Philippe Maraire (CHANTEURS ET CHANTEUSES)
11 Rue de l’Ourcq, 75019 Paris, France

Child star Philippe Maraire released two EPS on the His Master’s Voice label in the mid 1960s. The second of which, Hardi! Les Cancres, is a spin-off of Jean-Charles’s popular book La foire aux cancres. He began his career at the tender age of 7 years old, his first theatre appearance was at the Théâtre du Petit Monde, in the 11th arrondissement. He then went to l’école de danse de l’Opéra, but left to tour France, Switzerland, and Belgium with André Roussin’s Les Glorieuses. On the small screen Maraire made caught the eye of the public in Le Général Dourakine, Thomas Edison and Emile et les Détectives.

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Raymond Fonseque (Trombone / CHEFS D’ORCHESTRES)
54 Rue d’Hautpoul, 75019 Paris, France

Raymond Fonseque was one of the great trombone and tuba players of the French Jazz scene. He initially studied piano at Orsay, then cello at the Bordeaux Conservatory and at the Schola Cantorum in Paris. He switched to the trombone in 1947, studying for a time with André Hodeir. He became a professional trombonist in 1949 and played with Don Byas, George Lewis, Peanuts Holland, Lil Armstrong, Raymond Le Sénéchal, Jacques Denjean, Bobby Jaspar, Claude Bolling, Claude Luter, Jacques Hélian, Michel Attenoux. He was a member of the orchestras of Michel Attenoux, Armand Gordon, Albert Nicholas, Maurice Mouflard, Sidney Bechet, Big Bill Broonzy and singer and guitarist, Nelson Williams. He also led his own orchestra and groups, including Trombone Incorporated, Pop Corn Brass Band, and the Washboard Five. From 1966 to the end of 1969, he was the booker at the Caveau de la Huchette where he organised a different orchestra every evening. He became President of the Jazz Club de France in 1966, and wrote for the magazines Jazz Hot from 1963-65, Jazz Magazine from 1967-70, and published his own magazine Jazz Dixie Swing from 1993 onwards. In the 1990s he was a member of François Guin’s Group Four Bones.

José Aguira (CHEFS D’ORCHESTRES)
12 Rue des Carrières d’Amérique, 75019 Paris, France

Bassist José Aguira was a bandleader in charge of one of the many tango orchestras in Paris during the 1950s and 60s. In the 1940s he played in the band of Gus Viseur, alongside Joseph Reinhardt, brother of Django. He would step away from the swinging jazz sounds of these early years to lead his own orchestra in the 1950s, releasing a number of Latin EPs and albums.

Pierre Still (CHANSONNIERS)
4 Rue Eugène Jumin, 75019 Paris, France

Counted among the elite of chansonniers Pierre Still was often found on stage amongst his fellow singers and raconteurs. A regular in the cabarets of Montmartre, my favourite photo of him is at the Moulin Rouge, alongside Gabriello, Maurice Horgues, Pierre Gilbert and Michel Mery. Like many chansonniers, Still was an excellent humourist and mimic, he particularly enjoyed poking fun at the church and religion. A multifaceted performer he appeared on the small and big screen, including alongside Raymond Souplex in the 1971 film Clodo.

Dany Fog (REALISATEURS DE CINEMA)
144, bd Serrurier, 75019 Paris, France

Dany Fog was a French director of Danish origin, who first worked as an assistant director during the 1950s on the feature films L’Étrange Amazone (1953), Crime au concert Mayol (1954), Les Violents (1957), and La Môme aux boutons (1958). Fog graduated to the film director’s chair in 1961, taking control of the police drama Mourir d’amour (alternatively known as Mort a les yeux bleus). Starring Paul Guers, Nadia Gray, Elga Andersen, Mireille Darc and Bruno Cremer, the film would be Fog’s first and last film as lead director. A return to the assistant’s role resulted in some successes throughout the 1970s and 1980s, these included 5 episodes of Les enquêtes du commissaire Maigret.

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Maurice Magalon (COMEDIENS)
144, bd Serrurier, 75019 Paris, France

Actor Maurice Magalon played minor roles, often uncredited, in some of France’s best feature films. A highlight of the 1950s would be his appearance as a cashier in the French heist gangster film Bob le Flambeur. The 1960s was an equally productive time, although still playing supporting characters, Magalon appeared in François Truffaut’s La Peau Douce (1964), and Le Samouraï (1967), starring Alain Delon.

Daniel Fabrice (CHANTEURS ET CHANTEUSES)
C/O M. Fellows, apartment 443
175 Bd Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France

Tunisian singer Daniel Fabrice released just three 7”s in his short career, all on Eddie Barclay’s label. As you’d expect amongst them is a generous sprinkling of French cover versions, Brenda Lee’s He’s Sure To Remember Me, and Gene Pitney’s A Town without Pity, to name two. Before his contract with Barclay he had won several amateur song competitions, including the 1963 Coupe de la Chanson. A talented musician, he also played the guitar, piano and drums. It is a mystery why Fabrice disappeared from the music scene.