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Celine Bonacina

Bonacina started learning music at the age of eight. She got classical saxophone lessons at various conservatories in Belfort, Besançon and Paris.

Between 1996 and 1998, Bonacina played baritone saxophone in various jazz big bands in Paris. She then moved to Réunion, for seven years to teach saxophone at the Conservatoire National de Région During this time, she participated at numerous festivals in the Indien Oceans region. She was musically influenced of the inclusion of the living rhythms there, and this is reflected in her later compositions. Returning to Paris, her debut album Vue d'en Haut was released in 2005.

Bonacina has collaborated with musicians such as the French pianist Laurent de Wilde, Cuban pianist Omar Sosa, vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, saxophonist Andy Sheppard and guitarists Yannick Robert and Nguyên Lê. In addition, and she temporarily supplemented the Funk Unit of the Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren.

Her album Way of Life, which is based almost exclusively on her own compositions, was recorded with a trio comprising the French Nicolas Garnier (bass guitar) and the Malagasy Hary Ratsimbazafy (drums and percussion) and the guitarist Nguyên Lê as a guest musician. In November 2010 she took part with her trio at the JazzFest Berlin.

Bonacina has won a number of saxophonist prizes in classical and jazz, such as the Defense Concours national jazz festival and the Festival Jazz - La Ciotat

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6
Radio & Podcasts

Céline Bonacina, Keith Jarrett, Carla Marciano and More New Releases

Read "Céline Bonacina, Keith Jarrett, Carla Marciano and More New Releases" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


Another week repleate with deliciuos new releases, from those of European jazz queens Céline Bonacina, Yazz Ahmed and Carla Marciano, to the Pan-African manifesto of Russell Gunn's Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra, to the collaborative trios of Ben Perowsky—-John Medeski—Chris Speed, Zach Brock—Matt Ulery—Jon Deitemyer, and Alban Darche—Matthieu Donarier—Meivelyan Jacquot, not to mention the latest by Keith Jarrett and the first by Harish Raghavan. What a bonanza to be grateful for! Happy listening!

5
Album Review

Celine Bonacina Trio: Open Heart

Read "Open Heart" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


The baritone saxophone is right at the heart of Céline Bonacina's Open Heart, her second album for ACT Music. This particular sax is too often consigned to the role of “rhythm saxophone," operating at the lower reaches of its register, with only a handful of players making full use of its potential. Bonacina, a French saxophonist and composer, is one of that handful. Her command of the instrument enables her to bring it to the forefront of her music, giving ...

325
Album Review

Celine Bonacina: Way Of Life

Read "Way Of Life" reviewed by Chris May


It may not approach the freak-show proportions of the bass saxophone Adrian Rollini popularized in the 1920s, but the baritone is still an impressive beast, one that has frequently been employed as much for its visual impact as for the notes it produces. Ever since Little Richard introduced the unwieldy instrument to his touring band in the 1950s--at one time his reed section consisted only of two baritones--rock & roll and rhythm & blues groups have employed it primarily for ...

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