Livret de l’album Sunny Boogie par Axel Zwingenberger ean-Pierre Bertrand is one of the prolific Boogie Woogie pianists of today, spreading the seeds of this wonderful music both nationally in France as well as internationally. "BOOGIE ON A SUNNY DAY" is an appropriate title, J since Jean-Pierre prefers the happily swinging, rollicking Boogie Woogie type rather than getting deeply lost in the blues. There are many ways to deal with the numerous facets of Boogie piano playing, since this art form offers everybody who can feel it a way of expressing his very own personality, from deeply Blue to cheerfully bright. Its great masters, like Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson and many more, have demonstrated this to perfection more than half a century ago. Jean-Pierre chose a very inviting manner for his musical clientele, and this fits well with his hospitality he always held in high esteem. He’s an expert on this behalf, having studied hotel business and investing his knowledge into his multiple career as a musician, a restaurant and jazz club owner as well as an event promoter. I remember very well playing at his “la Table d’Harmonie” club in St.Germain, Paris, where Jean-Pierre displayed his skills as a chef, feeding us with excellent French cuisine in German portions-and that’s dangerous! In this cosy little place, you could listen to many great boogie woogie and stride pianists: from Paris residents Jean-Paul Amouroux, Jean Peron Garvanoff, francois Rilhac and Louis Mazetier up to Memphis Slim, moreover to many international players and last but not least to the host himself, Jean-Pierre Bertrand. When “La Table d’Harmonie” had to close down, Jean-Pierre had already established his big annual festival "Les Nuits Jazz & Boogie" at the fashionable Hotel Lutetia, and this attempt to transfer the 1939 atmosphere of Chicago’s Hotel Sherman into the 1990s´ Paris won him international acclaim in both jazz and blues circuits. In more than 10 years of consecutive public success, the majority of today’s important Boogie pianists has been featured in "Les Nuits" to enthusiastic crowds, once more establishing that this art form is as vital and strong as ever. You see, Jean-Pierre Bertrand has achieved a lot, and it would seem quite likely that the fact he had to put so much energy into his projects would have slowed down his enthusiasm for playing this music. Far from the truth: obviously, all of that rather enhances his zest and spirits, empowering him to produce Boogie Woogie piano sounds of ever growing stamina and maturity. Jean-Pierre possesses a creative charm which enables him to blend original Boogie Woogie with other musical influences from the swinging, happy side and still keep the authentic feeling of the Bluesy roots of Boogie, very much like Albert Ammons did in the 1940s. Albert Ammons´ repertoire provided some of this CD’s tunes: BOOGIE WOOGIE STOMP, BUGLE BOOGIE, MARGIE and IN A LITTLE SPANISH TOWN . Ammons’ co-heroes Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis composed DEATH RAY BOOGIE and YANCEY SPECIAL respectively, served up here in Jean-Pierre’s personal manner which keeps the spirit of the originals without sticking to them note for note. The same goes for the Ammons-numbers as well as for Ray Bryant’s IN THE BACK ROOM. Jean-Pierre Bertrand’s musical colours are manifold, showing inspiration from the Ammons-Lewis-Johnson trio or Bryant as well as from Memphis Slim, Sammy Price, James Booker, Martin Pyrker and even Speckled Red (for the intro of BOOGIE DES GRAND CRUS). This variety is demonstrated to good advantage in SLOW MOOD, the low-paced contrapuntal spice to the otherwise sunny musical content here. But Bertrand always manages to adopt these influences in his own style and make them part of his personal expression, not the least by sticking truly to the boogie spirit. A tune like SOMETHING STUPID, introduced to the blues lovers by James Booker and consequently interpreted by many pianists in the latter’s style, in Jean-Pierre’s hands still reminds of Booker’s version, but at the same time is treated much more in pure Boogie Woogie style, using a typical rolling left hand figuration. A rolling Boogie Woogie bass can save a tune from getting musically too lightweight, much to the misbelieve of some jazz critics who never achieved a real feeling for this. Jean-Pierre demonstrates this point very well here, enhancing the grooves in TISHOMINGO BLUES and SAMBA BOOGIE as soon as his left hand begins to roll. This creates a growing rhythmical tension that adds to the performances´ musical value. Jean-Pierre Bertrand gets great rhythmical support by bass fiddle virtuoso Gilles Chevaucherie who expertly slaps it here as well as in any jazz or blues group that is fortunate to have him handling the groove foundations, and by drummer Stéphane Roger who supports his colleagues superbly, really breaking it out in DRUM BREAKS BOOGIE. Together, the trio creates fulminatory climaxes in many of the tracks, making the Boogie shine on a sunny day. About a sunny future for Boogie Woogie music? Don’t worry, this music will roll on for many years to come, not the least thanks to Jean-Pierre Bertrand, his friends and all the love and work they put into performing it! Axel Zwingenberger .