PIANIST IN JAZZ BANDS

Playing with others is a mandatory part of my musical activity. It provides opportunities to experiment compositions and arrangements, and, more generally, to get mutual confrontations and personal enrichments. To accompany other musicians is a demanding , but also very rewarding task, that I like to carry out in other contexts (as an amateur chamber musician). My current orchestras appear in this page.

In the past, I had various experiences of jazz groups. The most significant are listed in this page, from the smallest to the largest ensembles, and illustrated by some extracts of my own compositions (plus links towards my CDs)

• In 1993-1995, we made a duo with the double-bassist Serge Ollivier (in Paris), mainly playing my compositions. This is a recording of this association:

Volutes (recorded in 1995)

• Later, I played with my son Luc, percussionist, and we recorded a marimba-piano duo, the name of which illustrating to whom it was dedicated :

Ulk's dance (recorded in 2004)

• I even tried some years ago a duo with myself (in re-recording), mixing acoustic and electric pianos :

  Mayo (recorded in 2008)

• Since fall 2019, I am re-playing in duet with a double-bassist (namely Michel Colon), with whom I have recently recorded a session

• Since the begining of 2024, we have set the « Poécordes » duo with Mathieu Bec (dms) , and we recorded a new CD called « Floating »

• Back into 1983-1986, I formed the ECOC trio (in Paris), with double-bassist Bernard Teissier and drummers Philippe Chaignon, then Alain Chaudron. Here again we played mainly my compositions, of which an example is given hereafter :

Tanganika (recorded in 1985)

• In 2000-2003, I funded the ESCAPADE trio, with double-bassist Bernard Prud'homme-Lacroix and drummer Jean-Luc Barillon. We gave quite a number of concerts in the Nantes area, based on standards and my own compositions. Here are two samples, the first one quite classical, and the second open towards free jazz :

Place d’Italie (recorded in 2002)

Devinette (recorded in 2002)

Many other compositions can be heard on our double CD.

• In my current trio, I have the privilege to play with Michel Colon (b) and Olivier Serrus (dms)

• Since 2012, I play with the Bronxtet, a quartet with saxophonist Julien Couvrechef (currently Serge Burghard), double-bassist Jean-Paul Gouttenoire and drummer Laurent Pancot. We give frequent concerts in the Lyon area (see our CD entitled « Eli's velvet eyes »)

• In 1990-1992, I had the chance to be part of a unique music project : a quartet composed of two pianos (René Bottlang and myself) and two percussionists (Christian Lété and François Dubois), entitled TBMT (Tambour Battant, Martel en Tête). A rare and memorable experience, but too short to my taste, given the difficulty to maintain such an expensive orchestra in terms of needed instruments (two grand pianos, a variety of percussions from marimba and vibraphone to timpani etc.). This is a piece I re-arranged for this project :

It’s more fun to compete (enregistré en 1991)

A full CD is available here

• From 2003 to 2011, I was part of a nice journey with the Rose Vocat quintet in Nantes, that I managed together with trumpetist Evans Gouno. We had also in the band Pascal Corelleau, saxophones, Bernard Prud'homme-Lacroix then Marie-Noëlle Gleizes-Alessandra, double-bass, and Michel Diara, dms. This is a composition we finally did not put on our first CD by lack of room :

Fruits amers (recorded in 2005)

We recorded three CDs that can be listened or downloaded here

• I am currently leading a septet, described in this page

• Finally, after my debuts with the CIM big-band (of which I haven't kept any recording), I had the chance to receive an order from the big-band of BRT (Flemish radio-TV channel in Brussels), for a series of compositions we recorded in BRT studios, and which were broadcasted on the same radio.

  This one is entitled

Frissons (recorded in 1986)

More compositions can be heard at this place

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