Pierre Michelot
Background information
Born(1928-03-03)3 March 1928
Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, France
Died3 July 2005(2005-07-03) (aged 77)
Paris, France
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, arranger
Instrument(s)Double bass
LabelsFontana

Pierre Michelot (3 March 1928 – 3 July 2005)[1] was a French jazz double bass player and arranger.

Early life

Michelot was born in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris on 3 March 1928.[2] He studied piano from 1936 until 1938. He switched to playing bass at the age of sixteen.[2]

Later life and career

He played and recorded with visiting American musicians in Paris.[2] He "played with Rex Stewart (1948), performed at Frisco's in Paris with Kenny Clarke (summer 1949), and joined Clarke in a band accompanying Coleman Hawkins (winter 1949–50), with whom he recorded; in 1949 he also recorded with Clarke in an ad hoc band led by Sidney Bechet."[3]

Through his career he played with Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, Don Byas, Thelonious Monk, Lester Young, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Bud Powell, Zoot Sims, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker.[4]

With Miles Davis he was responsible for the 1957 soundtrack of Ascenseur pour l'échafaud.[3] He was a member of the Jacques Loussier Trio, known for the Play Bach album series from 1959.[3] For two decades beginning in the early 1960s, he concentrated on arranging and studio work.[2] He also appeared in the 1986 film Round Midnight.[3] In later life he suffered from Alzheimer's disease.[5] He died of Alzheimer's in Paris on 3 July 2005.[1]

Discography

As leader

With Daniel Humair & Rene Urtreger

With Jacques Loussier and Christian Garros

As sideman

With Claude Bolling

With Clifford Brown

With Sidney Bechet

With Don Byas

With Miles Davis

With France Gall

With Serge Gainsbourg

With Stan Getz

With Dizzy Gillespie

With Dexter Gordon

With Coleman Hawkins

With Andre Hodeir

With Jacques Loussier and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

With Claude Nougaro

With Bud Powell

With Sammy Price

With Stephane Grappelli

With Django Reinhardt

With Zoot Sims

With others

References

  1. ^ a b "Pierre Michelot, Jazz Musician, Dies at 77". The New York Times. 6 July 2005. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Carr, Ian; Fairweather, Digby; Priestley, Brian (1995). Jazz: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. p. 437. ISBN 978-1-85828-137-7.
  3. ^ a b c d Kernfeld, Barry; Clergeat, André (2003). "Michelot, Pierre". Grove Music Online. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.j299700. ISBN 9781561592630.
  4. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1682. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  5. ^ Berg, Chuck (25 April 2019). "Bassist Pierre Michelot Dies". JazzTimes. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
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