Laurent Fourgo

BORN IN PARIS, FRANCE, Laurent Fourgo grew up in the southwest suburb of Paris and began studying the saxophone when he was eight years old. By the time he was 12, he switched to oboe and played in the local classical orchestra. At 16, he had decided that singing would be his main instrument.

One person who encouraged his interest in music was his father, an avid fan of all the early American Rock’n’Roll music of the Fifties and Sixties masters such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, Fats Domino, and Jerry Lee Lewis. "I think Papa had every recording Elvis Presley ever made and I tried to learn as many as I could."

Another influence was his paternal grandmother who’s been a passionate singer since childhood. She’s been singing for friends and family all the hits from before and after the Second World War. While spending summer vacations every year in the South West of France, Laurent had the opportunity to listen to tunes from the 30s, 40s and 50s that he would have never heard without being around his grandmother. She told him that his grandfather (who died before he had a chance to get to know him) was also a singer, as well as an accordionist. “Singing was in my blood �" there was no way to avoid it!” said Laurent.

Laurent started his first band while in the army, playing at various local city fairs and also at a black tie event attended by all the Air Force officers to celebrate the change of commander that occurs every 2 years. After his military duties, Laurent put his desire to perform professionally aside and pursued a Masters in Business in the southwest of France. While in school, he studied with renowned French vocal coach Christiane Depero and after graduating he recognized that music was indeed his true passion.

America would be his destination. “Since age 10, I knew I wanted to live in the US: the desire possibly inspired by movies and music I was exposed to during my childhood”. Laurent landed in San Francisco, put his band together and began performing at various clubs and private parties.

THE STORY SO FAR

In 2007, Laurent releases his debut album Half and Half / Moitié-Moitié. For much of the album, the musical support comes from drummer Rob Gibson and bassist Steve Hanson. The inventive and melodic piano playing of Dave Miotke is heard throughout the record, which also features guitarist Jeff O’Sammon, saxophonist Jeff Sanford and Malcolm Granger sitting in on Hammond B-3 and on electric guitar. The talented trumpet of Don Beck joins in on the timeless tune “The Good Life”. “Working with this group was a thrill. We had a blast making this recording! They are the most incredible Bay Area jazz musicians I’ve worked and traveled all over the Bay Area with for years. Every time we play together, the music is colored by friendship, by shared experience�"making each song very personal. And the best is yet to come…”

The album is the first produced by Laurent Fourgo and co-arranged with Malcolm Granger, a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston. With Half and Half / Moitié-Moitié, Laurent has created a unique recording of eight Pop Standards with original arrangements. Listen to his take on Gilbert Bécaud 's timely bluesy jazz, What Now My Love / Et Maintenant or the warm Bossa I Wish You Love / Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours?. Laurent's sensual approach to Charles Trenet’s Beyond The Sea / La Mer, with its extraordinary introduction by Jeff Sanford, is balanced by Laurent's own exquisite French phrasing. A beautifully reflective version of a relatively obscure standard, Under Paris Skies / Sous Le Ciel De Paris will make you dream and imagine of spending time in Paris. Half and Half / Moitié-Moitié firmly establishes Laurent’s credentials as an emerging pop- jazz artist.

Diverse in its musical scope, this album is jazz-infused, pop-charged and, to Laurent’s way of thinking, in harmony with his musical life. He grew up listening to the rock music of his idols (everything from Elvis Presley to Bruce Springsteen), along with the jazz of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett and the pop sounds of George Michael, Michael Jackson and Elton John.

“Swinging around in my head, the elements of jazz and pop have always been combined in my music”. During his recording journey, that jazz-cum-pop outlook never seemed cloudy. The result - a mix of Rock’n’Roll, pop and Jazz. It’s this combination of past, present, and future that explains his ability to attract old-time aficionados, new jazz enthusiasts, and fans of modern pop music.

As a result, Half and Half / Moitié-Moitié is a dazzling tour de force, bringing together a musical gift and the expertise that comes from delivering great entertainment night after night. “I am always inspired to get out there again…and again. I love what I do”. And hopefully, so will you! Show less