GARY BRUNTON – DANIEL BEAUSSIER – CELESTINE DE WILLIENCOURT

GARY BRUNTON – Double basse, tabla

Born in Burnley, England, in 1968, double bassist Gary Brunton has been based in France since 1989. After studying double bass with such prestigious musicians as Ray Brown, Gary Peacock, Dave Holland, Pierre Michelot and Thierry Barbé for classical double bass, he soon began performing in France. Long a sought-after sideman, he is also a composer and arranger. He has performed in numerous groups with musicians such as Edouard Ferlet, with whom he won the soloist prize at the Concours de la Défense in 1996. He toured with American singer Sheila Jordan,  recording “Believe in Jazz” in 2003. In 2002, he founded his own group, “Brunt’Off”, recordeding the album “French Cricket”, to great acclaim from the press and musicians alike. In 2007, he formed a large ensemble, “Pee Bee”, recording four albums, including “Dolce Vita” and “Or not to be”, concerts at Scène Nationale les Gémeaux (Sceaux) in 2017 and 2021. Since 2019, he has been highly active as a composer and band leader, with the support of Juste une Trace label, recordeding 5 albums of his compositions including Night Bus and Second Trip with Bojan Z & Simon Goubert (Down Beat 4****, CHOC Jazzmag). Trên Dydd and Gwawr with François Jeanneau and Paul Lay (**** Jazzwise and Jazzmag). Recent concerts include: Studio 104 de la Maison de la Radio, Cairo Jazz Festival, Paris Bal Blomet, Chorus Lausanne, Brecon Jazz Festival (UK).

More about Gary Brunton

DANIEL BEAUSSIER – Soprano and Baritone Saxophones, Clarinet and Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute, Oboe, English Horn

After initially studies as a classical musician (oboe prize – CNR Lille) and a scientist (Arts et Métiers engineer), Daniel Beaussier’s training in contemporary music was acquired on stage and through various encounters (Quest, Steve Lacy, ONJ, Oregon…). He has played and recorded with Carla Bley, Jean-Marie Machado & Nana Vasconcellos, François Jeanneau, Ricky Ford, Daniel Goyone & Trilok Gurtu, CharlElie Couture, Hozan Yamamoto, François Mechali, Steve Lacy, Lydia Domancich and Stella Vander, Christian Lété, Francis Lai Orchestra, Bernard Lubat, Noel Akchoté, Christophe Marguet, Bojan Z, Vincent Segal, Marc Chalosse, François Merville, Bruno Chevillon. Over 70 albums as (co) leader, sideman and numerous studio, radio and TV sessions. He has collaborated regularly with Mônica Passos, René Aubry, François Cotinaud’s Algèbre with Pierre Durand, François Jeanneau’s Spoumj, Eric Dubois Trio, Mireille Rivat… He is (co)leader of “Correspondances” (150 concerts, 2 albums), with Manu Pekar (Hekla then various formations since 2016), the Sous Fifres De Bousbecque with Thomas Dalle, Didier Havet, Jean Lou Descamps and François Bréant. He composes music for film-TV and theatre (Avignon, Radio France, TV Iceland ..) as well as around a hundred pieces for all formats. He was an active contributor to Steve Lacy’s book “Findings: My Experience with the Soprano Saxophone”, and edits “Les Cahiers de l’EDIM”. Founder of EDIM jazz school, he coordinates the permanent orchestras TAO and EDIM Unit and various one-off projects. President of FNEIJMA and member of juries and commissions (CA, DE, DEM, Supérieur, etc.), involved in professional training (ARIAM, PESM, Cefedem) and support for contemporary music groups (150 groups supported).

CELESTINE DE WILLIENCOURT – Vocals, Flutes

Célestine de Williencourt is a singer and flautist. She trained at the Strasbourg Conservatory, first in classical flute, then in jazz and improvised singing with Claudia Solal (DEM certificate in 2019), in contemporary music with Françoise Kubler and in jazz and improvised music with Eric Watson. Nurtured by traditional Balkan and world music, she is also learning the kaval (oblique flute played in Turkey and Bulgaria) with Isabelle Courroy. At the same time, she’s been experimenting with digital percussion (daf and zarb), and in a completely different register with the analog synthesizer. She discovered improvisation through contemporary dance, a discipline in which she trained for around ten years before making it her favorite means of expression, through music. The artists she has had the opportunity to meet at workshops have greatly enriched her improvisational skills : Joëlle Léandre, David Moss, Audrey Chen, Mariam Rezaei, Médéric Collignon in music, Julyen Hamilton in dance… Today, she is an active member of various groups, including Chœur Sauvage (6tet, vocal space improvisation, Strasbourg) and Legami, a European (Italy, Spain and France) trio made up of two voices and cello. As a composer, she writes for the performing arts (L’Événement based on a text by Annie Ernaux, directed, performed and adapted for the stage by Marianne Basler, premiered in February 2024) as well as for her own projects. Based in Paris since 2020, alongside her artistic projects, she is active as a music teacher developing her own methods. A graduate of the CFMI d’Île-de-France – Centre de Formation des Musiciens Intervenants – (pedagogy, choral conducting), she teaches singing, sound research, early-learning and musical training at conservatories and in schools, and creates shows with her classes. There is much vitality in the voice of Célestine de Williencourt, capable of transformation and ready to surprise the listener at any time. Sensitive to all art forms, she dances, draws, writes and photographs. All these artistic disciplines form a fantastic creative space in which she has much to say and share.

photographs by Camille Huguenot