Daniel Humair
A pioneer of the European modern jazz scene, Swiss drummer Daniel Humair is a highly respected performer and bandleader, recognized for his sophisticated, swinging style. Emerging in the 1960s, Humair first established himself as an in-demand sideman, performing with the top echelon of American and European jazz musicians including Lucky Thompson, Jacques Pelzer, Chet Baker, and others. As a leader, he debuted in 1960 with Hum!!, featuring his ongoing trio with pianist René Urtreger and bassist Pierre Michelot. Other sophisticated outings include works with pianist Martial Solal, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Phil Woods. He has also earned a number of awards for his creative and cultural contributions, including being made an Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1992. In 2000, he also took home the Victoires de la Musique for his HUM trio album Humair Urtreger Michelot. Along with jazz, Humair is a noted abstract painter.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1938, Humair initially started on both the clarinet and drums at age seven. Around age 14, after hearing a recording by Tommy Ladnier and Mezz Mezzrow, he decided to focus on jazz drumming. He progressed quickly, and by his teens was performing professionally with local jazz and dance bands. In 1958, he took home several awards from the Zurich Jazz Festival, a recognition that brought him work with luminaries like Don Byas, Guy Lafitte, Jacques Pelzer, and Floris Nico Bunink. Also that year, he moved from Belgium to Paris at the invitation of Barney Wilen. There, he continued to work with a bevy of name performers including Lucky Thompson, Oscar Pettiford, Bud Powell, and vibraphonist Michel Hausser, among others. In 1960, he made his recorded debut on Hum!!, playing in a trio with two of the most significant French jazz musicians of the era: pianist René Urtreger and bassist Pierre Michelot. He also joined pianist Martial Solal's trio. Though largely self-taught, Humair's associations with such gifted performers worked to help develop his playing and arranging skills.
There were also notable sessions with Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Stéphane Grappelli, and Barney Kessel. In the mid-'60s, he formed a close association with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, appearing on albums like 1967's Sunday Walk and 1969's More Than Meets the Ear. In 1968, his career took a crucial turn with the beginning of his four-year tenure with Phil Woods & His European Rhythm Machine. He recorded a handful of live concert dates with Woods, including 1969's Stolen Moments and 1970's At the Frankfurt Jazz Festival. Following this experience, he played in a trio with pianist Gordon Beck and bassist Ron Matthewson, issuing 1972's Jazz Trio. That same year, he joined Gato Barbieri on the soundtrack to Last Tango in Paris.
Also during the '70s, he most notably appeared with various editions of the Michel Portal Unit. He also recorded with Randy Weston, Jim Hall, Steve Grossman, and more. In 1979, he paired with vibraphonist David Friedman and bassist Harvie Swartz for Triple Hip Trip. At the end of the '70s, he created another trio with saxophonist François Jeanneau and bassist Henri Texier. The combo helped give a new direction to the French jazz scene by developing a local repertoire still rooted in the jazz tradition but charting a path at some distance from the American model.
For 1980's East Side West Side, he joined pianist Jim McNeely and bassist Mike Richmond. Also around this time, he found work with Claude Bolling, Kenny Barron, Franco Ambrosetti, and others. Another significant development in the drummer's career during this era was his trio with Joachim Kühn and Jean-François Jenny-Clark. The trio remained active until the untimely passing of Jenny-Clark in 1998, and found Humair maturing as a composer. Together they issued such albums as 1985's Easy to Read, 1988's 9.11pm Town Hall, and 1991's Carambolage. In recognition of his work, Humair was awarded the Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1986. The following year, he received the prestigious Grand Prix of Jazz from France's Sacem, as well as the Charlie Parker Prize from l'Académie du Disque. He was also honored with a career achievement award from the Charles Cros Academy.
In the '90s, Humair began to focus more on his activities as an abstract painter. As his visual skill developed, so did his drumming, which evinced ever more textures and a deepening sense of group interplay. In recognition of his continued artistic achievements, he was made an Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. As a performer, he stayed active, collaborating with some of his favorite musicians under the moniker Reunion. Other highlights include his participation in an all-star quartet with Enrico Rava, Miroslav Vitous, and Franco d'Andrea, and the creation of a trio with Bruno Chevillon and Marc Ducret. He also began to lead more of his own sessions, pairing with saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi on 1991's Edges and 1993's Open Architecture. In 1998, he issued Quatre Fois Trois with saxophonists David Liebman and George Garzone, clarinetist Michel Portal, and others. Also that year, he returned to his trio with Kühn and Jenny-Clark for Die Dreigroschenoper. The drummer closed out the decade reuniting his HUM trio for 1999's aptly titled Humair Urtreger Michelot, which won the Victoires de la Musique.
In 2003, Humair released Baby Boom with guitarist Manu Codjia and bassist Sébastien Boisseau. He then paired with longtime associate Kühn for 2006's Usual Confusion, followed in 2009 by Baby Boom II. A year later, he issued the trio date Pas de Dense with saxophonist Tony Malaby and bassist Bruno Chevillon. The 2000s also found Humair working with Claude Nougaro, Guy Lafitte, Didier Lockwood, Ben Monder, Antonio Faraò, and others. Released in 2012, Nicolas Folmer & Daniel Humair Project featured the drummer's sophisticated ensemble with French trumpeter Folmer. In 2017 Humair released Seasoning, a trio and quartet date recorded live at Germany's Theater Gütersloh.
© Matt Collar /TiVo
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It's Nice to Be with You: Jim Hall in Berlin
Jim Hall, Jimmy Woode, Daniel Humair
Jazz - Lançado por MPS em 1 de jan. de 1969
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Sweet & Sour
Contemporary Jazz - Lançado por LABORIE Jazz em 13 de set. de 2012
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Suite for Trio
Martial Solal, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Daniel Humair
Jazz - Lançado por MPS em 11 de mar. de 2016
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Akagera
Daniel Humair, François Jeanneau, Henri Texier
Jazz - Lançado por JMS Productions em 19 de nov. de 1996
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Joachim Kühn Birthday Edition: Trio Kühn - Humair - Jenny-Clark Live at Jazzfest Berlin 1987 & 1995
Joachim Kühn, Daniel Humair, Jean-François Jenny-Clark
Jazz - Lançado por ACT Music em 14 de mar. de 2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live at Cameleon, Paris 1968, Vol.1 (Live)
Daniel Humair, Eddy Louiss, Jean-Luc Ponty
Jazz - Lançado por Dreyfus Jazz em 1 de jan. de 1980
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin, Come Back!
Jean Guiraud, Roger Guérin, Guy Pedersen, Daniel Humair
Classical - Lançado por Arion em 1 de jan. de 2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Scratch
Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Daniel Humair
Jazz - Lançado por ENJA RECORDS Matthias Winckelmann em 1 de set. de 1985
A discografia ideal da QobuzQualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Quatre fois trois
Contemporary Jazz - Lançado por Label Bleu em 26 de set. de 1997
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Drum Thing
Daniel Humair, Stéphane Kerecki, Vincent Le Quang
Jazz - Lançado por Frémeaux & associés em 6 de nov. de 2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Modern Art
Daniel Humair, Vincent Le Quang, Stéphane Kerecki
Classical - Lançado por INCISES em 22 de set. de 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Volume 1 (Live)
Daniel Humair, Eddy Louiss, Jean-Luc Ponty
Jazz - Lançado por Dreyfus Jazz em 1 de jan. de 1980
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
9.11 pm Town Hall (Live)
Contemporary Jazz - Lançado por Label Bleu em 1 de jun. de 1988
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Paris By Night
Daniel Humair, Randy Brecker, Chris Minh Doky, Niels Lan Doky
Jazz - Lançado por Soul Note em 2 de abr. de 1992
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Volume 2 (Live)
Daniel Humair, Eddy Louiss, Jean-Luc Ponty
Jazz - Lançado por Dreyfus Jazz em 31 de out. de 1991
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
HUM ! (Live)
Daniel Humair, René Urtreger, Pierre Michelot
Jazz - Lançado por Universal Music Division Decca Records France em 1 de jan. de 1960
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Edges
Contemporary Jazz - Lançado por Label Bleu em 1 de mai. de 1991
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Triple Hip Trip
Jazz - Lançado por Universal Music Division Decca Records France em 2 de jan. de 1979
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Paris Abstractions
Benjamin Koppel, Palle Danielsson, Daniel Humair
Contemporary Jazz - Lançado por Cowbell Music em 28 de mar. de 2006
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Open Architecture
Contemporary Jazz - Lançado por STUDIO SONGS em 9 de mai. de 1993
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Quatre Trois Deux Un
Benjamin Koppel, Daniel Humair
Jazz - Lançado por Cowbell Music em 23 de nov. de 2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo