Horst Jankowski - Jacques Offenbach in Paris - Impressions by Horst Jankowski and His Orchestra (2015) [Hi-Res]

The French-German Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880) is credited as the founder of the modern operetta. German jazz pianist Horst Jankowski takes the listener on a light-hearted tour of Offenbach’s Paris environs. Jankowski worked with the likes of Tony Scott and Benny Goodman in the 50’s before he moved on to become an internationally renowned big band leader. His A Walk in the Black Forest became an international hit, selling over one million copies and reaching #1 on the US easy listening charts. This album offers Infectious jazz and Latin-laced music with lush string and horn arrangements by Mladen “Bobby” Gresha, a top-flight arranger who has worked for Jan Garbarek and Keith Jarrett on ECM.

The 12 themes include the familiar refrain from The Girl From Place Pigalle the Latin-flavored Little Racer, the Waltzing Dance Around the Eifel Tower, the up-tempo two-beat pulse of Marching Along the Champs Elysees, the swaying bossa rhythms of Running Away, and the perky march of Happy Days. With Jankowski’s fluent piano solos rippling through many of the pieces, it’s a relaxing musical jaunt through the Parisian highways and byways.