Jacques Loussier
| Jacques Loussier | |
|---|---|
Loussier in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Born |
26 October 1934 Angers, France |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Labels | Decca, Philips, Telarc, Naxos |
| Associated acts | Jacques Loussier Trio |
| Website | www |
Jacques Loussier (born 26 October 1934) is a French pianist and composer. He is well known for his jazz interpretations in trio formation of many of Johann Sebastian Bach's works, such as the Goldberg Variations. He is also a licensed pilot and often flew his personal helicopter from his home at Chateau Miraval, in the south of France. This same chateau now belongs to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Loussier has also been involved with rosé wine production.
Loussier started piano lessons aged ten, in Angers, and after three months encountered his first J. S. Bach – the little G-minor Prelude. It was a piece he fell in love with, he has said, and he played it 'tens, hundreds of times', sometimes adding a note, missing another, and so changing a bit the spirit of the music. He developed quickly and at 13, was taken to Paris to meet one of France's leading pianists, Yves Nat. Every three months he went to Paris playing the music Nat wanted him to play, given advice, and then another programme for three months later to come back to play. He began composing music while studying at the Conservatoire National de Musique, having moved then to Paris, under Professor Yves Nat, from the age of sixteen.
After six years' study, he left to travel the world, where he experienced sounds of the Middle East, Latin America, and Cuba, where he spent one year.
In 1959 he formed the Jacques Loussier Trio with string bass player Pierre Michelot who had previously played with Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France, and percussionist Christian Garros. They used Bach's compositions as a base for jazz improvisation and had many live appearances, tours, and concerts, as well as a number of recordings. Originally the trio recorded for Decca Records but in 1973 changed to Philips/Phonogram. The trio sold over six million albums in 15 years. Their most famous recording is "Air on the G String" which was used for the Hamlet cigar advertisements in the UK for over 35 years.
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Wikipedia