Jacques Loussier is a
FrenchThe French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
pianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and
composerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He is well-known for his jazz interpretations in trio formation of many of
Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's works, such as the
Goldberg VariationsThe Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, is a work for harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in 1741, the work is considered to be one of the most important examples of variation form...
.
Early life and education
Loussier's gift manifested itself at an early age. He began composing music while studying at the
Conservatoire National de MusiqueThe Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
in
ParisParis 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...
under Professor
Yves NatYves Nat was a French pianist and composer.-Biography:Yves Nat was born in Béziers and showed an early aptitude for both piano and composition. By the age of seven he was allowed to improvise each Sunday at the organ of Béziers' cathedral during mass...
from the age of sixteen.
After six years' study, he left to travel the world, where he experienced sounds of the Middle East, Latin America, and Cuba, where he spent one year.
Play Bach Trio
In 1959 he formed the
Play Bach TrioThe Play Bach Trio , was a Third Stream jazz piano trio that became known for their Jazz interpretations of European classical music....
with bass player
Pierre 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...
and percussionist Christian Garros. They used Bach's compositions as a base for jazz improvisation and had many live appearances, tours, and concerts, as well as a number of recordings. The group sold over six million albums in 15 years. Their most famous recording is "
Air on the G StringThe "Air on the G String" is an adaptation by August Wilhelmj of the Air, the second movement from Johann Sebastian Bach's Orchestral Suite No...
," which was used for the
Hamlet cigarHamlet is a well known brand of cigar produced by Japan Tobacco. They are available in several varieties, miniatures and also a regular length. They are regularly referred to as the 'mild cigar' in their advertising....
advertisements in the UK for over 35 years.
Film soundtracks
Beginning with
The Happy Sixties in 1963, Loussier composed soundtracks for over 67 films, made for television films and television series such as the theme tune for the popular 1960s French TV series
Thierry La FrondeThierry La Fronde was a French television series that aired 1963-66 on the sole French TV station, ORTF. Dubbed into English, it was shown in the 1960s in Canada, where it was referred to both under the original name and as The King's Outlaw. It was shown as well in Poland as Thierry Śmiałek...
and the score for the motion picture
Dark of the SunDark of the Sun is a 1968 adventure-war film starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Brown, and Peter Carsten...
.
Break up
In 1978, the trio broke up, and Loussier set up his own recording studio in
ProvenceProvence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, where he worked on compositions for acoustic and electric instruments. He also worked with
musicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s like
Pink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
,
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Sting, and
YesYes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
. Allegedly, parts of Pink Floyd's album
The WallThe Wall is the eleventh studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was subsequently performed live with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a feature film, Pink Floyd—The Wall.As with the band's previous three...
were recorded at his studio.
Reformation
In 1985 (300 years after Bach's birth), Loussier reformed the Play Bach Trio with two new partners, percussionist André Arpino and double bassist Vincent Charbonnier. More recent recordings included interpretations of compositions by
Erik SatieÉric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
,
Claude DebussyClaude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
,
Maurice RavelJoseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
and
Antonio VivaldiAntonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
. A recording entitled
Take Bach, made by the trio along with the
Pekinel sistersGüher Pekinel and Süher Pekinel as identical twins, are Turkish pianists performing mostly in duet.-Early years:...
, features adaptations of Bach's concertos for two and three pianos.
The bassist
Benoît Dunoyer de SegonzacBenoit Dunoyer de Segonzac is a noted virtuoso double bass player who performed with Jacques Loussier and Andre Arpino playing renditions by Johann Sebastian Bach / Eric Satie....
has also performed in the trio, replacing Charbonnier, on a number of albums and concerts from at least as early as 1998 (on the album "Satie: Gymnopédies Gnossiennes").
Lawsuit
In April 2002, Loussier filed a $10-million lawsuit against
EminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and
The Marshall Mathers LPThe Marshall Mathers LP is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem. Released May 23, 2000, the album sold more than 1.76 million copies in its first week just in the US. In 2001, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and was nominated for Album of the Year...
executive producer
Dr. DreAndre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
, claiming that the beat for "Kill You" was stolen from his composition "Pulsion." He demanded that all sales of the album be halted and any remaining copies destroyed. A trial date was set to begin in June 2004. The case was later settled.
Loussier Trio recordings
- 1959 – Play Bach No. 1 (Decca SS 40 500)
- 1959 – Play Bach No. 2 (Decca SSL 40 502)
- 1959 – Play Bach No. 3 (Decca SSL 40 507)
- 1962 – Jacques Loussier Joue Kurt Weill (RCA 430-071)
- 1963 – Play Bach No. 4 (Decca SSL 40.516)
- 1964 – Play Bach No. 5 (Decca SSL 40.205 S)
- 1965 – Play Bach aux Champs Élysées (Decca Coffret, two albums, SSL40.148)
- 1972 – Dark of the Sun (MGM SE-4544ST)
- 1973 – Jacques Loussier Trio "6 Master Pieces" (Philips 6321-100)
- 1974 – Jacques Loussier at the Royal Festival Hall (Philips 6370 550 D)
- 1974 – Jacques Loussier et le Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Decca PFS 4176)
- 1979 – Pulsion (CBS 84078)
- 1979 – Pulsion sous la mer (Decca 844 060-2)
- 1982 – Pagan Moon (CBS CB271)
- 1985 – The Best of Play Bach (Start STL6) - UK
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#58
- 1986 – Bach to the Future (Start CD SCD2)
- 1987 – Jacques Loussier Live in Japan (King Records Japan CD original Live K32Y 6172)
- 1987 – Bach to Bach (Start CD Original Live in Japan SMCD 19)
- 1988 – Brandenburg Concertos (Limelight-Japan CD 844 058-2, Decca Record Company)
- 1988 – The Greatest Bach Partita No.1 in B Flat Major BWV 825 – Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor BWV 1067 (Limelight CD 844 059-2, Decca Record Company)
- 1990 – Lumières "Messe Baroque du 21ième siècle" (Decca CD 425217-2)
- 1993 – Play Bach 93 Volume 2 (Note Productions CD 437000-3)
- 1993 – Play Bach 93 Volume 1 (Note Productions CD 437000-2)
- 1994 – Play Bach Aujourd'hui Les Thèmes en Ré (Note Productions CD 437000-4)
- 1995 – Jacques Loussier Plays Bach (Telarc), Compilation "Play Bach 93" et "Les Thèmes en Ré" (Note Productions)
- 1996 – Lumières "Messe Baroque du 21ième siècle" (Note Productions CD 43707)
- 1997 – Jacques Loussier Plays Vivaldi (Telarc CD 83417)
- 1998 – Satie (Telarc CD 83431)
- 1999 – Ravel's Bolero (Telarc CD 83466)
- 2000 – Bach Book 40th Anniversary (Telarc CD 83474), Compilation "Play Bach 93"
- 2000 – Bach's Goldberg Variations (Telarc CD 83479)
- 2000 – Plays Debussy (Telarc CD 83511)
- 2000 – Play Bach No. 1 (Decca 157 561-2)
- 2000 – Play Bach No. 2 (Decca 157 562-2)
- 2000 – Play Bach No. 3 (Decca 157 892-2)
- 2000 – Play Bach No. 4 (Decca 157 893-2)
- 2000 – Play Bach aux Champs Élysées (Decca)
- 2000 – Play Bach No. 5 (Decca 159 194-2)
- 2001 – Baroque Favorites. Jazz Improvisations: Works by Handel, Marais, Scarlatti, Marcello, Albinoni (Telarc CD 83516)
- 2002 – Handel: Water Music & Royal Fireworks (Telarc CD 83544)
- 2003 – Beethoven: Allegretto from Symphony No. 7: Theme and Variations (Telarc CD-83580)
- 2004 – Impressions of Chopin's Nocturnes (Telarc CD-83602)
- 2005 – Mozart Piano Concertos 20/23 (Telarc CD-83628)
- 2006 – Bach: The Brandenburgs (Telarc CD-83644)
- 2007 - Jacques Loussier Plays Bach - Encore! (Telarc 83671-25)
- 2009 - Jacques Loussier Plays Bach: The 50th Anniversary Recording (Telarc 83693-25)
- 2011 - Schumann: Kinderszenen (Scenes From Childhood) (Telarc TEL-32270-02)
External links