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| The
Evolution of Style |
Childhood
Influences and Roots |
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Born
in Lorraine, France, Christian Jacob began playing classical
music at age 4 and became immersed in the music of Claude
Debussy and Maurice
Ravel, whose harmonic universe was influential
on jazz. "I was 9 or 10 when I discovered jazz,"
Christian reminisces, "and the very first thing
that appealed to me was the harmony, the chords. Later,
when I learned it was improvised, I couldn't believe
it. The first time I heard Oscar
Peterson, I kept going to the store
to order the part--of course I never received it."
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| "I've
always had perfect pitch, so I was known for hearing
anything and knowing the notes. However, although I
had a good solfege teacher, my training was not open
to improvisation.... |
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| It
was 'learn the piece, interpret it.' Even at that age
they would basically interpret it for you. In retrospect
that probably taught me what is the basic musical feel.
Later when I was in Paris [at the Conservatoire
National Superieur de Musique], my teacher,
Maestro Pierre Sancan,
worked on the transmission of your musical thought into
the arm." |
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Christian
continued to play jazz "as a hobby" during
his years of rigorous study, working in combos in Lorraine
and Paris, and began to develop a style. "Dave
Brubeck was my first discovery,"
he relates, "then Oscar
was a big step, another dimension. I could hear his
classical technique, but his personality was there too.
What he says, he means, and you can hear him having
so much fun doing it." |
| Coming
to America |
In
1978 Christian was one of the youngest students to
graduate with a First Prize from the conservatory.
He later studied at Boston's Berklee
College of Music. "I'd say the
first thing that shocked me when I arrived was that
I discovered I wasn't bad," he laughs. "I
began to concentrate 100 percent on jazz, on improvising
and building it slowly into something personal."
While
at Berklee Christian won a number of awards, including
the Oscar Peterson Jazz Masters Award, the Great American
Jazz Piano Competition and "Downbeat" magazine's
distinction as Top Collegiate Jazz Soloist. |
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Christian
joined the Berklee faculty after a 1985 graduation.
"Teaching jazz is an interesting question,"
Christian muses. "To me transcription is basic,
because you hear what's happening and try to do it." |
| "I'd
ask the student who he likes. If you're interested in
Monk, then transcribe Monk. I'd try to make the student
conscious of his strengths, and strip it away and see
what's left. Doing your own transcription, inventing
your own exercises is ten times more beneficial.
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Christian
toured with one of his mentors at Berklee,
Gary Burton,
from 1987 to 1989. He then joined ebullient big-sound
trumpeter Maynard
Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau Band as
Music Director in 1990. He's spent much of the 90s writing
and arranging for Ferguson and it was this association
that brought about his 1st CD for Concord Records Maynard
Ferguson Presents Christian Jacob,
a trio recording with Peter
Erskine on drums
and John Patitucci
on bass. |
| Since
then, Christian and Swiss saxophonist Fritz
Renold started the group, the Bostonian
Friends. They write a new repertoire
every year for the Swiss
Youth Jazz Orchestra. |
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| Increasing
his involvement as an orchestrator after several performances
with the Bangkok Symphony
Orchestra, Christian joined with Renold
to write a suite for the 200th anniversary of the Helvetic
Constitution. This brought about a second project, written
and performed as a birthday gift for the King of Thailand.
Both pieces were sponsored by the Swiss government and
written for the Jazz 5tet and Symphony Orchestra. Both
The Helvetic Suite
and The Six Cycles
were released on CD. |
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In
2000, Christian took a group to Thailand
for an all night jam session with His
Majesty The King. "It was an amazing
life experience, and a great way to start the new century.
We played from 10pm until 8:30am. His Majesty never
got tired. He played alto sax, clarinet and trumpet." |
| In
recent years, Christian has concentrated on taking his
personal style to a new level with his recordings with
The Christian Jacob Trio.
He has also continued to tour and record with some great
ladies of jazz, Flora
Purim and Tierney
Sutton. His tours include Europe, Asia,
and the US. Check his tour schedule and his discography
to see what's new and available to you. |
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| What's
Going on Now |
| At
present Christian’s ten year collaboration with vocalist
Tierney Sutton is taking on a life of its own, with
the release of their latest recording together “Dancing
in the Dark” the band has begun touring nation wide.
Long term band members, Trey Henry, Ray Brinker, Tierney
and Christian, have held the strong belief that there
is a great demand in music today for the intricate tightly
woven sound that their years of cultivation has produced.
Always wanting to explore new paths musically, the group
decided to use strings on “Dancing
in the Dark”. Not wanting to go the
usual route of having a huge symphonic sound, they chose
instead to use the strings to enhance the sound of the
band. The result is a CD that has fulfilled all of their
expectation. Christian orchestrated and conducted the
string orchestra that enriches the texture on five of
the 12 tracks.
So
check out the Tour Dates page and take an evening
out to enjoy some wonderful music.
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