Michel Pastre - Biography

I was born in Nîmes (France) on April 7, 1966. I began playing the drums but soon took up the tenor saxophone. My professional career began there in the south of France - Nîmes, Montpellier, Toulouse. I have been living in Paris since 1997.

• 1991 – 1998 : I joined « Banana Jazz » in Toulouse and made my first record there. I also started touring in Jazz festivals such as Marciac, Ramatuelle (France), Barcelona, San Sebastian (Spain), Aspen Colorado (USA)...

•1991 – 2000 : During that period I was a member of “Tuxedo Big Band” and its main soloist. I recorded four times, the last one with the special guest Bob Wilber, the famous American clarinettist. “Tuxedo Big Band” won several awards (French Jazz Academy and The Hot Club de France prize) and several tours in France, Spain and Portugal.

• 1995 : I joined the French saxophonist Gérard Badini Big Band : “The Super Swing Machine”, with which I was able to accompany Phil Woods, Johnny Griffin, Benny Bailey, Diane Schuur, La Velle, Guy Lafitte, Michel Legrand, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Michel Leeb.

• 1997 : I formed my first jazz quintet with the trumpeter Alain Bouchet.

• 1998 : I joined the Fabrice Eulry septet and “Paris Swing Orchestra”. The very same year I went to New York and was able to play with Al Casey, David “Bubba” Brooks, Edwin Swanston, Johnny Blowers, Steve Little...
Then I created my own Big Band – the Michel Pastre Big Band - with which I pay tribute to my heroes, Count Basie and Lester Young

• 1999 : I organized a special tour in France with the guitar legend Al Casey. I also played in Dany Doriz Band with Duffy Jackson and Warren Vaché. I formed my second jazz quintet with the French trumpeter Partick Artero.
1999 was also the year when I won unanimously the Sidney Bechet Prize of The Jazz Academy of France awarded to the best Jazz musician of the year.

• 2000 : From that time on, my Big Band started to play in many jazz festivals like Munster and Bayonne - with special guests Clarck Terry, Al Casey, David “Bubba” Brooks, Stepko Gut, or in famous Parisian jazz clubs (Caveau de la Huchette, Petit Journal, Méridien) and special dancing nights (International Meeting of Lindy Hoppers).
I also toured with my own quintet with Patrick Artero, Al Casey and David “Bubba” Brooks as guests for the second time.

• 2001 : This was the year of definite recognition of my Big Band which recorded its first cd in June: “Diggin’ The Count”, widely greeted by all the French jazz critics and magazines. I also had a presentation in Down Beat (April 2001).
Claude Tissendier, a French alto player, called me regularly to play in his orchestra “Saxomania”, touring in France and Switzerland. I joined the French vibes player Dany Doriz sextet with Duffy Jackson at the drums. I played sometimes with François Biensan (“Ellingtomania”) and Bruce Adams, both trumpeters.

• 2002 : I created my own quartet – Michel Pastre Quartet - with Pierre Christophe on the piano, Raphaël Dever on the double bass and Stan Laferrière at the drums. In July we recorded our first quartet cd : “Jumping with César”.
I enjoyed a busy summer tour with the drummer Duffy Jackson in Dany Doriz‘s Band (many jazz festivals like Bayonne, Monségur, Villeneuve-sur-Lot, etc...). I also started a collaboration with New York trumpeter Joey Morant (Caveau de la Huchette, in Paris); I played with the drummer Alvin Queen and the French trumpeter Jean-Lou Longnon. I also had many concerts with the Gérard Badini Big Band and the French singer and entertainer Michel Leeb.

•2003 : This year in particular brought a great deal of acknowledgement for the Michel Pastre Quartet, winner of the “Fats Waller” prize awarded by the Jazz Academy of France to the best classical jazz record of the year : “Jumping with César” (Djaz records).
Still active on stage, my Big Band continued playing in numerous French festivals and proceeded with its one-nighters at the “Lionel Hampton Jazz Club” of the Méridien Hotel in Paris.
Several gigs as a guest soloist allowed me to perform in other European countries such as Rumania, Switzerland and Germany. I also played with Duffy Jackson and Marc Fosset (Megève Jazz Festival, Méridien Hotel and Caveau de la Huchette, both in Paris).
As a sideman, I follow the partnership with the American entertainer and jazz trumpeter Joey Morant.

• 2004 : It was a good year for the rising popularity of my Big Band and Quartet! Throughout the jazz world it was the celebration year of Count Basie’s centennial ... and the Michel Pastre Big Band triumphed in several concerts. There was Tarragona, Spain, which was the first concert outside of France for the Big Band. There was Montpellier, with guest star drummer and former "Basie alumni” Duffy Jackson, which was a hit with a remarkable 20 minutes standing ovation. These were followed by Paris (festivals at the "Lionel Hampton Jazz Club", Méridien Hotel, also with Duffy Jackson), Samois/Seine (the Django Reinhardt festival), Saint Raphael, Neuville de Poitou, Pertuis, Lyon and others. As for my Quartet, it has carried on surfing firmly upon its successful wave in major festivals such as Châtellerault, St Riquier, Marciac, Pleneuf-Val-André and in seasonal concerts like in Bayonne, etc. The next Quartet recording is scheduled for the end of December.
I am still a member of the Gérard Badini Big Band: several concerts took place in Paris (Radio France, Méridien), Bayonne (theatre) and Pertuis (Big Band festival). I continued playing often with the trumpeter Joey Morant (Caveau de la Huchette in Paris, Porrentruy Jazz festival in Switzerland