NAPOLI, Joe. 2nd Festival International de Jazz de Comblain-la-Tour.

(Liege): Editions Biblio, 1960. First edition. Oblong quarto. [28 pages]. Scarce brochure for the 2nd International Jazz Festival held at Comblain-la-Tour, Belgium August 6-7, 1960. The event organised by Joe Napoli who as an 18-year-old American soldier, had taken part in the gruelling Battle of the Ardennes in December 1944, in between combat he had taken refuge in the sleepy village of Comblain-la-Tour, returning 15 years later to thank the villagers who had harboured him Napoli planned a festival to raise funds for a new church roof (why do churches always need new roofs?). Napoli drew inspiration from the legendary Newport Jazz Festival in America, at the time the most important jazz gathering in the world, the first Festival took place in 1959 and by 1961 was drawing larger crowds than the Newport Festival. This is a very good example of the brochure in decorated wrappers, staples rusted, laid-in, is pink sheet noting changes to the event. A superb example signed by over 30 people involved in the event, including Chet Baker, Bill Coleman, Bill Coleman, Charles Aznavour, Petula Clark, Lotus Chin Syn, Helen Merril, Thomas Kirk, Francis Thorme, Rita Reys, George Gruntz, Bebe Hong Suong, Dusko Gojkovitch, Erik Moseholm, Jacques Pelzer, Felix Simtaine, Lily Harpel and many others. A remarkable documentation from this event which is often referred to as the ‘Mother of all Festivals’.