François Couturier & Dominique Pifarély
Biography François Couturier & Dominique Pifarély
Dominique Pifarély
modernized jazz violin, combining extraordinary technical skills with an inclusive idea of music-making. He has been soon very in-demand as a straight jazz player, but was soon in some of the more adventurous groups in Europe, too, including Mike Westbrook’s band (On Dukes’ Birthday, hatART) and the Vienna Art Orchestra.
In 1979, he began touring with bassist Didier Levallet and guitarist Gérard Marais as a trio. In the 1980s he began leading his own bands, as can be heard on 2 records, Insula Dulcamara (1988) et Oblique (1992).
In 1985, Pifarély started to work with reedist Louis Sclavis and in 1992, they formed the Sclavis/Pifarély Acoustic Quartet, featuring guitarist Marc Ducret and bassist Bruno Chevillon, and recorded for ECM. In the late 1990s, he started a duo work with pianist François Couturier, and they recorded a prominent album (Poros, ECM, 1997).
In the 2000’s, Dominique Pifarély leads different personal projects. Impromptu is a development of the collaboration with François Couturier, adding counter tenor Dominique Visse and a work on contemporary poetry. He initiated numerous text/music experiences with french writer François Bon and actors Violaine Schwartz and Pierre Baux. The Dédales Ensemble is a acoustic nine piece band. He founded in 2007 a trio with keyboard player Julien Padovani and drummer Eric Groleau, and the Dédales Ensemble (“Time Geography”, Poros éditions, 2013), played in duo with Michele Rabbia or Vincent Courtois,
In his mature style, the classical violin tradition and the swing lessons combine with a contemporary European sonic exploration ; his technical mastery and quick imagination allow him to move seamlessly between these worlds.
He regularly performs in whole Europe, and has been touring in USA, Canada, Japan, India, Middle East, Latin America or Africa.
François Couturier
began learning the piano at the age of six. After studying classical piano and musicology (graduating in 1977), he met bassist Jean-Paul Céléa in 1978 in Jacques Thollot's quartet, with whom he formed a duo. Between 1981 and 1983, he toured with John McLaughlin, with whom he also recorded. Over time, he played with French jazz musicians such as André Ceccarelli, Eddy Louiss, Michel Portal, François Jeanneau and Daniel Humair. From 2001, he toured frequently with oud player Anouar Brahem, on whose recordings "Le pas du Chat Noir" (2001) and "Le Voyage de Sahara" (2005) he took part. They first met at the Carthage Festival in 1985; Couturier played on Brahem's "Khomsa" (ECM) as early as 1994.
In 2006, François Couturier's album "Nostalghia - A Song for Tarkovsky" was released on ECM with saxophonist (soprano) Jean-Marc Larché, accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier and cellist Anja Lechner; the album is dedicated to film director Andrei Tarkovsky and his films. They also presented the music from the album at various festivals, first in Bergamo in 2006. In 2007, he played in the quintet "Passaggio", with whom he recorded two albums on the Label Bleu label, and in the "European Jazz Trio" with Celea and Wolfgang Reisinger. François Couturier also plays in a duo with violinist Dominique Pifarély (album "Poros" on ECM, 1997) and with pianist Jean-Pierre Chalet. He recorded “From Machaut to Berio” with the countertenor Dominique Visse.
François Couturier has recently recorded the albums Planisphères (1993), L'Ibère (1995), Nostalghia - Song for Tarkovsky (2006) and Un Jour Si Blanc (2010) under his own name. The pianist is currently under contract with the ECM label.
In 1981, François Couturier received the Prix Django Reinhardt.
