Aimé Barelli

One of the greatest French national stars is, and will always be, Aimé Barelli. Outside France, however, his fame is not commensurate with his talent and, worse still, a murky “Borelly affair” has created confusion in people’s minds, notably in the United States.

Aimé Barelli was born in Loda-de-Lantosque on 1st March 1917 but started making music in an association in Nice (the Jeunesse Niçoise) whose conductor, Mr. Simon taught him theory. He started with the drum and then moved to alto (British: tenor) horn and trombone until his father offered him a trumpet (“The trumpet! It was as if I could see a star shining in the sky.”¹). At first he taught himself the trumpet, apart from a few lessons from someone called Gauthier. He discovered the “air column” by himself although he acknowledges the influence of his trombonist colleague Guy Paquinet in this area: “I learned the air column more by listening than by trying to learn.”¹

He started as a professional musician at the Savoy in Nice. As a member of a chasseurs alpins regiment he practised the trumpet for three hours every morning.¹ He was taken prisoner in the Second World War, escaped and came to Paris in January 1940. Arthur Briggs, a black player unable to perform at that unhappy time, lent Aimé his trumpet, enabling the youngster to start out as a chorusman alongside Raymond Sabarich (they had a mutual respect for one another) in the Raymond Legrand band.

It was in 1940 (not 1938) that the Pathé records of the Victor Jazz Band were made, with Aimé’s fiery trumpet-playing recalling Armstrong and Harry James (“Tiger Rag”, “St. Louis Blues” etc.). In 1940-1941 he also worked with Fred Adison and Raymond Wraskoff, recorded with Alix Combelle’s Jazz de Paris and co-directed a group with Hubert Rostaing (record of 22nd October 1940). In 1941 he played in the Jacques Météhen band in Normandy, still at Sabarich’s side; this band cut several sides accompanying the singer Eda Busch. The year 1941 war marked, however, by “Verlaine”; this beautiful Charles Trenet song was the vehicle for a chorus by Barelli which had a great impact on the public.²

In the same year he recorded with Maceo Jefferson, André Ekyan (ABC Jazz Club) and under his own name. On 14th October 1941 he recorded a number called “Lucienne” (Swing 132) — probably a dedication to the woman he was in love with, Lucienne Delyle. It is highly likely, incidentally, that the delicate hand-over-bell trumpet counter-melodies to Delyle’s voice on the Columbia records of late 1943 and early 1944 with the Marius Coste band are played by Aimé.