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Jean-Baptiste Franc
Born in a jazz family, Jean-Baptiste Franc has has a direct connexion with the creators of jazz music having the privilege to have play or record with:
- Fats Waller’s guitarist Al Casey:
https://youtu.be/neX7gnWqDbc?si=eqZCm1fnT5N8Z4u-
- Sidney Bechet’s own son Daniel Bechet:
https://youtu.be/eyPVOcBozj0?si=Zzj1K_8vH2c1R64_
- Louis Armstrong's bassist Arvell Shaw
- Count Basie drummer’s Duffy Jackson for his cd "Jammin' rue Pigalle".
- Django Reinhardt's grandson David Reinhardt and 1950 Django's bass player and drummer Alf Masselier and Roger Paraboshi.
Inventive stride, swing and blues pianist, Jean-Baptiste Franc created his own style by mixing melodic improvisation and stride.
His main influence are coming from the great stride New York stride pianists Donald Lambert, James.P.Johnson and Erroll Garner.
In 2018, he won the 1st price at world championship of old time piano contest.
In 2022 he won the price of the best piano recording for his cd: “Garner in my mind” given by the Hot club de France.
A self-taught musician, he was helped by his father, Olivier Franc, and his influences are Donald Lambert, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Sidney Bechet.
In 2000, he had the chance to play with Fats Waller’s guitarist, Al Casey and earned himself that night the nickname “Little Fats".
In 2001, he recorded is first album under his name with Daniel Bechet on drums.
Jean Baptiste has received the support of Ray Charles producer Jerry Wexler: (“the kid has a good left hand” and such pianists as Monty Alexander and Junior Mance for his cd:” Jammin’ in Pigalle” recorded in 2002 with Count Basie's drummer, Duffy Jackson.
He has played all over the world and in very famous hall both in solo piano and with bands such as:
A sold out 2400 seats Frankfurt Opera in 2013 that you can see on youtube if you write:
"Jean Baptiste Franc Opera".
At the Luzern KKL in Switzerland in 2016,
La Roquebroue, Beaune, les nuits du boogie in Paris at the 5* hôtel Lutetia and at the Caroussel du Louvre museum.
The 5th of december 2024, he'll perform at the legendary oldest jazz concert venue in Europe the Bal blomet.
Jean Baptiste Franc has brought his beautiful talent to countries where jazz is less common such as Thailand, South Korea, Sri Lanka four times, Poland four times also, Russia in 2018 and Taïwan in november 2024.
With the band of his father, the Olivier Franc’s tribute to Bechet band, he played in such places as the Opera and Kulturpalatz of Dresden in Germany.
The Olympia theater in Paris in 2015 on youtube: “Sidney Bechet à l'Olympia hommage par son fils Daniel Sidney Bechet”
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