Martial Solal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martial Solal
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Martial Solal performs with his Newdecaband in 2006.
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| Background information | |
| Born | 23 August 1927 Algiers, French Algeria |
| Died | 12 December 2024 (aged 97) Versailles, Yvelines, France |
| Genres | Jazz, classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1950s–2019 |
Martial Solal (born August 23, 1927 – died December 12, 2024) was a famous French jazz pianist and composer. He was known for his amazing piano skills and for writing music for many films.
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Life and Career
Martial Solal was born in Algiers, which was part of French Algeria at the time, on August 23, 1927. His mother, who was an opera singer, encouraged him to learn clarinet, saxophone, and piano.
In 1942, when he was 15, Martial was unfortunately expelled from school. This happened because his family was Jewish, and the French government at the time (called the Vichy regime) was following strict rules from Nazi Germany. After leaving school, he taught himself music by listening to the radio. He even started performing for American soldiers when he was just 15 years old.
In 1950, Martial moved to Paris, France. There, he began playing with famous jazz musicians like Django Reinhardt and American artists such as Sidney Bechet. He started his own music group, a quartet, in the late 1950s. He also sometimes led a larger band.
Martial Solal also became well-known for composing music for movies. He wrote over 20 film scores. One of his most famous works was for Jean-Luc Godard's first major film, Breathless (À bout de souffle), released in 1960.
In 1963, he performed at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, USA. His trio at that time included bassist Guy Pedersen and drummer Daniel Humair. From 1968, he often performed and recorded music with the American saxophonist Lee Konitz.
In 2011, Martial Solal was interviewed by The Gruppen Review magazine. In the interview, he talked about how he always saw himself as a "researcher in jazz," always exploring new ideas in music.
Martial Solal passed away in Versailles, Yvelines, France, on December 12, 2024, at the age of 97.
Style
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Martial Solal's jazz style was once described as "brilliant, unique, and intellectual." He had a special way of playing that sounded very smart and creative.
He once shared a secret about his technique: "You have to make people believe that it's very easy, even when it's very difficult." He meant that a musician should play even the hardest pieces of music so smoothly that it looks effortless to the audience.
Discography
Martial Solal released many albums throughout his long career, both as a solo artist and working with other musicians. Some of his notable albums include French Modern Sounds (1954), Martial Solal Trio (1954), and Jazz à Gaveau (1962). He also collaborated on albums like When a Soprano Meets a Piano with Sidney Bechet (1957) and Duplicity with Lee Konitz (1977).
See also
In Spanish: Martial Solal para niños
