http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=17010and:
Like his double bass, Henri Texier is a pillar, a landmark within European jazz. After a dazzling career start at the end of the 60’s, alongside American bebop giants such as Bud Powell, Donald Byrd, Dexter Gordon or Kenny Clarke (he was not yet twenty !) and a highly inventive Unit series during the two following decades (with François Jeanneau, Daniel Humair, Michel Portal, Aldo Romano, Louis Sclavis, Bernard Lubat, Didier Lockwood, etc.), Henri Texier, during the 90’s lent his warm sound and his talent as a melodist to young unshakable improvisation musketeers.
With him, Bojan Z, Tony Rabeson, Julien Lourau, Noël Akchoté or Sebastien Texier can enjoy themselves to the full, the deep and accurate bass of the master is sustaining them.
Photograph : Guy le Querrec
Henri Texier discovers jazz music at the age of 12. He rapidly gives up the piano for the double bass. In 1962, he is hired by Jef Gilson to record alongside Jean-Luc Ponty, Jean-Louis
Chautemps, Michel Portal and François Jeanneau. But it is thanks to Daniel Humair that Henri Texier will be heard for the first time in famous Parisian clubs, with Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Johnny Griffin, Bill Coleman...
From 1965 to 1968 :
Attracted by the avant-garde, he plays with Don Cherry and sets up his first Free-Jazz Quintet.
Simultaneously, he accompanies Lee Konitz, Dexter Gordon, Booker Ervin, Art Farmer, Art Taylor, Johnny Griffin... Texier meets Phil Woods and joins the European Rhythm Machine with D. Humair, G. Grunitz, then Gordon Beck. With this wonderful quartet, he travels throughout Europe from Stockholm to Barcelona, from Paris to Berlin, from London to Montreux, from Rome to Warsaw, taking part in all great festivals, particularly the Newport one (USA).
From 1971 to 1979 :
He sets up with Aldo Romano and Georges Locatelli the Total Issue band. After two years of this enriching experience, he leaves the band and becomes free-lance. He then joins the J-L Ponty Trio, G.Grunitz’s Piano Conclave with Joachim Kühn, Martial Solal.... Texier particularly studies other instruments (oud and percussion) completing the bass voice. In 1975, he records two solo albums : Amir and Varech. In 1979, he sets up a string trio with J-Charles Capon (cello) and Didier Lockwood (violin) and records a third album : A cordes et à cris with G. Beck, A. Romano, J.C Capon and D. Lockwood. During this very period, he also joins Michel Portal and takes part with him in various festivals.
From 1980 to 1981
Henri Texier creates a new quartet with Philippe Deschepper (guitar), Louis Sclavis (reeds) and Bernard Lubat (drums). He moreover diversifies his artistic field :
music of the Alain Bonnot‘s film : Une salle affaire, music of a TV series Akagera with D. Humair and F. Jeanneau ;
musical director, assisted by Melaine Favennec, of the Jazz et Breizh Festival at the Roche-Jagu castle (Brittany) ;
encounter with the film director Franck Cassenti. He becomes actor for the TV film Deuil en 24 heures (with Alain Cuny, R. Bohringer, H. Virlogeux,...) ;
duo improvisation with Michel Portal on Viola Farber’s choreographies for the Angers contemporary ballets.
From 1982 to 1985 :
Jacques Mahieux replaces B. Lubat within the Texier Quartet.
Tours in Orient with the trio Humair, Jeanneau, Texier (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and India) ;
records an album with his quartet La Companera ;
tours in Yugoslavia, takes part in numerous festivals and represents Radio France for the Union of European Radios in Pompei (Italy) ;
With L. Sclavis, M. Portal and Jean-Pierre Drouet, takes part in the show De L’eau dans le Jazz by the photographer Guy Le Querrec, during the Arles International Photography Meetings 1983 ;
with the trio Humair, Jeanneau, Texier, he plays at the Bombay and New Delhi festivals in India. He accompanies J.P. Drouet at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris ;
tours with L. Konitz and M. Solal in Italy. With Portal, he plays at the Montreal and Quebec festivals (Canada).
From 1985 to 1988
Jazz and Popular Music Festival in Fort-de-France (Martinique) ;
At the Festival de Paris, Henri Texier invites Joe Lovano and Steve Swallow to join his Quartet ;
Nîmes Festival, pyrotechnic creation Doucement les Basses, with the Henri Texier Quartet and S. Swallow, J. Lovano, Howard Johnson, the Banda Don Balthazar and the firework-makers Ephemère ;
takes part in the Richard Bohringer show in Marne La Vallée ;
tours in France of the Henri Texier Transatlantik Quartet, with Lovano, Swallow, Romano ;
tours with a quintet in Turkey and Irak (Bagdad) ;
Le Mans Festival : creation Sax and Bagad with the quartet and J. Lovano, Kenny Wheeler, Dewey Redman, as well as the Quimperlé Bagad ;
Banlieues Bleues Festival with K. Wheeler, D. Redman, J. Lovano and A. Romano ;
creation of the Zhivaro Collectif with Claude Barthélemy, Gérard Marais, Jacques Mahieux, Sylvain Kassap and Didier Levallet.
From 1989 to 1990
Tours in Japan with the Henri Texier Quartet
Le Mans Festival : Oktokaleidoskop, creation of a double quartet with Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, J. Lovano, K. Wheeler, S. Swallow, A. Romano and J. Abercromnie ;
Amiens Festival : takes part in J. Lovano’s Live album ;
Ibiza Festival (Spain), Fête de l’Humanité with the Zhivaro Collectif ;
Saint-Denis Festival (93) : creation around French revolutionary songs of the Carmagnol’s Band with J. Mahieux, C. Barthélémy, G. Marais, A. Romano, L. Sclavis, D. Redman ;
in ’90, tour in Africa (Chad, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of Central Africa, Equatorial Guinea) in trio with A. Romano, L. Sclavis, photographs by G. Le Querrec ;
n Brussels Festival in trio with Alain Jean-Marie and A. Romano, records a disc with this trio The Scene is Clean ;
tour in Japan with the Henri Texier Quartet ;
Glasgow Festival (Scotland), Jazz Festival in Touraine (Swallow, Redman, Romano) .
In 1991
Henri Texier composes :
the music of a dramatic play Divertissements touristiques by Noëlle Renaude, director Robert Cantarella ;
a music played live for a screening of the film Pages Arrachées au Livre de Satan by Carl Th. Dreyer ;
n tours in England with Dewey Redman’s Sextet, in Norway, Denmark and Holland in trio with A. Jean-Marie, A. Romano, in Spain and Portugal in trio with Glenn Ferris and A. Romano, in Scotland and England in trio with Eric Barret and A. Romano ;
Festivals : Amiens, Uzeste, La Seyne sur Mer, Aiguillons s/Lot, Ramatuelle, Douamenez, Rabastens, Angoulême, Atina (Italy) ;
Festival de Paris with Phil Woods and the European Rhythm Machine ;
creation with Guy Le Querrec and Louis Sclavis Œil de Breizh for the Rennes Festival Les Tombées de la Nuit.
In 1992
Henri Texier creates his new Azur Quartet with Bojan Zulfikarpasic (piano, Glenn Ferris (trombone) and Tony Rabeson (drums).
He composes for Jean-Louis Bertucelli the music of Tvfilms : Momo and Pognon sur Rue.
In 1993
He records a new album An Indian’s Week with his Azur Quartet with the participation of L. Sclavis and M. Portal. Tours in West-Africa of the Trio Romano-Sclavis-Texier (Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger, Mauritania, Ghana,...), still with photographs by G. Le Querrec. In May 1993, he is invited at the Village Vangard in New-York to play for a week with Joe Lovano, Kenny Werner and Aldo Romano. Show Jazz comme une Image by Guy Le Querrec at the Arles Photography International Meeting.
In 1994 :
With his Azur Quartet :
tours in France for which he invites Noël Akchoté, Michel Portal and Louis Sclavis, then tours in Germany, Central America and the Caribbean Islands (Mexico, Cuba, Costa-Rica, Jamaica, St. Domingo, Martinique and Trinidad) ;
Festivals : Banlieues Bleues, Le Mans, Coutances, Angoulême, Albi, Halle That Jazz, Paris-La Villette, Luz St. Sauveur, Clusone (Italy), Crest, Aiguillon s/Lot, Villars sur Ollon (Switzerland), Mulhouse, Perpignan, Nancy Jazz Pulsations, Groningen (Holland), Limoges, Grenoble, Elbeuf, Francheville, Karlsruhe (Germany) ;
photography show : Le Querrec’s Jazz comme une image at Banlieues Bleues ;
composes and plays with L. Sclavis the music of the show Ainsi de suite, choreography by Mathilde Monnier and Viola Farber for the Montpellier Dance Festival ;
composes the musique of the Dictionnaire du Diable : drama directed by Nordine Lahlou (with Philippe Faure, Daniel Znyk and Cécile Backes) ;
composes and records the music of the movie Le Cri du Cœur by Idrissa Ouedraogo ;
records Sarajevo Blues for the disc Sarajevo Suite alongside Sébastien Texier (sax-alto), N. Akchote, B. Zulfikarpasic and T. Rabeson (the collected funds were used to rebuild the Sarajevo library).
In 1995
-Creation of the Henri Texier Sonjal Septet with S. Texier, L. Lourau, F. Corneloup, N. Akchote, B. Zulfikarpasic, J. Mahieux ;
n Records his new disc Mad Nomad(s) with this septet and Tony Rabesons ;
with the Azur Quartet : he animates a home in the Somme and at the Amiens Maison de la Culture ;
tours in France, Germany, Belgium, Egypt, Syria, Israel ;
Festivals in Groningen, La Haye, Stavanger, Montreal, with L. Sclavis and A. Romano ;
Records with Romano and Sclavis the album Carnets de Route, with a photography booklet by Guy Le Querrec ;
In 1996 :
With the Henri Texier Trio, Quartet, Sonjal Septet or Mad Nomads :
tours in France, festivals in Glomel, Cité de la Musique, Vienne, Hôtel d’Albret, Parthenay, Assier, Mulhouse, Cluny, Fête de l’Huma, Jazz sur son 31, Jazz en Limousin, Jazz en Auvergne, Francheville, Castre, Olivet,...
tour in Rumania with a quintet : Claude Barthélémy, Norbert Lucarain, Sébastien Texier and Jacques Mahieux ;
with the Trio Romano/Sclavis/Texier :
festivals in Millau, Souillac, Ribeyrac, Saalfelden, Jazz en Touraine, Angoulême, Nancy Jazz Pulsations, Tourcoing, Berlin ;
with Jazz comme une Image, photographic show by Guy Le Querrec : festivals in Grenoble, Le Mans, Coutances, Amiens ;
Invited by the Canadian bassist Michel Donato, he plays at the Montreal festival, alongside Charlie Haden.
In 1997 :
with his own bands : Mad Nomads, Sonjal Septet, Quartet (Texier, Rabeson, Zulfikarpasic) :
tours in France, takes part in following festivals : Nancy Jazz Pulsations, Paris Parc Floral, Albi, Grenoble, Amiens,...he animates homes in Rennes, Dôle, Sceaux,...
With Jazz comme une Image,alongside Portal, Sclavis and Drouet, he performs in France and Italy.
With the R,S,T Trio :
3rd tour in Africa (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique), in Central Europe (Belgrade, Budapest, Ljubljana, Salzburg), in France (Crest, Vannes, La Villette),...
takes part in Jacques Pellen’s record, alongside Eric Marchand and Paolo Fresu ;
creates with the actors Philippe Faure and Daniel Znyk the theatre play Nuit Pâle au Palais, written by Catherine Anne (Poitiers, Théâtre de la Bastille, ...).
In 1998
with his bands Azur Quintet, the Quartet, Sonjal Sextet, Mad Nomads, Respect (Lee Konitz, Steve Swallow, Paul Motian) :
n tours in France and takes part in following festivals : Banlieues Bleues, Jazz sur son 31, Cordes Parallèles, Tremplin Jazz Avignon, La Seyne sur Mer, Europa Jazz Le Mans, ... ;
tours in Japan, Norway .
With the R,S,T Trio :
concerts in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, England,...
With Nuit Pâle au Palais : tour in France
invited by Franco D’Andrea at the Vicenza Festival alongside Dave Liebman ;
he is awarded the Boris Vian Prize of the Académie du Jazz for his new disc Mosaïc Man, with the Azur Quintet (Ferris, Texier, Zulfikarpasic, Rabeson) ;
The film director Claude Miller selects the music of the disc An Indian’s Week for his movie La Classe de Neige (prize of the jury at the Cannes Festival ’98), film music nominated for the Victoires de la Musique 1999.
In 1999 :
With the Henri Texier Trio (Texier and Rabeson), he creates during the Amiens International Film Festival the original music of a movie-concert around Jean-Louis Bertuccelli’s film : Remparts d’Argile.
With the same trio, he plays in France and Italy.
With the Azur Quintet : tours in France (La Villette, Nevers, Coutances), in Holland (North Sea Jazz Festival).
With the R,S,T Trio, tours in France, Denmark, Norway, Belgium.
n Concert at La Cigale on the occasion of the release of his new album Suite Africaine, with a booklet of photographs by Guy Le Querrec.
- accompanies Aldo Romano in Hong-Kong.
Takes part in Paris (Péniche-Opéra) to the musical show : Private Joke, written and performed by Norbert Letheule.
In 2000 :
With the Azur Quintet and the movie-concert Remparts d’Argile, he plays in France, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Hong-Kong...
With the R,S,T Trio, he plays in France (Olympia, Vienne, Parc Floral, in Germany, Portugal, at the JVC Jazz Festival in New-York,....
― sleeve version 2.0 (sleeve testing), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 23:07 (nineteen years ago)
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