Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Nate Najar: Under Paris Skies

Nate Najar: Under Paris Skies

By Edward Blanco
October 7, 2018
View read count

Jazz guitarist

Nate Najar

guitar, acoustic
b.1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Nate Najar follows up the critically-acclaimed 2016 release of This is Nate Najar (Woodward Avenue Records) with a heart-warming tribute to the city of Paris with Under Paris Skies, conveying his love of the city of lights with a charming and elegant set of love songs and ballads, all designed to set the mood and pull on your heart strings. Providing new treatments to a select number of pop, jazz and classical-styled songs, Najar delivers a different message with this album, musically stating that this world metropolis, that has in the past featured and nurtured so many jazz greats, can also serve to nurture one's soul.

Performing with a core trio that features

Tommy Cecil

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Tommy Cecil on bass and Matthew Home on the drums, the leader, on the unamplified acoustic guitar, augments the format to a quartet on "Nauges," and "Sa Jeunesse" with vibraphonist

Chuck Redd

vibraphone

" data-original-title="" title="">Chuck Redd. The music begins lightly on the leader's delicate interpretation of pop singer France Gall's song "La Mort Douce," followed up by

Michel Legrand

piano
1932 - 2019

" data-original-title="" title="">Michel Legrand's renowned standard "I Will Wait for You," taken from the 1964 film Umbrellas of Cherbourg. This tune highlights Najar's handy finger work and bassist Cecil's accompanying bass lines which are replicated throughout the session.

Paying homage to

Django Reinhardt

guitar
1910 - 1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Django Reinhardt, the guitarist tees off on one of Reinhardt's most familiar standards embellished and emboldened by Redd's vibes. "Nauges," comes across fresh and vibrant. The title track ("Sous le Ciel de Paris"), taken from the 1951 film of the same name and penned by Hubert Giraud, is perhaps the warmest ballad of the set.

The guitarist and bassist provide a delicious duet on "Apres un Reve," while the familiar break-up tune from Charles Trenet, "I Wish You Love," has a faster tempo than normal but still turns the beautiful melody into a wonderful read of the classic. The tender music ends on "Chanson du Coer Brise" (Song of Songs) and the ever French "La Marseillaise."

Nate Najar's Under Paris Skies is truly one of the most beautiful light jazz albums recorded perfectly primed for the lover in all of us, well done!

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

La Mort Douce;I Will Wait For You; Nuage; La Javanaise; Sous le Ciel de Paris (Under Paris Skies); Ce Petit Chemin; Apres un Reve; Sa Jeunesse; Que rest-t-il de nous amours?; Chanson du Coeur brise (Song of Songs); La Marseillaise.

Personnel

Nate Najar

guitar, acoustic

Nate Najar: acoustic guitar; Tommy Cecil: bass; Matthew Home: drums; Chuck Redd: Vibes (3, 8).

Album information

Title: Under Paris Skies | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Woodward Avenue Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

A Conversation With Adi Meyerson
< Previous

Return to the Future
Next >

Nate Najar Concerts

Sep 19 Fri

Love & Bossa Nova Hits Temecula!

The Merc
Temecula, CA

Sep 21 Sun

Love & Bossa: Daniela Soledade & Nate Najar

Casa Arjona
Lakewood, CA

Oct 10 Fri

Daniela Soledade And Nate Najar - Love And Bossa Nova...

Blue Bamboo Center For The Arts
Winter Park, FL

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.