Michel Sardaby (born 4 September 1935) is a French jazz pianist.

Background and career

Born in

Fort-de-France Fort-de-France (, , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Fodfwans) is a Communes of France, commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean. It is also one of the major cities in the ...

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...

, he moved to Paris, where in March 1967, he was one of the pianists, the others being Joe "Stride" Turner,

Errol Parker Errol Parker (né Raphaël Schecroun; 30 October 1925 – 2 July 1998) was a French-Algerian jazz pianist who played with Django Reinhardt, James Moody, Don Byas and Kenny Clarke, among others. Born in Oran, French Algeria, Raphaël Schecroun ...

Claude Bolling Claude Bolling (10 April 1930 – 29 December 2020) was a French jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and occasional actor. Biography He was born in Cannes, France, and studied at the Conservatory of Nice, Nice Conservatory, and then in Paris. A c ...

Stuart de Silva Stuart de Silva was a jazz pianist from Sri Lanka. He played in a group that broadcast on Sri Lankan radio backing among others, singer Yolande Bavan. Dave Brubeck later arranged for a scholarship for de Silva to study jazz compositions at Berklee ...

, and

Aaron Bridgers Aaron Bridgers (January 10, 1918 – November 3, 2003) was an American jazz pianist who moved to Paris, in 1947. Bridgers was jazz composer Billy Strayhorn's lover from 1939 until Bridgers's move to France. Bridgers is featured in the Paul Newman ...

, accompanied on some tracks by bassist John Lamb, among others, who recorded the 90-minute session known as ''Tape for Billy'', dedicated to

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take ...

, who was in hospital.

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

, also in Paris, personally supervised the recording, although he did not actually perform on it himself, and wanted to use the proceeds from its sale to create a Billy Strayhorn scholarship in Paris, similar to the one at

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

in New York. Sardaby's first album ''Five Cat`s Blues'' was recorded in October 1967 in Paris with 5 compositions created by the pianist. In 1970, he led a trio comprising

Percy Heath Percy Heath (April 30, 1923 – April 28, 2005) was an American jazz bassist, brother of saxophonist Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert Heath, with whom he formed the Heath Brothers in 1975. Heath played with the Modern Jazz Quartet throughout ...

and

Connie Kay Conrad Henry Kirnon (April 27, 1927 – November 30, 1994) known professionally as Connie Kay, was an American jazz and R&B drummer, who was a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Self-taught on drums, he began performing in Los Angeles in the mid ...

for his second album, ''Night Cap''. A 1972 New York recording has him leading a line-up comprising Richard Davis,

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was indu ...

and

Ray Barretto Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Lati ...

(Sound Hills Records 1997). His album, ''Gail'' (1974), won the 1976 Prix Boris Vian.Sklower, Jedediah (2006) ''Free jazz, la catastrophe féconde'', p. 271. Editions L'Harmattan
Retrieved 30 July 2013. For his 1989 album, ''Going Places'', he was accompanied by

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and

Marvin "Smitty" Smith Marvin "Smitty" Smith (born June 24, 1961) is an American jazz drummer and composer. Marvin Smith was born in Waukegan, Illinois, where his father, Marvin Sr., was a drummer. "Smitty" was exposed to music at a young age, receiving formal musica ...

, and in 1993, he recorded with his quintet, which comprised

Ralph Moore Ralph Moore (born 24 December 1956) is an English jazz saxophonist. Early life Moore was born in Brixton, London, England. His mother was the dancer Josie Woods, and his father was in the US military. He spent his childhood in Brixton, and afte ...

, Louis Smith,

Peter Washington Peter Washington (born in Los Angeles on August 28, 1964) is a jazz double bassist. He played with the Westchester Community Symphony at the age of 14. Later he played electric bass in rock bands. He attended the University of California, Berke ...

and

Tony Reedus Tony Reedus (22 September 1959 – 16 November 2008) was an American jazz drummer. Reedus first gained attention performing in Woody Shaw's band during the 1980s. He played with Dave Stryker, Mulgrew Miller, Art Blakey, Mike Nock, Kenny Garre ...

Discography

;As leader/co-leader *1969 ''Five Cat`s Blues'' (President) *1970: ''Night Cap'' (Sound Hills) *1970: ''Blue Sunset'' *1972: ''Michel Sardaby in New York'' (Sound Hills) *1975: ''Gail'' (Disques Debs) *1990: ''Going Places'' (Mantra) *1990: ''Night Blossom'' (

DIW Records DIW Records is a Japanese record label specializing in avant-garde jazz. It is a subsidiary of Disk Union. Kazunori Sugiyama was an executive producer for the label before starting Tzadik Records with John Zorn. DIW's name stands for "Discs in t ...

) *1990: ''In New York'' (Disques Debs) *1990: ''Con Alma'' (Mantra) *1993: ''Straight On'' (Sound Hills) *1997: ''Classics and Ballads'' (Sound Hills) *1997: ''Intense Moment'' (Sound Hills) *2003: ''Karen'' (Sound Hills) *2004 ''At Home'' (Sound Hills) *2014: ''Night in Paris'' (Sound Hills) With

T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''Roll ...

*''

Good Feelin' ''Good Feelin (stylised as ''...good feelin'...'') is an album by blues guitarist/vocalist T-Bone Walker recorded in Paris in 1968 and released by the Polydor label in 1969. The album received a Grammy for “Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording� ...

'' (Polydor, 1969)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sardaby, Michel 1935 births Living people People from Fort-de-France Martiniquais musicians French jazz pianists French male pianists 21st-century pianists 21st-century French male musicians French male jazz musicians