Benoit Delbecq
Encyclopedia
Benoît Delbecq is a French pianist and composer.
Born 6 June 1966 in St Germain en Laye, and raised in a musical environment, Benoît Delbecq started studying the piano in Bougival
at the age of seven with Nicolle Mollard, a former student of Alfred Cortot
. Strongly attracted to jazz by his father's discs, he first studied jazz harmony with pianist Jean-Pierre Fouquey, then joined IACP in Paris (in 1982), a jazz and improvised music school founded by bassist Alan Silva
while he continued high school then sound engineering studies in Paris. In 1983 he met Mal Waldron
who encouraged him to work on a music of his own. As he had become an assistant director for films as well as an assistant in sound engineering, Delbecq finally decided to switch to professional musicianship after attending the Banff Centre
Jazz Workshop, Canada, in the summer of 1987, where he studied with Dave Holland, Steve Coleman and Muhal Richard Abrams among others. He then studied composition and music analysis with Solange Ancona
at the Versailles National Conservatory, followed a "superior" cycle in piano studies with pianist Georges Delvallée, and went back again to the Banff Jazz workshop in the summer of 1990 where he studied under the direction of Steve Coleman. There he met peers like pianists Ethan Iverson and Andy Milne, saxophonist Tony Malaby, trumpeter Ralph Alessi among others present on today's scene, as well as British drummer Steve Argüelles
, a long-term accomplice.
Since 1989, Delbecq has participated in nearly a hundred discs, among which a third as a leader and co-leader, he performs solo piano and solo electronics ("MadMacs"), leads or co-leads a number of bands from duos to quintets, and is involved in many multi-disciplinary productions of theater, dance, the visual arts, cinema etc.
Born 6 June 1966 in St Germain en Laye, and raised in a musical environment, Benoît Delbecq started studying the piano in Bougival
Bougival
Bougival is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center....
at the age of seven with Nicolle Mollard, a former student of Alfred Cortot
Alfred Cortot
Alfred Denis Cortot was a Franco-Swiss pianist and conductor. He is one of the most renowned 20th-century classical musicians, especially valued for his poetic insight in Romantic period piano works, particularly those of Chopin and Schumann.-Early life and education:Born in Nyon, Vaud, in the...
. Strongly attracted to jazz by his father's discs, he first studied jazz harmony with pianist Jean-Pierre Fouquey, then joined IACP in Paris (in 1982), a jazz and improvised music school founded by bassist Alan Silva
Alan Silva
Alan Silva is an American free jazz double bassist and keyboard player.-Biography:...
while he continued high school then sound engineering studies in Paris. In 1983 he met Mal Waldron
Mal Waldron
Malcolm Earl Waldron was an American jazz and world music pianist and composer, born in New York City.Like his contemporaries, Waldron's roots lie chiefly in the hard bop and post-bop genres of the New York club scene of the 1950s; but with time, he gravitated more towards free jazz and composition...
who encouraged him to work on a music of his own. As he had become an assistant director for films as well as an assistant in sound engineering, Delbecq finally decided to switch to professional musicianship after attending the Banff Centre
Banff Centre
The Banff Centre, formerly known as The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, is an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference complex located in Banff, Alberta...
Jazz Workshop, Canada, in the summer of 1987, where he studied with Dave Holland, Steve Coleman and Muhal Richard Abrams among others. He then studied composition and music analysis with Solange Ancona
Solange Ancona
-Biography:Solange Ancona was born in Paris and studied at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris under Olivier Messiaen and Giacinto Scelsi. She resided at the Villa Medici between 1973 and 1975....
at the Versailles National Conservatory, followed a "superior" cycle in piano studies with pianist Georges Delvallée, and went back again to the Banff Jazz workshop in the summer of 1990 where he studied under the direction of Steve Coleman. There he met peers like pianists Ethan Iverson and Andy Milne, saxophonist Tony Malaby, trumpeter Ralph Alessi among others present on today's scene, as well as British drummer Steve Argüelles
Steve Argüelles
Steve Argüelles is an English jazz drummer, producer and is the boss of the record label . He has also worked in film and theatre. He is the elder brother of saxophonist Julian Argüelles...
, a long-term accomplice.
Since 1989, Delbecq has participated in nearly a hundred discs, among which a third as a leader and co-leader, he performs solo piano and solo electronics ("MadMacs"), leads or co-leads a number of bands from duos to quintets, and is involved in many multi-disciplinary productions of theater, dance, the visual arts, cinema etc.
Awards
« Prix de la Sacem » in 1995 (with collective Kartet), Benoît was awarded the "Prix de la Villa Médicis Hors les Murs" in 2001, and received the prestigious Civitella Fundation (NY) fellowship in 2009. Both "The Sixth Jump" and "Circles and Calligrams" (Songlines) have been awarded a Grand Prix International de l'Académie Charles Cros, France's most prestigious award for a recording. "The sixth jump", released in 2010, was listed in the "Best 10 discs of 2010" selection of The New York Times.Selected discography
- 1992 - Kartet Hask with Guillaume Orti, Hubert Dupont, Benjamin Henocq (ADDA)
- 1993 - Delbecq Quartet Paintings: with G. Orti, Joseph Carver, S. Argüelles (DEUX Z)
- 1994 - Les Amants de Juliette: with Serge Adam and Philippe Foch (DOC)
- 1995 - The Recyclers "Rhymes" with Steve Argüelles and Noël Akchoté (DEUX Z)
- 1999 - Ambitronix - We Da Man, with Steve Argüelles (PLUSH)
- 2000 - Delbecq 5 - Pursuit - with François Houle, Michael Moore, JJ Avenel, Steve Argüelles (SONGLINES)
- 2001 - PianoBook - with Steve Argüelles (PLUSH)
- 2003 - Piano solo - Nu Turn (SONGLINES)
- 2004 - Dice Thrown, with François Houle (SONGLINES)
- 2005 - Delbecq Unit - Phonetics with Mark Turner, Oene Van Geel, Mark Helias, Emile Biayenda (SONGLINES)
- 2006 - Ambitronix - 9volt trippin' - with Steve Argüelles (PLUSH)
- 2008 - Kartet The Bay Window with Guillaume Orti, Hubert Dupont, Chander Sardjoe (SONGLINES)
- 2008 - Poolplayers - Way Beneath the Surface - with Arve Henriksen, Lars Juul, Steve Argüelles (SONGLINES)
- 2009 - with Andy Milne - Where is Pannonica (SONGLINES)
- 2010 - Piano solo - Circles and Calligrams (SONGLINES)
- 2010 - Delbecq trio - The sixth jump with JJ Avenel and Emile Biayenda (SONGLINES)
- 2011 - Silencers - Balance des blancs - with Kim Myhr, Nils Ostendorf and Toma Gouband (SOFA)