Simonoviez

Biography

Born in 1966 from a music lover father who adore Bach's music and a mother, pianist amateur playing Chopin's work.

At home, one of his brothers, also pianist, studies Debussy but plays also all kind of music: from Scott Joplin to Dave Brubeck..... Jean-Sebastien is fascinated by his brother's easiness to transcribe any melody and improvise on it.

At 5 years old, he starts studying classic piano with an "old school" teacher that puts him on the piano.

At 7 years old, he integrates a music school where he is asked to choose a second instrument. Stunned by Louis Armstrong's recording, he sets his heart on the trumpet which will develop his sense of melody and breathing.

Until 14 years old, he assimilates base techniques of music (reading, writing, theory).

From 16 years old, he starts to play with other musicians and each encounters contribute to enrich his vocabulary. The drummer of his first band, Soma, owns a club well stocked. He makes him discover John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Bill evans...It is a shock. He dives in the intoxicating universe of those musicians. A guitarist with who he crosses France, teaches him harmony and jam techniques.

In the 90's, he participates to numerous projects (concerts and albums) with europeans and americans musicians (among other, Paolo Fresu and Jim pepper). In parallel, he is teaching at the Musical Institute of Professional Training (Salon de Provence). In the piano classroom, drums are set permanently. He then learns to play self-taught. His attraction to the drums is so strong that he organizes training where he is a drummer. At certain times, he accompanies other pianists like Alain Jean Marie, Michel Grailler, Siegfried Kessler or even the english saxophone player, Peter king.

Late 90's, he flies often to New York and even shares his time between the USA and France. The magic island loaded of music is extremely welcoming. The gigs, the sessions and jam-sessions allow him to practice and reinforce his art and knowledge of the american culture. He is in contact with musicians like James Cammack, Ari Hoenig, Francois Moutin, Essiet Essiet...

Back in France, Gerard de Haro offers him to record his first piano solo album "Vents et Marees" (La Buissonne/Harmonia Mundi, 2003). This album is well welcomed by the specialized press and knows a franc success in Europe and Asia.

He then creates the band Transition with Francois Gallix, Gael Horellou, Yoann Serra and Clara Simonoviez. After many concerts, the quintet becomes a septet, integrating arrangements for 2 saxophones, 3 voices, double bass, drums, piano.