Julien Cattiaux 'Acoustic Trio' @ 38 Riv Jazz Club, Paris - August 27

Daniel John Martin (violon, vocals); Gilles Rea (guitare); Julien Cattiaux (contrebasse) + Marius Bojan (guitare)

A first visit to 38 Riv Jazz Club. The '38' refers to the door number on Rue Rivoli. A classic cellar venue, not unlike Durham's Holy GrAle or Smalls, NYC, we were in Paris to hear double bassist Julien Cattiaux's 'Acoustic Trio'. 

Descending a staircase into a stone-built cellar, we were greeted by none other than Daniel John Martin! No stranger to the north east of England (numerous gigs with Mick Shoulder's Swing Manouche), this was DJM on home turf. 

Julien Cattiaux's trio featuring DJM (violin) and Gilles Rea (guitar) would play a one hour set of Django, Stéphane and more to a full house (the second of two houses this evening). Stéphane's Roll opened the show. We knew DJM would be wonderful, and he was. His bandmates, band leader Cattiaux and guitarist Rea, would prove to be class personified. 

It Had to be You, Oscar Pettiford's Blues in the Closet (a contender for the tune of the evening), You Look Good to Me (as recorded by Oscar Peterson), were we really in a Paris jazz club listening to this stuff? We were!

Daniel John Martin introduced the evening's special guest, aspiring guitarist Marius Bojan. DJM described Monsieur Bojan as 'up-and-coming' or such like. Hearing Bojan play, if he can be described as 'up-and-coming', what will he be like when he 'makes it'?! A fantastic talent! 

A DJM vocal is always worth listening to. This evening we heard Out of Nowhere. C'était magnifique! DJM's violin playing was nothing short of sensational. It was a privilege to be in the French capital listening to a master musician at work. Make that three master musicians at work.

38 Riv more than met expectations: a warm welcome, an eccentric MC, wonderful musicianship, August 27 on Rue Rivoli will forever be a treasured memory. Russell