Jeanfrançois Prins (born February 18, 1967) is a Belgian jazz guitarist, composer, vocalist and record producer. He has spent many years between New York City and Berlin where he was leading the Jazz Guitar departments in both music universities (UdK and HfM Hanns Eisler) for a total of 12 years. Upon his return to Belgium in 2016, he became the

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of the GAM Records label in 2017.

Career

Jeanfrançois Prins began playing guitar when at eighteen years of age. A year later, he formed a band and performed in Brussels. His mentor was

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

, who was known as a

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

player but has started his career as a jazz guitarist. Other influences of Prins include jazz artists

Lee Konitz Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

, and

Kenny Werner Kenny Werner (born November 19, 1951) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and author. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 19, 1951 and then growing up in Oceanside, Long Island, Werner began playing and performing at a young ...

. Prins graduated from college in with a degree in audio engineering. From 1988 to 1992, he studied jazz and guitar at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Brussels. Prins moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1993, he became a part of the contemporary jazz scene, to include vocalist

Judy Niemack Judy Niemack (born March 11, 1954) is an American jazz vocalist. Early life Judy Niemack was born in Pasadena, California to a musical family. She began singing in a church choir from the age of seven.Judy Niemack biography at All About Jazz ...

, who would later become his wife. He was the arranger/producer and guitarist for several of her albums. The two would divorce in 2016. Prins has performed live and recorded with

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was born on Nov ...

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, Gary Foster,

Fred Hersch Fred Hersch (born October 21, 1955) is an American jazz pianist, educator and HIV/AIDS activist. He was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. He has recorded more than 70 of his ...

Billy Hart Billy Hart (born November 29, 1940) is an American jazz drummer and educator. He is known internationally for his work with Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band in the early 1970s, as well with Shirley Horn, Stan Getz, and Quest, among others. Bi ...

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Lew Tabackin Lewis Barry Tabackin (born March 26, 1940) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist. He is married to pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi with whom he has co-led large ensembles since the 1970s. Biography Tabackin started learning flute at age 1 ...

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

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Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active ...

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, Cameron Brown, Jay Clayton,

Jay Anderson Jay Anderson (born October 24, 1955) is an American jazz double-bassist and studio musician. Career Anderson received a bachelor's degree from California State University, Long Beach in 1978, then worked with Woody Herman (1978-1979), Carmen McRa ...

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, Kirk Nurock,

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, Stephen Scott,

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, and

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. Since 2000, he has worked with the

Berlin Jazz Orchestra The Berlin Jazz Orchestra is a 17 piece concert jazz orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. The orchestra has been critically acclaimed by prominent periodicals such as the :de:Der Tagesspiegel, Berliner Tagesspiegel, :de:Märkische Allgemeine, Mä ...

Recordings

''All Around Town'' (TCB), was inspired as his own perceptions and musical photo album of New York City. The album is recorded trio a trio: bassist Mike Richmond and drummer Adam Nussbaum, plus saxophonist Lee Konitz as a guest. His fifth CD, ''Light'' (GAM Music), is co-led by drummer Steve Davis. ''El Gaucho'' (Challenge, 2012) was recorded in

, with his NYC trio: Joris Teepe (bass) and Victor Lewis (drums) and tenor saxophonist Rich Perry as guest on specific tracks. ''El Gaucho'' is an example of his concepts of interactive trio and quartet playing with originals, standards and modern jazz compositions. Prins' compositions are often performed and recorded, not only by his own bands, but by several other European and

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

jazz artists. His composition ''New York Stories'' has been performed and recorded by numerous artists. This list includes his own quintet,

Michel Herr Michel Herr (born 16 February 1949 in Brussels) is a Belgian jazz pianist, composer and arranger. In addition to releasing jazz albums, composing for jazz ensembles and touring widely as a performing musician, he has also composed scores for ...

and Jack van Poll. In addition, larger and more commercial groups have used his music such as the

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Danish Radio Big Band The Danish Radio Big Band (aka: DR Big Band), often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a radio ensemble and big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964 at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). Band history Originally called the New Radio ...

, Jazz Terrassa Big Band,

Lisa Werlinder Lisa Werlinder (born 12 March 1972) is a Swedish actress and jazz musician/singer. Career She was born in Vaksala, Uppsala. She was educated at Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm and at Luleå Theatre Academy between 1996 and 2000. A ...

and he has the title song of the Radio Judaïca Jazz Program in Belgium. Other compositions of Prins: ''Central Park'' is recorded and performed by his trio, Ulli Jünemann's quartet; ''Music Calls Me'' by

(with her original English lyrics); ''Sommar'' by

. Being a sound engineer, Prins has produced and arranged

Mary Kay Mary Kay Inc. is an American privately owned multi-level marketing company. According to '' Direct Selling News'', Mary Kay was the sixth largest network marketing company in the world in 2018, with a wholesale volume of US$3.25 billion.

's CD, ''Make Someone Happy'', featuring

. He has also co-produced three CDs for

and others by Richard Rousselet,

and Sören Fischer. Prins has been featured on television both in interviews and performing in Europe, the U.S., and on the satellite channel Muzzik. In 1994, he was an actor and musician in the Belgian movie ''Just Friends'', which won accolades and nominated for an Oscar as "Best Foreign Film". In early 1999, the French-speaking Belgian television (RTBF) produced a special documentary feature about his international career, both as a musician and educator: ''Brussels - Berlin – New York - Jeanfrançois Prins''. It was aired on the worldwide French language channel TV5 in the summer of 1999. This was followed with an interviewed in New York City by a RTBF News team during 2006 as a report about the fifth anniversary of

September 11 Events Pre-1600 * 9 – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hu ...

. Jeanfrançois has written original music for movie soundtracks as well as television to include the Discovery Channel in 2000, and the short film ''Coriolis'' in 2008. He has also been teaching private instrument lessons and classes in Berlin's Music Universities, where he led the Jazz Guitar Departments for over a decade, at the ARTEZ Jazz School in Enschede, the Netherlands for a year, and gives workshops and master-classes in Europe and the U.S.

Discography

As leader

* ''New York Stories'' (GAM, 1991) * ''Beauty and the Prince'' with guests

and

(AMC, 1993, GAM, 2003) * ''Live at the Manhattan Jazz Club'' with guest

(GAM, 1995) * ''All Around Town'' with

Mike Richmond (musician) Mike Richmond (born February 26, 1948 in Philadelphia) is an American jazz bassist. Richmond started on guitar then picked up bass in his early teens. He attended Temple University (1965–1970), studying with Edward Arian from the Philadelphia O ...

and

adam Nussbaum Adam Nussbaum (born November 29, 1955) is an American jazz drummer. Early life Nussbaum was born in New York City on November 29, 1955. He grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut, and first played the drums at the age of four. After five years of piano ...

, guest

(TCB, 1999) * ''Light'' with Steve Davis (American drummer) (GAM, 2001) * ''El Gaucho'' with

, guest

Rich Perry Rich Perry is an American jazz tenor saxophonist from Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio. Perry attended Bowling Green State University for a year before moving to New York. He toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1975 and with The Thad Jones ...

(Challenge, 2012) * ''Avant un Rêve'' with Charles Loos and Sébastien Walnier (GAM, 2018)

As sideman

With

* 1993 ''Rhapsody'' * 1996 ''Rhapsody, Vol. 2'' With

* 1992 ''Straight Up'': with

, Jeanfrançois Prins,

, Scott Colley,

, Peter Eldridge,

, Mark Feldman,

Café A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

, * 1996 ''Night and the Music'': with Jeanfrançois Prins (guitar, producer),

Erik Friedlander Erik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City. A veteran of New York City's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with sax ...

, * 2002 ''About Time'': with

, Jeanfrançois Prins (guitar, producer),

* 2007 ''Blue Nights'': with

, Jeanfrançois Prins (guitar, producer),

Dennis Irwin __NOTOC__ Dennis Irwin (November 28, 1951 in Birmingham, Alabama - March 10, 2008) was an American jazz double bassist. He toured and recorded with John Scofield and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra among others, and played on over 500 albums. Bio ...

Don Sickler Don Sickler (January 6, 1944) is an American jazz trumpeter, arranger and producer.Bruce Barth Bruce David Barth (born September 7, 1958) is a jazz pianist, composer, and producer. Early life Barth was born in Pasadena, California, on September 7, 1958. He started to play the piano around the age of five. He had private jazz lessons wit ...

Rufus Reid Rufus Reid (born February 10, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American jazz bassist, educator, and composer. Biography Reid was raised in Sacramento, California, where he played the trumpet through junior high and high school. Upon graduation ...

Bruno Castellucci Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters *Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname * Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880) * Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne, ...

As guest artist * 1991 ''Make Someone Happy'' --- Mary Kay, with

, Jeanfrançois Prins (guitar, producer), Jean Warland, Nathalie Loriers, Dré Pallemaerts, * 1993 ''

Just friends ''Just Friends'' is a 2005 American Christmas comedy film directed by Roger Kumble, written by Adam 'Tex' Davis and starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein and Christopher Marquette. The plot focuses on a formerly obese high ...

'' --- (Michel Herr &

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

) (movie soundtrack) * 1994 ''Waitin' for You'' --- Richard Rousselet * 2004 '' Update'' (44 Records) ---

* 2008 ''And So Am I'' --- Darmon Meader * 2012 ''Boo Hoo''--- Ulli Jünemann * 2013 ''Duology'' --- Stéphane Mercier * 2013 ''Ornette et Cetera'' --- Uschi Brüning, Michael Griener, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky * 2018 ''My Voice is My Plea'' --- Maria Palatine * 2021 ''Songs of Berlin'' (GAM Music) ---

References

"Jeanfrançois Prins Biography & Teaching"

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

www.jazzleadsheets.com

sligojazz project

"Jeanfrançois Prins: El Gaucho Review"
Vantroyen, Jean-Claude, Le Soir – Le Mad
"Jeanfrançois Prins Biography & Discography"
Les Lundis d'Hortense, Jazz in Belgium.com

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prins, Jeanfrancois Belgian jazz guitarists Belgian jazz singers 1967 births Living people Berlin Jazz Orchestra members