Geoffroy De Masure
Encyclopedia
Geoffroy De Masure started playing trombone and piano at fourteen years old. From 1985 to 1989 he studied at the Conservatoire in Avignon classical trombone with Professor Bernard Buffet
and Jazz with André Jaume. He started playing professionally at 18 in rock and funk band and got his first jazz engagements with his own bands. In 1989 he toured extensively Germany for eight months with Harald Junkhe and Georg Preuss (Mary and Gordy show).
In 1990 he then moved to New York to further study and experiment jazz life there, he studied privately with trombonist Robin Eubanks
. He participated in the Banff Center for the Arts Jazz program in Canada which was to be an essential influence and had profound impact in his evolution as a musician, with artistic head Steve Coleman
, and faculty staff Rufus Reid
, Robin and Kevin Eubanks
, Marvin Smitty Smith
, Kenny Wheeler
, Stanley Cowell
.
Back to France in 1991 he then played in Passages medium band with Manu Pekar they later recorded with Dave Liebman
and he started writing compositions for his own band Quadrature. At only 22 years old he attracted attention from musical director
Denis Badault and become member of Orchestre National de Jazz for three years that led to work with such greats as Johnny Griffin
, Larry Schneider
, Toots Thielemans…he was asked to write and arrange a piece for the orchestra.
He started gaining interest in teaching music with the many workshops that this orchestra gave around France. He studied privately with Trombone solo from Ensemble Intercontemporain
Benny Sluchin. He developed with co-members of Hask collective an original music based on strong approach to rhythm and aural concept that would lead into bands like Urban Mood, collaboration with alto sax Guillaume Orti. From 1994 to 1997 he taught trombone and jazz combos at Ecole Nationale de Musique de Bobigny for 3 years.
From 1991 to 1998 he played and recorded with many groups on the French jazz
scene : Marc Ducret, Laurent Cugny, Serge Adam «Quoi De Neuf Docteur», Yves Robert
, Luc Le Masne, Jean Marc Padovani, Malo Vallois, Hubert Dupont, Jean Christophe Cholet, Hervé Sellin…He then started working in Brussels with colleagues from Aka Moon
band for collaborative concerts and recordings with world-music greats (Doudou N’Diaye Rose, Umayalpuram Sivaraman), as well as beginning collaborations with medium band Octurn, and pianist-composer Kriss Defoort in cross discipline projects with dance and opera. He was also very active on the Instants Chavirés underground scene
of improvised music
.
In 1997 he was awarded best soloist at La Defense
Jazz Competition and 2nd composition price. Following this intense period in 1997 he started uniting Tribu and Bzzz Puk his own bands around his compositions that later lead to two recordings. He then integrated Belgium band Octurn and write ambitious pieces for double rhythm section
projects that were documented on De Werf
label.
.
He also had opportunity to play on festivals with Joe Lovano
, Charlie Haden
, Mark Turner
, Lee Konitz
, Greg Osby
, Albert Mangelsdorff
, Fred Hersch
, Nguyen Lê. In 2001-2002 he recorded and toured Europe with alto sax -composer Steve Coleman and his band Five Elements, and assisted him in workshop organization and translation for French audience. Geoffroy De Masure teaches privately trombone students and give many workshops around Europe, in Royal Music Academy in London, in Brussels and in France. He also wrote didactic pieces for large ensembles and made demonstration of his instrument in various schools.
He has been involved in many cross cultural projects with traditional music
from Cambodia (with Jean Marc Padovani), India (Aka Moon), Morocco (Laurent Blondiau « Al Majima »); he traveled thrice to Turkmenistan to collaborate with his band Tribu and local traditional musicians , he is currently working on an ambitious project mixing elements from traditional Arab and Tunisian folk music and Jazz that will lead to a double CD
in 2007.
His interest in rhythm is obvious in his work as well as microtonal subtleties and the uses of mutes and voice to further expand his instrument’s expression. He is now mostly devoting himself to 3 projects that he leads :
- His powerful trio Bzzz Pük with bassist Linley Marthe (Mauritius) and drummer Stéphane
Galland (Belgium).
- His quintet Tribu with Bo Van Der Werf (bs) , Nelson Veras (g), Jean Luc Lehr (eb),
Chander Sardjoe (dms).
- Last Night in Tunisia is a collaboration with Jasser Haj Youssef
(vln) on Tunisian folk
music involving many jazz and traditional musicians .
He plans on working on French Caribbean
and Guyana as well as Turkmen folklore soon.
Bernard Buffet
Bernard Buffet was a French painter of Expressionism and Member of the Anti-Abstract Art Group "L'homme Témoin [the Witness-Man]".-Life and work:...
and Jazz with André Jaume. He started playing professionally at 18 in rock and funk band and got his first jazz engagements with his own bands. In 1989 he toured extensively Germany for eight months with Harald Junkhe and Georg Preuss (Mary and Gordy show).
In 1990 he then moved to New York to further study and experiment jazz life there, he studied privately with trombonist Robin Eubanks
Robin Eubanks
Robin Eubanks is an American jazz and jazz fusion slide trombonist, the brother of guitarist Kevin Eubanks and trumpeter Duane Eubanks.-Biography:...
. He participated in the Banff Center for the Arts Jazz program in Canada which was to be an essential influence and had profound impact in his evolution as a musician, with artistic head Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...
, and faculty staff Rufus Reid
Rufus Reid
Rufus Reid is an American jazz bassist, educator, and composer. He lives in Teaneck, New Jersey.-Personal history:...
, Robin and Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks is an American jazz guitarist and composer who was the leader of the Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led The Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show.- Personal background :Eubanks was born into a musical family...
, Marvin Smitty Smith
Marvin Smith
Smith, an alumnus of Berklee, has recorded 200 albums with various artists, as well as two solo albums.In addition, he also has toured with Sting, Dave Holland, Sonny Rollins and Willie Nelson. He is a former member of The New York Jazz Quartet, and is in a band with Kevin Eubanks, fellow Berklee...
, Kenny Wheeler
Kenny Wheeler
Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC is a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. since the 1950s....
, Stanley Cowell
Stanley Cowell
Stanley Cowell is an American jazz pianist and founder of the Strata-East Records label. He played with Roland Kirk while studying at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and later with Marion Brown, Max Roach, Bobby Hutcherson, Clifford Jordan, Harold Land, Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz...
.
Back to France in 1991 he then played in Passages medium band with Manu Pekar they later recorded with Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman is an American saxophonist and flautist. In June 2010, he received a NEA Jazz Masters lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.-Biography:...
and he started writing compositions for his own band Quadrature. At only 22 years old he attracted attention from musical director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
Denis Badault and become member of Orchestre National de Jazz for three years that led to work with such greats as Johnny Griffin
Johnny Griffin
John Arnold Griffin III was an American bop and hard bop tenor saxophonist.- Early life and career :Griffin studied music at DuSable High School in Chicago under Walter Dyett, starting out on clarinet before moving on to oboe and then alto sax...
, Larry Schneider
Larry Schneider
Lawrence "Larry" Schneider, PC is a Canadian politician.Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, he was mayor of Regina from 1979 until 1988. In the 1988 federal election, he was elected as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding of Regina—Wascana...
, Toots Thielemans…he was asked to write and arrange a piece for the orchestra.
He started gaining interest in teaching music with the many workshops that this orchestra gave around France. He studied privately with Trombone solo from Ensemble Intercontemporain
Ensemble InterContemporain
The Ensemble InterContemporain is a French chamber orchestra, based in Paris at the Cité de la musique and IRCAM, which specialises in contemporary classical music....
Benny Sluchin. He developed with co-members of Hask collective an original music based on strong approach to rhythm and aural concept that would lead into bands like Urban Mood, collaboration with alto sax Guillaume Orti. From 1994 to 1997 he taught trombone and jazz combos at Ecole Nationale de Musique de Bobigny for 3 years.
From 1991 to 1998 he played and recorded with many groups on the French jazz
French jazz
France has a long history with jazz music.Jazz began to become significant in France starting in the 1920s. As with Brazil , 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...
scene : Marc Ducret, Laurent Cugny, Serge Adam «Quoi De Neuf Docteur», Yves Robert
Yves Robert
Yves Robert was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.Born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, in his teens Robert went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting with unpaid parts on stage in the city's various theatre workshops. To support himself, he worked at a variety of jobs...
, Luc Le Masne, Jean Marc Padovani, Malo Vallois, Hubert Dupont, Jean Christophe Cholet, Hervé Sellin…He then started working in Brussels with colleagues from Aka Moon
Aka Moon
Aka Moon is a Belgian avant-garde jazz band. Saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol, bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou, and drummer Stéphane Galland are the founding members of the core trio...
band for collaborative concerts and recordings with world-music greats (Doudou N’Diaye Rose, Umayalpuram Sivaraman), as well as beginning collaborations with medium band Octurn, and pianist-composer Kriss Defoort in cross discipline projects with dance and opera. He was also very active on the Instants Chavirés underground scene
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
of improvised music
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
.
In 1997 he was awarded best soloist at La Defense
La Défense
La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
Jazz Competition and 2nd composition price. Following this intense period in 1997 he started uniting Tribu and Bzzz Puk his own bands around his compositions that later lead to two recordings. He then integrated Belgium band Octurn and write ambitious pieces for double rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
projects that were documented on De Werf
De Werf
De Werf is a Belgian arts center based in Bruges. It organizes concerts and records CDs for jazz musicians. The first record it released was Sketches of Belgium by K. D.'s Basement Party, a band led by Kris Defoort. The next year, Octurn's first album went out on this label...
label.
.
He also had opportunity to play on festivals with Joe Lovano
Joe Lovano
Joseph Salvatore "Joe" Lovano is a post bop jazz saxophonist, alto clarinetist, flautist, and drummer. Since the late 1980s, Lovano has been one of the world's premiere tenor saxophone players, earning a Grammy award and several nods on Down Beat magazine's critics' and readers' polls...
, Charlie Haden
Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden is an American jazz musician. He is a double bassist, probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman...
, Mark Turner
Mark Turner (musician)
Mark Turner is a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist with several recordings to his credit.-Biographical information:Born in Fairborn, Ohio, and raised in Southern California, Turner originally intended to become a commercial artist. In elementary school he played the clarinet, followed by the alto...
, Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
, Greg Osby
Greg Osby
Greg Osby is an American jazz saxophonist who plays mainly in the free jazz, free funk and M-Base idioms.-Biography:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, where he majored in Jazz Studies, and then at the Berklee College of Music, with Andy McGhee...
, Albert Mangelsdorff
Albert Mangelsdorff
Albert Mangelsdorff was one of the most accredited and innovative trombonists of modern jazz who became famous for his distinctive technique of playing multiphonics.-Biography:...
, Fred Hersch
Fred Hersch
Fred Hersch is a contemporary American jazz pianist who has become a consistent and highly demanded performer on the international jazz scene....
, Nguyen Lê. In 2001-2002 he recorded and toured Europe with alto sax -composer Steve Coleman and his band Five Elements, and assisted him in workshop organization and translation for French audience. Geoffroy De Masure teaches privately trombone students and give many workshops around Europe, in Royal Music Academy in London, in Brussels and in France. He also wrote didactic pieces for large ensembles and made demonstration of his instrument in various schools.
He has been involved in many cross cultural projects with traditional music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
from Cambodia (with Jean Marc Padovani), India (Aka Moon), Morocco (Laurent Blondiau « Al Majima »); he traveled thrice to Turkmenistan to collaborate with his band Tribu and local traditional musicians , he is currently working on an ambitious project mixing elements from traditional Arab and Tunisian folk music and Jazz that will lead to a double CD
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
in 2007.
His interest in rhythm is obvious in his work as well as microtonal subtleties and the uses of mutes and voice to further expand his instrument’s expression. He is now mostly devoting himself to 3 projects that he leads :
- His powerful trio Bzzz Pük with bassist Linley Marthe (Mauritius) and drummer Stéphane
Galland (Belgium).
- His quintet Tribu with Bo Van Der Werf (bs) , Nelson Veras (g), Jean Luc Lehr (eb),
Chander Sardjoe (dms).
- Last Night in Tunisia is a collaboration with Jasser Haj Youssef
Jasser Haj Youssef
Jasser Haj Youssef is a Tunisian violinist, viola d'amore player and composer who works in wide variety of musical situations: Oriental music, contemporary classical music and jazz. Its research at the Paris 8 University and the Tunis University works on a fusion between Arabic music and jazz...
(vln) on Tunisian folk
music involving many jazz and traditional musicians .
He plans on working on French Caribbean
French Caribbean
The term French Caribbean varies in meaning with its usage and frame of reference. This ambiguity makes it very different from the term French West Indies, which refers to the specific, formal French possessions in the Caribbean region...
and Guyana as well as Turkmen folklore soon.
Discography
- Tribu 2001 (Musivi)
- Bzzz Puk 2001 (Jas Records)
- Orchestre National de Jazz « A plus tard » 1992 (Label Bleu)
- Orchestre National de Jazz « Monk, Mingus, Ellington » 1993 (Label Bleu)
- Orchestre National de Jazz « Bouquet Final » 1994 (Label Bleu)
- Quoi de neuf Docteur « A l’envers » 1995 (Doc)
- Quoi de neuf Docteur « 51° Below » 1996 (Doc)
- Compilation Nato « Les Films de ma Ville » 1995 (Nato)
- Odejy « Suite Alpestre » 1997 (Pee Wee Music)
- Malo Vallois Quartet « Complix-cités » 1997 (Pan Music)
- Hubert Dupont « Dans le Décor » 1997 (Pee Wee Music)
- Aka Moon « Elohim » 1997 (Carbon 7)
- Ronan Robert Réunion « En concert » 1996 (Pixie)
- Manu Pékar « Passages » 1998 (Gorgone Production)
- Jean Marc Padovani « Jazz Angkor » 1998 (Hopi)
- Jean Marc Padovani « Minotaure Jazz Orchestra » 1998 (Hopi)
- Mercoledi & Co « Sous les pattes du Lion » 1998 (Mercoledi & Co)
- Thot 1999 (Doc)
- Kris DefoortKris DefoortKris Defoort is a Belgian avant-garde jazz pianist and composer. He was born in 1959 in Bruges. He also teaches at the Brussels conservatory. His brother is Bart Defoort ....
and Dreamtime 1999 (De Werf) - Aka Moon « Invisible SunInvisible Sun"Invisible Sun" is a hit single by rock group The Police, released in September 1981. The song's lyrics stem from songwriter Sting's pondering how people living in war-torn and/or impoverished countries find the will to go on living, and despite the dark music and often morbid lyrical statements,...
» 2000 (Carbon 7) - Octurn 2000 (De Werf)