Renaud Garcia-Fons | |
|---|---|
 Renaud Garcia-Fons in concert. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Renaud Garcia-Fons |
| Born | 24 December 1962 |
| Origin | Paris, France |
| Genres | Jazz, World music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Upright bass |
| Labels | Enja Records |
| Website | renaudgarciafons |
Renaud Garcia-Fons (born 24 December 1962) is a French bassist and composer.
Garcia-Fons started his musical studies at an early age. At five years old he picked up playing the piano, switched to classical guitar at eight, then turned to rock in his teens, and finally settling for the upright bass when he was 16. He got formal musical training at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he studied with François Rabbath, who taught him his special technique of playing arco.
Garcia-Fons is known for his melodic sense and his viola-like col arco sound; he is sometimes referred to as "the Paganini of double bass."[1] Garcia-Fons has been deeply influenced by his mentor, the bassist François Rabbath.[2]
He started playing jazz with the band of trumpeter Roger Guérin, and thereafter had many collaborators, including symphony orchestras, jazz groups, and a trio. In 1987-93, he was part of the French all-double bass ensemble 'L'Orchestre de Contrebasses'. He remained with them for six years, also appearing with the 'Orchestre National de Jazz' directed by Claude Barthélemy during some of this time. Enja Records released his debut solo album Légendes (1992). Alboreá (1995) was his next album release, featuring his quartet including Jean-Louis Matinier (accordion), Jacques Mahieux (drums), and Yves Torchinsky (bass).
His third album, 1998's Oriental Bass, featured his own compositions and was well received in the press. Next he combined with accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier on the album Fuera (1999). On many occasions he is accompanied by a variety of instruments, including guitar, lute, derbouka, flutes, trombone, and accordion. Garcia-Fons has collaborated with jazz musicians like Jean-Louis Matinier, Michael Riessler, Sylvain Luc, Nguyên Lê, and Michel Godard, and contributed to recordings of Gerardo Núñez and to Middle Eastern players such as Kudsi Erguner, Dhafer Youssef, and Cheb Mami.[3]
In his musical journey to meet world music, Renaud Garcia-Fons is interested in oriental music and more particularly that of the master of Iranian lute tanbur Ostad Elahi, including finding a source of inspiration for his compositions such as Hommage à Ostad (CD Oriental Bass) and Voyage à Jeyhounabad [4] ( CD / DVD SOLO The Marcevol Concert). His interest in this music leads him in 2019 to participate, at the invitation of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, in a tribute concert[5] organized as an extension of the exhibition: the sacred lute, the art of Ostad Elahi[6] (2014-2015).
In addition to his career as a soloist, Renaud Garcia-Fons has been developing composition work for several years. He writes various pieces for String Quartet at the initiative of France Musique for the program Alla Breve. He creates for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the 'Ensemble de Basse-Normandie' Mundus Imaginalis. He is part of the credits for the France Culture program Les Racines du Ciel. On the international scene, he regularly plays with his various groups in the biggest Jazz Festivals. In July 2009, the Montreal International Jazz Festival invited him for a White Card of 3 concerts.[7]
Fruit of a collaboration of several years with the lutenist Claire Antonini, he publishes in 2019 the duet album Farangi [8], from the Baroque to the Orient.
