Christian Escoudé

Christian Escoudé
Background information
Born 1947
Angoulême, Charente, France
Genres Gypsy jazz, jazz fusion, world music
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Guitar
Years active 1970–present
Labels Dreyfus, JMS, Nocturne, EmArcy, Sunnyside
Associated acts Babik Reinhardt, David Reinhardt

Christian Escoudé (born 1947 in Angoulême, Charente, France) is a French Gypsy jazz guitarist.

He grew up in Angoulême and is of Romani descent on his father's side. His father was also a guitarist who was influenced by Django Reinhardt. When Escoudé was ten, his father began teaching him the guitar, and he became a professional musician at age fifteen. His style is a mix of bebop and gypsy jazz influences, featuring the use of vibrato, portamento, and fast runs.[1][2]

He started work in a trio with Aldo Romano in 1972. By the 1980s, he was in John Lewis's quartet. He also played with Philip Catherine for a time. In his forties, he signed with the French division of Verve Records.[2]

Career

1970s–1980s

From 1969 to 1971, he was a member of the Aimé Barelli band. In Paris, he joined the trio of Eddy Louiss[3] Bernard Lubat, and Aldo Romano. Later, he joined Didier Levallet's Swing String System and the Michel Portal Unit.[2]

In 1976, l'Académie du Jazz awarded him the Prix Django Reinhardt. He then formed a new quartet with Michel Graillier, Aldo Romano, and Alby Cullaz, the latter soon replaced by Jean-François Jenny-Clark. He also worked with Michel Portal or Slide Hampton, Martial Solal and Jean-Claude Fohrenbach.[1][3]

In 1978, he performed at the Festival de Nice with John Lewis,[3] Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard, Philly Joe Jones, Lee Konitz, and Shelly Manne. The same year, he began a tradition of participating in the annual Festival de Samois, a tribute to Reinhardt. He performed in the Festival de Dakar in 1979 with the trio of René Urtreger, Pierre Michelot, and Daniel Humair.[1][3]

Escoudé toured in a duo with guitarist John McLaughlin during 1980. The following year he joined the big band of Martial Solal and in 1982 performed in a quartet with Shelly Manne. In 1983, he played in duo again, this time with Didier Lockwood. Soon after, they added Philip Catherine. Escoudé formed the Trio Gitan with Boulou Ferré and Babik Reinhardt, Django's son.[1][3] Then he played in quartet in 1988 with Jean-Michel Pilc, François Moutin and Louis Moutin. In 1989, he created an octet, half of them guitarists: Paul Challain Ferret, Jimmy Gourley, Frédéric Sylvestre, and himself. The rest of the octet consisted of Marcel Azzola on accordion, Vincent Courtois on cello, Alby Cullaz on bass, and Billy Hart on drums.[1]

1990–present

In 1990, Escoudé played at the Village Vanguard in New York City with Pierre Michelot, Hank Jones, and Kenny Washington.[3] The following year he recorded an album of compositions by Django Reinhardt while supported by a string orchestra. In 1998 he recorded A Suite for Gypsies, a jazz fusion album. On the fiftieth anniversary of Reinhardt's death in 2003, he formed a big band of seventeen musicians.[1]

In 2004 Escoudé organized the New Gypsy Trio with David Reinhardt (another relative of Django) and Martin Taylor (or Jean-Baptiste Laya). The next year, he released the album Ma Ya. He formed his Progressive Sextet with Marcel Azzola, Jean-Baptiste Laya, Stephane Guillaume, Jean-Marc Jafet, and Yoann Serra.[1]

In 2012, he released the album Christian Escoudé joue Brassens: Au bois de mon cœur, a tribute to French poet and musician Georges Brassens. Escoudé plays the compositions of Brassens with bassist Pierre Boussaguet and drummer Anne Paceo, with guests violinist Fiona Monbet, clarinetist Andre Villeger, Gypsy jazz guitarist Biréli Lagrène and 11-year-old Gypsy guitarist Swan Berger.[4]

Discography

  • 1979 Gitane (All Life)
  • 1979 Duo (Dreyfus)
  • 1981 Gipsy's Morning (JMS)
  • 1989 Gipsy Waltz (EmArcy)
  • 1991 Plays Django (Phono) (Japan)
  • 1995 Cookin' in Hell's Kitchen (Polygram)
  • 1996 Christian Escoude Group Featuring Toots Thielemans (JMS)
  • 1998 A Suite for Gypsies (EmArcy)
  • 2007 In L.A., Standards Vol. 1 (Universal)
  • 2004 Swing Strings (Frémeaux)
  • 2006 Charentes (Elabeth)
  • 2006 Progressive Sextet (Nocturne)
  • 2006 Live at Duc des Lombards (Universal)
  • 2007 Holidays (EmArcy)
  • 2010 Catalogne (Plus Loin)
  • 2012 Christian Escoudé plays Brassens : Au bois de mon cœur (Sunnyside)[5]

With Teddy Edwards

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Sunnyside Records: Artists: Christian Escoude". www.sunnysiderecords.com. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Bureau Export – Artist – Christian Escoudé Biography". French-music.org/Internet Archive Wayback Machine. 11 December 2006. Archived from the original on 11 December 2006. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gilbert, Mark (2002). Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries. p. 718. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
  4. ↑ Milkowski, Bill (September 2012). "Christian Escoudé Plays Brassens: Au Bois de Mon Coeur Christian Escoudé". Jazz Times. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Christian Escoude | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
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