos: Double Six of Paris

I was conceived in Paris and born in New York. My artist parents were living in France from 1952 to 1956 when my mother decided they should return to the States so I could be delivered in New York. So they rushed back on the S.S. United States and here I am. The point of all this is to tell you why I have such an affinity for French jazz.

Last week I posted about Blossom Dearie in Paris. Today, a special treat. After a little searching around at YouTube, I found two incredible videos of Les Doubles Six (known in the States at the Double Six of Paris). Following the success of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, singer Mimi Perrin formed a vocalese group in Paris modeled somewhat on Les Blue Stars—a Parisian vocal group Dearie had a hand in starting and arranging in the early '50s.

Les Double Six sang jazz songs in French. with words written by Perrin. The “double" part of the name referred to the double-tracking used to widen their sound. The group lasted until 1966, recording just four albums. After Perrin left for health reasons (she had contracted tuberculosis in 1949), members of the group joined the Swingle Singers, a vocal group that specialized in vocal treatments of Bach pieces.. 

Here's Boplicity and Rat Race (c. 1961)...



Here's Four Brothers and Moanin' from 1965. Dig Mimi Perrin playing “air sax" to get in the groove while singing Four Brothers...



JazzWax tracks: If you love the sound of Les Double Six ("Ley Doub-lah Sis") as much as I do, you'll find most of their best songs on this compilation.