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Michel Portal

Composer Michel Portal also plays the clarinet, the saxophone and the small accordion or bandonion. A musician whom it is difficult to classify because he offers so much across arange of categories, Michel Portal is one of those extraordinary characterswho is just as at home with classical works " Mozart, Brahms, Schumann,Berg " as he is with contemporary music where he has performed for Boulez,Stockhausen, Berio, Kagel and Globokar among others.

When the Free movement in France began, Portal became a founder member of the New Phonic Art group, along with the trombone player Bernard Vitet, pianist François Tusques and the drummer Sunny Murray, which based its ideas on collective improvisation, the quest for particular sounds and instant output. He still, however continued to play the dance tunes which inspired him from his youth, popular airs (Benny Bennet, Perez Prado), music from his native Basque country and jazz from his adopted home.

In 1971 Portal set up a loose structure called the Michel Portal Unit, which was a forum for European and American musicians to come together for free improvisation. Since 1975 he has composed many scores for cinema and televisions films. He has been awarded 3 Césars (French Oscars) and one Sept d’Or (French television awards).

In the field of European jazz, Portal has a profound influence. Whether he is playing as a duet with Bernard Lubat or Martial Solal ; invited to accompany groups (Humair-Jeanneau-Texier; Kühn-Humair-Jenny Clark) or playing as temporary partner with Jack deJohnette, Dave Liebman, Howard Johnson, John Surman, or Mino Cinelu for instance, his effect is notable. The settingcan be structured or spontaneous but Portal manages to be both an activist and a reactionary.

Multi-instrumentalist (clarinets, saxophones, bandoneon, etc.) and composer Michel Portal can be considered as the father figure of the French modern jazz scene. Classically trained, Portal gained notoriety through his association with various modern and contemporary music composers. His performance as the featured soloist on Pierre Boulez's Domaines remains a highlight of his career.

However, this exceptional musician also had a serious interest in folk music and jazz. In the late '60s, he initiated the free jazz movement in France with François Tusques, Bernard Vitet, and Sunny Murray. He went on to form New Phonic Art with Vinko Globokar, Carlos Roque Alsina, and Jean-Pierre Drouet to encourage collective improvisation, sonic explorations, and instant composing.

In 1970, Portal developed a fruitful collaboration with John Surman. The following year, he created the long-lived Michel Portal Unit, a structure designed to have European and American musicians meet in a freely improvised setting. In 1975, writing movie soundtracks became a regular activity, which is well-documented on Musiques de Cinémas.

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In Pictures

Michel Portal Quintet MP85 at Galleria Alberoni Piacenza Jazz Fest 2023

Read "Michel Portal Quintet MP85 at Galleria Alberoni Piacenza Jazz Fest 2023" reviewed by Danilo Codazzi


A collection of photos from the Michel Portal Quintet MP85 concert at Sala degli Arazzi Galleria Alberoni in Piacenza on March 18, 2023 featuring Michel Portal, Samuel Blaser, Stéphane Galland, Bruno Chevillon and Bojan Z. ...

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In Pictures

Jazz & Wine of Peace 2022, Part 1

Read "Jazz & Wine of Peace 2022, Part 1" reviewed by Luciano Rossetti


A collection of photos from part one of Jazz & Wine of Peace in Cormòns Italy from October 19-23, 2022 featuring the Michel Portal Quintet, Daniele D'Agaro, Giovanni Maier, Alessandro Romano, Amirtha Kidambi and many others. Additional photography by Luca d'Agostino and Fabio Gamba. ...

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Live Review

Jazz&Wine of Peace 2022

Read "Jazz&Wine of Peace 2022" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Jazz&Wine of Peace 2022 Cormons, Collio e Brda slovena 19-13.10.2022 Con l'edizione 2022 il festival Jazz&Wine of Peace di Cormons tagliava l'importante traguardo dei venticinque anni di vita, festeggiati con un degno programma di concerti disseminati--come ormai da tempo avviene--sullo splendido territorio circostante, tra teatri locali, abbazie, castelli e aziende vinicole: artisti di grande levatura internazionale ed eccellenti musicisti “di casa," proposte innovative e concerti più tradizionali, con alcuni interessanti progetti più intimi e talvolta di ...

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In Pictures

Fano Jazz by the Sea 2021, Part 2-3

Read "Fano Jazz by the Sea 2021, Part 2-3" reviewed by Andrea Rotili


A collection of photos from Fano Jazz By The Sea in Fano, Italy running from July 23-31, featuring Giovanni Guidi “Ojos De Gato" Tribute to Gato Barbieri, Antonio Faraò Trio, Michel Portal “MP85" project, youth concerts, concerts for kids and concerts at sunrise. ...

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Album Review

Michel Portal: MP85

Read "MP85" reviewed by Giuseppe Segala


Alla tenera età di ottantacinque anni, compiuti lo scorso novembre, Michel Portal è ancora in grado di stupire e incantare con le sue invenzioni musicali. Anche se, naturalmente, i suoi tour di concerti non sono più molto frequenti sulla scena internazionale, questo MP85 è eloquente nella conferma che il carattere, la vitalità creativa, la sostanza musicale dell'artista sono ancora in pieno fervore. Nel corso di una carriera che ormai supera i sessant'anni, Portal si è cimentato da protagonista in tutti ...

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Live Review

Fabbrica Europa 2019

Read "Fabbrica Europa 2019" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Riccardo Tesi—Patrick Vaillant—Gianluigi Trovesi Michel Portal—Theo Ceccaldi Fabbrica Europa Sala Vanni—Teatro della Pergola Firenze 8 e 9.5.2019 Nell'ambito della sua ventisettesima edizione, Fabbrica Europa—prestigiosa rassegna fiorentina prevalentemente dedicata alla danza—ha riservato alcuni appuntamenti a proposte esclusivamente musicali, come suo costume singolari e d'ambito poco etichettabile. Tra queste spiccavano, a distanza di un solo giorno l'uno dall'altro, due concerti per piccoli organici: il trio di Riccardo Tesi, Gianluigi Trovesi e Patrick Vaillant, e il ...

Album Review

Michel Portal: Radar

Read "Radar" reviewed by Paolo Peviani


In occasione della pubblicazione del suo centesimo numero, la rivista Jazz Thing ha lanciato una serie di articoli intitolata “European Jazz Legends," in seguito integrata da una serie di album registrati dal vivo nel teatro della cittadina tedesca di Gütersloh. Il settimo CD della collana ha come protagonista il polistrumentista francese Michel Portal, nelle prime tre tracce in compagnia del pianista Richie Beirach, e nelle due tracce successive della WDR Big Band (l'orchestra del canale radiofonico Westdeutscher ...

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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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Event

Jazz at Chateau Palmer with Michel Portal and Yaron Herman on March 25

Jazz at Chateau Palmer with Michel Portal and Yaron Herman on March 25

Source: Ananbelle Grellier

Listen to Château Palmer, a Margaux great growth, and its Alter Ego: the 2010 vintage interpreted by Michel Portal and Yaron Herman performing at a concert given at Château Palmer on Friday, 25 March 2011, broadcasted live on France Musique and on the Web A première and a preview during En Primeur week! In March 2010, Château Palmer invited the jazz pianist Jacky Terrasson to improvise on the theme of the 2009 vintage at a private concert. This was simply ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

MP85

Label Bleu
2021

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Radar

Intuition
2016

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Bailador

EmArcy
2011

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Baïlador

Blue Note
2010

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Birdwatcher

Blue Note
2007

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