Underground Parisian Music

When we’re not above ground getting live performances, there’s always more underground—the metros are full of musicians. Most of them can’t really play, but every now and then there’s a Great accordion player, or the Navaho-looking guy who plays several different types of South American flutes with percussion accompaniment. And I give money to any of them more often than I do the other beggars. On this trip, most of the metro instrumentalists I heard were violinists… and I was not impressed with one of them (all pickiness aside. Honestly). Disappointment. Ah well.

But there’s not only Metros in the underground.

It’s going into the jazz piano bars with the gypsy guitarists with their fellow accordion and bass players. Never seen such quick guitar fingering. And jazz is always better in a crowded, smoky dark room late at night. By far the best quality music you can find in the underground.

And then underneath the bridges and along the seine, there are groups of friends who come together with dozens of instruments to throw folk songs together, dancing, clapping, singing and playing. Most of them needed work (especially the clarinetist…) but it never detracted because of the ambiance. It was so much fun to on the quai with them, and so often that is what music needs to be about—a good time.