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Renaud Garcia-Fons

Arguably the most amazing double bass player in the world, Renaud Garcia-Fons is known for his overwhelming virtuosity, his Mediterranean melodic sense and his viola-like con-arco sound. A former private student of the legendary Syrian bassist François Rabbath, Garcia-Fons is not only influenced by jazz and classical music, but also by flamenco, new musette, tango, Celtic, Andalusian, African, Latin American, Arabic and Indian traditions. His unique artistry led to many exciting and successful collaborations with other open-minded players like Rabih Abou-Khalil, Michael Riessler, Dhafer Youssef, Nguyên Lê, Gérard Marais, Pedro Soler, Cheb Mami and Michel Godard. Garcia-Fons was born in the Paris region in 1962 into an artistic household. Yet being of Catalonian origin, Garcia-Fons' affinity for Spanish and oriental culture is understandable. In the early 80s he enrolled at the Conservatoire de la Ville de Paris, where he studied with Jean-Pierre Logerrot. From 1987 to 1993 he was part of the unique French all-bass ensemble L'Orchestre de Contrebasses before starting his journey as a soloist that led to his instrument's full emancipation. "I have developed a new language for it," says Garcia-Fons, "so it appears to be a Spanish guitar by imitating the rasgueado in one moment, then sounding like the guembri, the bass instrument of the Berbers, or again it can sing like a viola or a Persian violin." Andy Kaufman of U.S magazine "Rhythm" wrote: "Repeated listening only affirms that Garcia-Fons' command of orchestration, expert musical penmanship and profound skills as an instrumentalist place him in an echelon truly deserving of the accolade 'genius.'"


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Album Review

Renaud Garcia-Fons: Beyond The Double Bass

Read "Beyond The Double Bass" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


It's often tempting for musicians to project limitations onto an instrument, but in truth, the instrument rarely deserves blame; an instrument, after all, is simply an inanimate object, so it's up to the player to further, extend, and broaden its reach. Musicians looking to do so must master and move beyond standard technique and the stylistic status quo, but anybody who's ever picked up an instrument knows that that's no easy feat. It takes creativity, patience, skill, inspiration, and a ...

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Album Review

Renaud Garcia-Fons: Beyond The Double Bass

Read "Beyond The Double Bass" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


The double bass. Everyone knows the double bass--it goes “boom, boom, boom." Sometimes, to paraphrase Sophia Loren, it goes “boom, boody, boom." In the hands of a virtuoso it does so much more than that: it has passion, dynamism, emotion and the power to move the soul. Renaud Garcia-Fons is such a virtuoso and Beyond The Double Bass--a compilation drawn from ten previous albums, with an accompanying DVD documentary--is absolutely superb. Garcia-Fons--who favors a five-string double bass on ...

8
Album Review

Renaud Garcia-Fons: Solo: The Marcevol Concert

Read "Solo: The Marcevol Concert" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


In the hands of even the most accomplished professionals, the bass is but a single instrument which happens to serve a few purposes; in the hands of Renaud Garcia-Fons, the bass is a world unto itself. On Solo: The Marcevol Concert, Garcia-Fons demonstrates his singular approach to the instrument on a program of music that's both worldly and wondrous. Andalusian allusions, African accents, Eastern spices, Middle Eastern ideals and more merge in the hands of this beyond category virtuoso.

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Album Review

Renaud Garcia-Fons: La Linea del Sur

Read "La Linea del Sur" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose


What would happen if the dense yet lyrical imagery of Garcia Lorca's Romancero Gitano was woven into the aural tapestry of bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons' offering, that traverses Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and America? A bewitching mix of flamenco, Arabic, jazz and Latin-American music would collide, resulting in a perfect offering such as La Linea del Sur. This imaginary journey through the global south is truly mesmerizing. From a compositional point of view, there is something ...

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Album Review

Renaud Garcia-Fons Trio: Arcoluz

Read "Arcoluz" reviewed by Jerry D'Souza


Renaud Garcia-Fons brings a rare passion and understanding to the bass. His approach is pure genius, seen in the way he styles his pizzicato and in the manner he opens the arco to encompass melodic and improvisatory richness.

Garcia-Fons began playing the bass when he was 16, gravitating to the instrument from the guitar and piano. At first he approached it without a real idea of its functions and possibilities. That changed when he heard Francois ...

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Extended Analysis

Arcoluz

Read "Arcoluz" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose


> Renaud Garcia-Fons Trio ArcoluzEnja/Justin Time2005 Bassist Renaud Garcia Fons hears music polyphonically--in using this term, it is hoped that you will “read" it as the Greeks had intended it to be understood: as music “having many sounds or voices." Listening to almost any of the music Garcia-Fons writes, arranges and plays is like undertaking a fascinating and memorable expedition.

While many musicians employ polyphony, it is extremely rare ...

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Album Review

Renaud Garcia-Fons: Entremundo

Read "Entremundo" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons has a few tricks up his sleeve, some of which he reveals in due time on Entremundo. One is the fact that his instrument has five strings, and he makes use of the entire range--which means that a lot of his work sounds like it comes from a cello or even a violin. His playing, mostly bowed, has a rich, vibrant quality that tends to dominate his music--and in a good way--whether he's shredding, waxing lyrical, or ...

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Festival

Roberto Fonseca, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Daniel Humair, Michel Portal & Vincent Peirani perform at Souillac Jazz Festival this July

Roberto Fonseca, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Daniel Humair, Michel Portal & Vincent Peirani perform at Souillac Jazz Festival this July

Source: Erica Meltzer

The new jazz generation converges with its Afro-American roots this year at the Souillac Jazz Festival in southwest France, to be held from 15 to 21 July. SIX EVENING CONCERTS 16 July The Trio d'en bas will stage an entertaining and unusual spectacle in the Grottes de Lacave. 18 July The drummer Daniel Humair will lead his “Sweet & Sour” Quartet (double-bassist Jérôme Regard, saxophonist Emile Parisien [winner of the Jazz Academy’s 2012 Django Reinhardt prize] and accordionist Vincent Peirani ...

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