Michel Petrucciani: The Montreux Years (Live) Michel Petrucciani

• 1 35 Seconds of Music and More (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1998) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1998) 06:07
• 2 Estate (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1990) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1990) 10:13
• 3 Little Peace in C for U (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1998) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1998) 02:53
• 4 Autumn Leaves (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1996) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1996) 06:31
• 5 My Funny Valentine (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1996) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1996) 08:53
• 6 Miles Davis Licks (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1990) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1990) 07:59
• 7 Summertime (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1993) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1993) 07:14
• 8 Take the 'A' Train (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1993) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1993) 04:51
• 9 So What (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1996) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1996) 05:16
• 10 You Are My Waltz (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1993) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1993) 05:01
• 11 Rachid (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1990) (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1990) 10:06
• Total Runtime 01:15:04

Info for Michel Petrucciani: The Montreux Years (Live)

The brand-new release in The Montreux Years series is a collection of Michel Petrucciani’s most memorable performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival from 1990 - 1998. The Montreux Jazz Festival is without doubt one of the most iconic music festivals on the global festival scene. Originally created by Claude Nobs and held annually in Montreux, Switzerland across two weeks in July the festival continues to draw yearly over 250,000 music lovers from all across the world to the Lake Geneva shoreline.

Born in the South of France in 1962, Michel Petrucciani was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta - or “glass bone disease” and only ever grew to 99cm. Despite his health condition, Petrucciani went on to become one of the most accomplished jazz pianists of his generation and became a musical prodigy.

At the age of 13, Petrucciani gave his first professional concert performance and became famous locally. However, the young star dreamed of America and in 1982 found himself in California where he met jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd. In the 80s Petrucciani became the first European artist to sign with the American jazz label Blue Note Records, the most prolific, influential, and respected jazz label of the 20th century. It was at Blue Note Records where Petrucciani made seven albums including his acclaimed LP ‘Michel Plays Petrucciani’.

As well as his own remarkable solo career, Michel Petrucciani was a celebrated collaborator for some of music’s biggest artists, including Freddie Hubbard who invited him to join his All Star band. Overcoming physical disabilities to become a world-renowned pianist, Petrucciani was awarded the prestigious Prix Django Reinhardt in 1984 and during the same year his album ‘100 Hearts’ won a Grand Prix Du Disque, the French equivalent of a Grammy Award. In 1994 Petrucciani was made a knight by François Mitterrand, the French president at the time.

A collection of Petrucciani’s most memorable performances at The Montreux Jazz Festival from 1990 - 1998, fans of the legendary jazz pianist can relive some of his biggest recordings on Michel Petrucciani: The Montreux Years. Encapsulating his time at the festival, the release opens with 1997’s “35 Seconds of Music and More” and “Estate” from the 1982 album of the same name. Delving further into Petrucciani’s repertoire, Michel Petrucciani: The Montreux Years includes the 1991 hit “Rachid” and “Little Peace in C for U”.

Launched in 2021, ‘The Montreux Years’ is the embodiment of the spirit of the Montreux Jazz Festival and the legacy of its much-loved founder, Claude Nobs. Nobs refused to compromise on quality or settle for anything other than the best and this ethos lives on in the superb quality of the recordings compiled in ‘The Montreux Years’. Mastering has been performed by Tony Cousins at London’s iconic Metropolis Studios, incorporating MQA to capture the original sound of the special live performances.

Michel Petrucciani

Michel Petrucciani
born 28 December 1962 in Orange, Vaucluse (France) – died 6 January 1999 in New York City, USA. He was a French jazz pianist. Michel Petrucciani was raised in an ItaloFrench musical family. His father Tony was a guitarist, and Louis his brother played bass. Philippe is his last brother. Michel was born with osteogenesis imperfecta. This is a genetic condition that causes brittle bones, and in Michel’s case, short stature. It can also be linked to pulmonary conditions. His father and brother carried him literally when he couldn’t walk on his own. He considered it a benefit in some ways, as he was able to get rid of the distractions that other boys were involved in, such as sports. He was captivated by Duke Ellington from an early age and wanted to be a pianist like him. He trained as a classical pianist for many years, but jazz was his main passion. At the age of 13, he gave his first professional concert. He was still very fragile at this stage of his life and needed to be carried to the piano. He was large and needed assistance to reach the pedals of the piano. However, his hands were not very long. However, this had its benefits: Petrucciani’s manager often tried to smuggle Petrucciani into hotels in a suitcase at the start of his career in an effort to save money. He was part of a trio that became a success at the age of 18. In 1982, he moved to the USA and encouraged Charles Lloyd to play again. With Petrucciani in his arms, Lloyd walked to Town Hall in New York City on 22 February 1985 and sat down on his piano stool. This was the beginning of a historic evening in jazz history. John Charles Jopson, the film’s director, would later recount in the reissued liner notes how the moment brought him to tears. 1986 saw Petrucciani record a live album together with Wayne Shorter, Jim Hall. He also performed with Dizzy Gillespie and other jazz musicians in the US. He was awarded a Legion d’honneur Paris in 1994. Although Bill Evans was an influence on his style, some people compare him to Keith Jarrett. He had five significant relationships on the personal side: Erlinda Montano (marriage), Eugenia (marriage), Marie Laure Roperch (the marriage lasted for three months and ended with divorce), and Isabelle Maile (with which he shares his tomb). He had a son named Alexandre with Marie Laure, who inherited his condition. Rachid Roperch was his stepson. Michel Petrucciani, who was 36 years old, died from a pulmonary disease shortly after his 36th birthday. He was buried in Paris’s Le Pere Lachaise Cemetery. A special tribute to Petrucciani was broadcast by French music channel Mezzo on 12 February 2009. This event took place ten years after Petrucciani’s death. Gabreal Franklin produced the first two American albums featuring Michel Petrucciani. 100 Hearts, a solo album featuring Michel Petrucciani, was recorded at the famed RCA Studio A on the Avenue of the Americas, New York City. The second album was a trio, recorded live at Max Gordon’s Village Vanguard club in New York City. These albums were the first to utilize digital recording technology on Mitsubishi X80 recorders. Unfortunately, the manuals were only available in Japanese. However, Franklin and Tom Arrison were able to make them work through trial and error and achieved excellent results. From Wikipedia

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