Michel Attenoux (June 14, 1930 in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

– April 24, 1988 in

Laval Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxem ...

) was a French

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

saxophonist. Attenoux played piano in his youth, later learning soprano saxophone and playing locally. He founded his own ensemble in 1951, which played with

Peanuts Holland Herbert Lee "Peanuts" Holland (February 9, 1910 – February 7, 1979) was an American jazz trumpeter best known for his contributions in swing jazz. Early life Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Holland learned to play trumpet at the Jenkins Orphanage ...

in 1952 and in 1953 was offered the position of house band at a Parisian club called Metro Jazz. There he played with

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic temp ...

Jimmy Archey Jimmy Archey (12 October 1902 – 16 November 1967) was an American jazz trombonist born in Norfolk, Virginia, perhaps most noteworthy for his work in several prominent jazz orchestras and big bands of his time (including his own). He performed ...

, and others. Starting in 1955, he added alto saxophone to his repertory, and played with visiting American musicians in Paris over the next several decades; he also played at the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

in 1975. In the 1970s he worked with Geo Daly,

Marc Laferrière Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of ...

Al Grey Al Grey (June 6, 1925 – March 24, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist who was a member of the Count Basie orchestra. He was known for his plunger mute technique and wrote an instructional book in 1987 called ''Plunger Techniques''. Care ...

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, and the

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

All-Stars. In 1978 he formed Les Petits Français with

Moustache A moustache (; en-US, mustache, ) is a strip of facial hair grown above the upper lip. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history. Etymology The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Italian ''mustaccio'' ...

Marcel Zanini Marcel Zanini (real name Zannini; 9 September 1923 – 18 January 2023) was a Turkish-born French jazz musician.. Zanini was born on 9 September 1923 in Istanbul, Turkey. His family arrived in Marseille in 1930 and settled there. His father was ...

, and François Guin, which recorded jazz versions of the songs of

Georges Brassens Georges Charles Brassens (; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and a ...

Discography

With

*'' Grey's Mood'' (Black and Blue, 1973-75

979 Year 979 ( CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 24 – Second Battle of Pankaleia: An Ibero-Byzantine expeditionary ...

References

*André Clergeat, "Michel Attenoux". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. 2nd edition, ed.

Barry Kernfeld Barry Dean Kernfeld (born August 11, 1950) is an American musicologist and jazz saxophonist who has researched and published extensively about the history of jazz and the biographies of its musicians. Education In 1968, Kernfeld enrolled at U ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Attenoux, Michel French jazz saxophonists Male saxophonists French jazz bandleaders 1930 births 1988 deaths Musicians from Paris 20th-century saxophonists 20th-century French male musicians French male jazz musicians