An excellent ragtime pianist and wonderful arranger, Claude Bolling invented crossover and composed many memorable film soundtracks. Today he’s an unavoidable figure in jazz history, with a big band that has been touring the world since 1956 with a hot swing that has made him an icon. He retired from the scene in 2014, but his hugely successful Big Band continues, with the Master watching over its destiny. The band is now led by Vincent Cordelette, whose initiative led to this album which he produced himself: all the titles are big band standards composed by Bolling, often played but never recorded until now. Claude Bolling’s “guys”, as he affectionately calls them, pay him a great tribute with their playing in this demonstration of the power in the swing machine known as the CBBB! Patrick FReMEAUX