French jazz
Encyclopedia
France
has a long history with jazz
music.
Jazz began to become significant in France starting in the 1920s. As with Brazil (see Brazilian jazz
), the French were at first concerned it was too American of an influence before "making it their own." Although in the case of the French the adjustment proved faster as by the 1930s jazz had become acceptable. An important event in that is the creation of the Quintette du Hot Club de France
in 1934. This is among the most significant jazz groups in European history.http://www.redhotjazz.com/hotclubfrance.html
Starting in the late 1940s the Le Caveau de la Huchette
would become an important place for French and American jazz musicians to work. Many American jazz artists have lived in France from Sidney Bechet
to Archie Shepp
. These Americans would have an influence on French jazz, but at the same time French jazz had its own inspirations as well. For example Bal-musette
had some influence on France's form of Gypsy jazz
. In a related vein violin, and to an extent guitar, were traditionally more popular in French jazz than American. Related to that Jean-Luc Ponty
and Stéphane Grappelli
are among the most well-respected violinists in the history of jazz. That stated the violin is also popular in Eastern European jazz.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
has a long history with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music.
Jazz began to become significant in France starting in the 1920s. As with Brazil (see Brazilian jazz
Brazilian jazz
Brazilian Jazz may refer to:*Bossa nova*Samba jazz like Zimbo Trio and other Bossa Nova and samba influenced jazz bands.*Brazilian influenced forms of Jazz fusion....
), the French were at first concerned it was too American of an influence before "making it their own." Although in the case of the French the adjustment proved faster as by the 1930s jazz had become acceptable. An important event in that is the creation of the Quintette du Hot Club de France
Quintette du Hot Club de France
Quintette du Hot Club de France was a jazz group founded in France in 1934 by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli, and active in one form or another until 1948....
in 1934. This is among the most significant jazz groups in European history.http://www.redhotjazz.com/hotclubfrance.html
Starting in the late 1940s the Le Caveau de la Huchette
Le Caveau de la Huchette
Le Caveau de la Huchette is a jazz club in the Latin Quarter of Paris. The building dates to the sixteenth century, but became a jazz club in 1946...
would become an important place for French and American jazz musicians to work. Many American jazz artists have lived in France from Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He was one of the first important soloists in jazz , and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist...
to Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
. These Americans would have an influence on French jazz, but at the same time French jazz had its own inspirations as well. For example Bal-musette
Bal-musette
Bal-musette is a style of French music and dance that first became popular in Paris in the 1880s.Auvergnats settled in large numbers in the 5th, 11th, and 12th districts of Paris during the 19th century, opening cafés and bars where patrons danced the bourrée to the accompaniment of musette de...
had some influence on France's form of Gypsy jazz
Gypsy jazz
Gypsy jazz is an idiom often said to have been started by guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt in the 1930s. Because its origins are largely in France it is often called by the French name, "Jazz manouche," or alternatively, "manouche jazz," even in English language sources...
. In a related vein violin, and to an extent guitar, were traditionally more popular in French jazz than American. Related to that Jean-Luc Ponty
Jean-Luc Ponty
Jean-Luc Ponty is a French virtuoso violinist and jazz composer.- Early years:Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians on 29 September 1942 in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano...
and Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
are among the most well-respected violinists in the history of jazz. That stated the violin is also popular in Eastern European jazz.
French jazz musicians
- Franck AmsallemFranck AmsallemFranck Amsallem is a French jazz pianist, composer and also singer. He was born in 1961 in Oran, then in French Algeria, but grew up in Nice, France.He started learning the piano at age 7 and also took up the classical saxophone at the local conservatory...
- Josephine BakerJosephine BakerJosephine Baker was an American dancer, singer, and actress who found fame in her adopted homeland of France. She was given such nicknames as the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess"....
(1906–75) - Michel BenitaMichel Benitaright|thumb|Michel Benita at a jazz festival in 2008Michel Benita is a double bass player, prominent in jazz music since 1980's. He moved to Paris in 1981 and became one of the major discoveries in European jazz scene. Among others, he played with Aldo Romano, Marc Ducret, Martial Solal, Lee...
- Claude BollingClaude BollingClaude Bolling , is a renowned French jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and occasional actor.He was born in Cannes, studied at the Nice Conservatory, then in Paris. A child prodigy, by age 14 he was playing jazz piano professionally, with Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, and Kenny Clarke...
- David El Malek
- Stéphane GrappelliStéphane GrappelliStéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
(1908–97) - Olivier Hutman
- Christian JacobChristian JacobChristian Jacob is a lyrical jazz pianist who ranks among the top piano improvisers and accompanists working today. He has gained widespread exposure as musical director and performer with vocalist Tierney Sutton, although he has also maintained a substantial career as a solo artist and...
- Michel LegrandMichel LegrandMichel Jean Legrand is a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist...
- Charles Lemaire
- Didier LockwoodDidier LockwoodDidier Lockwood is a French jazz violinist. He played in the progressive rock/jazz fusion band Magma in the 1970s and is known for his use of electric amplification and experimentation on different sounds on the electric violin....
- Eddy LouissEddy LouissEddy Louiss is a French jazz musician.His primary instrument is the Hammond organ. As a vocalist, he was a member of Les Double Six of Paris from 1961 through 1963.He has worked with Kenny Clarke, René Thomas, and Jean-Luc Ponty...
- Jacques LoussierJacques LoussierJacques Loussier is a French pianist and composer. He is well-known for his jazz interpretations in trio formation of many of Johann Sebastian Bach's works, such as the Goldberg Variations.-Early life and education :...
- Bernard Lubat
- Pierre MichelotPierre MichelotPierre Michelot was a French bebop and hard bop double bass player.Born in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, Michelot studied piano from 1936 until 1938, but switched to playing bass at the age of sixteen...
(1928–2005) - Bernard Lubat
- Xavier Desandre Navarre
- Michel PetruccianiMichel PetruccianiMichel Petrucciani was a French jazz pianist.-Biography:...
- Jean-Michel PilcJean-Michel PilcJean-Michel Pilc is a self-taught French-born jazz pianist currently residing in New York. His technical ability has drawn comparisons to Michel Petrucciani, McCoy Tyner, and Cecil Taylor. Of particular note is Pilc's left-hand technique, which provides an almost ambidextrous approach to the...
- Jean-Luc PontyJean-Luc PontyJean-Luc Ponty is a French virtuoso violinist and jazz composer.- Early years:Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians on 29 September 1942 in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano...
- Django ReinhardtDjango ReinhardtDjango Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
(1910–53) - Henri RenaudHenri RenaudHenri Renaud was a French jazz pianist and record company executive.His styles reflected the decades when he was musically active: he played in the Swing, Bebop and Cool styles. He developed renown internationally when he served as an ensemble-organizing point-man for visiting jazz performers...
- Martial Solal (born in Algeria of French parents)
- Erik TruffazErik TruffazErik Truffaz is a Swiss-born French jazz trumpeter, infusing elements of hip hop, rock and roll and dance music into his compositions. He signed with the French EMI label in 1996. Truffaz gained international attention with his second album on Blue Note, The Dawn, produced together with Pat...
- Christian VanderChristian Vander (musician)Christian Vander is a French drummer, musician, and founder of the band Magma. Besides his work with Magma, he has also performed solo, with the Christian Vander Trio and Christian Vander Quartet, and in Offering....
- Barney WilenBarney WilenBarney Wilen was a French tenor and soprano saxophonist and jazz composer.Wilen was born in Nice; his father was an American dentist turned inventor, and his mother was French. He began performing in clubs in Nice after being encouraged by Blaise Cendrars who was a friend of his mother...
(1937–96)
Jazz festivals in France
- Banlieues Bleues in Seine-Saint-DenisSeine-Saint-Denis- Culture :A number of hip hop artists come from the Seine-Saint-Denis, including one of the first major hip-hop groups in France, NTM, as well as Lord Kossity, or more recent acts such as Tandem or Sefyu.- Miscellaneous topics :...
- Blues Passions Cognac in CognacCognacCognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...
- Europa Jazz Festival in Le MansLe MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
- Festival International Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine
- Jazz à Juan in AntibesAntibesAntibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
- Jazz aux Remparts in BayonneBayonneBayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
- Jazz à Vienne in VienneVienne, IsèreVienne is a commune in south-eastern France, located south of Lyon, on the Rhône River. It is the second largest city after Grenoble in the Isère department, of which it is a subprefecture. The city's population was of 29,400 as of the 2001 census....
http://www.jazzavienne.com - Jazz en tête in Clermont-FerrandClermont-FerrandClermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
http://www.jazzentete.com - Jazz in Marciac in MarciacMarciacMarciac is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France. It is known for its annual international jazz festival, which runs for a fortnight every summer.-Features:...
http://www.jazzinmarciac.com - Jazz sous les pommiers in CoutancesCoutancesCoutances is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-History:Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town took the name of Constantia in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus...
- Jazz sur son 31 in ToulouseToulouseToulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
- JVC Jazz Festival in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- La Villette Jazz Festival in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- Les nuits du Jazz in Nantes
- Musiques Métisses in AngoulèmeAngoulême-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
- Musiques de Jazz et d'ailleurs in AmiensAmiensAmiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
- Nancy Jazz Pulsations in Nancy
- Nice Jazz FestivalNice Jazz FestivalThe Nice Jazz Festival, held annually since 1948 in Nice, on the French Riviera, is "the first jazz festival of international significance." At the inaugural festival, Louis Armstrong and his All Stars were the headliners...
in NiceNiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of... - Paris Jazz Festival in the Bois de VincennesBois de VincennesThe Bois de Vincennes is a park in the English landscape manner to the east of Paris. The park is named after the nearby town of Vincennes....
- Reims Jazz Festival in ReimsReimsReims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
- Sons d'hiver in Val-de-MarneVal-de-MarneVal-de-Marne is a French department, named after the Marne River, located in the Île-de-France region. The department is situated to the southeast of the city of Paris.- Geography :...
- Tourcoing Jazz Festival in TourcoingTourcoingTourcoing is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Nord.Tourcoing is situated near the cities of Lille and Roubaix and the Belgian border.-Main sights:...
- Uzeste Musical in UzesteUzesteUzeste is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...