Just imagine a joint session with a blond female singer and a dark haired male guitarist. Here are Anne Ducros and Kazumi Watanabe for a intimist summit.
The session will be held on 2006/06/02 at Paris Sunset/Sunside.
To Sunset/Sunside
To End
Just imagine a joint session with a blond female singer and a dark haired male guitarist. Here are Anne Ducros and Kazumi Watanabe
for a intimist summit.
The session will be held on 2006/06/02 at Paris Sunset/Sunside.
To Sunset/Sunside
Born in 1953 in Tokyo, Kazumi Watanabe was taken up with the
jazz tradition in his teens, and has studied electric guitar under Sadanori
Nakamure. He made his solo debut in 1971 with the album "INFINITE", and was
acclaimed as a promising guitar prodigy. In 1979, he joined a group of
innovative musicians such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Akiko Yano and Shuichi Murakami
to form the legendary all-star band KYLYN, making an impact on the Japanese
music scene. In autumn of the same year, he participated in the world tour of
Yellow Magic Orchestra. Its huge success brought the name KAZUMI an
international recognition. His works during the 80s have built him a reputation
as the precursor of jazz-fusion in Japan, especially with "TOCHIKA", one of his
record-breaking hit albums. Playing in the US and Asian countries under his own
leadership and performing with numerous top musicians of the world, he was
prized Nanri Fumio Award in 1991 and Grand Prix of Jazz Disc in 1984, among
others. In the 90s, Kazumi explored new ground in the classical idiom with
accoustic guitar. He received enthusiastic welcome performing in European
cities such as Barcelona and Rome in 1991, Sofia and Lisbon in 1995, and Paris
in 1997. From his "ESPRIT" released in 1996 through "DANDYZM"(1998) up to "ONE
FOR ALL" recorded live at the Bottom Line in New York, his recording works are
representative of his original style which places Kazumi in the forefront of
the music scene. Later on, he also launched into multimedia packages through
DVD releases such as "LES JEUX INTERDITS". Chosen Best Jazzman 24 times in a
row by Swing Journal's annual poll, he has been producing musical events, and
improvising, composing and arranging in a constant approach to create his own
musical universe. To celebrate his 30 years of professional career, he
presented the "Suite for Guitar" in January 2001, a composition/performance in
which he challenged the realms of possibility of his cherished fretboard
instrument - acoustic, electric and ethnic guitars. Kazumi's passion for
challenge and willingness to break the barrier of musical genres never cease to
fascinate all music-lovers. He has been teaching jazz courses as a guest
professor at Senzoku Gakuen College since 1996.
Native of the Pas de Calais, Anne Ducros began her classic training (musical and vocal) within the conservatoire of Boulogne Sur mer with Lyne Durian. Then at the same time she is studying law at the University of Lille, she completes and refines her vocal mastery thanks to the education of Yuri Anoff and Maddy Mespley. Afterward she has a practice of baroque music within training course at the University and investigates Couperin's music, Twig or Bach. Introduced to the vocal jazz from 1986. She sets up her first quartet of jazz with which she gains various international competitions (Price for better soloist and first vocaliste in the festival of jazz of Dunkerque; First price of soloist and vocalist in the festival of jazz of Vienne in 1989). This growing recognition will stimulates her of an inexhaustible will to sing always more by accumulating concerts in France and specially by publishing her first album of vocal jazz, "Don't you take a chance" at JTB in 1989. After this first recording was realized, she returns on the road by multiplying the tours, the festivals (Nice, Nantes, Barcelone, Ismir, Montréal.) and the musical meetings (Michel Petrucciani, Didier Lockwood, Michel Legrand, Ray Brown, Ted Curson, Jacky Terrasson, Eric Lelann, Stefano Di Batista.). This artistic fulfillment couples with an increasing educational investment. During years 1992-1993, she teaches the vocal jazz at the ARPEJ in Paris and since 1994 she is the manager of Prelude, first school of vocal jazz in Paris. Besides her teacher's implication, she animates trainings all over the world (Aix, Le Havre, Chicago, Calvi, Bruxelles.). In 1995 Anne Ducros participates in the recording of Friday 14 with Lugi TRUSSARDI and puts her voice on some passages of this album, published by ELABETH. Surrounded with Gordon beck, Sal la Rocca, Bruno Castellucci and Didier Lockwood, Anne Ducros records "Purple Songs", published in 2001 by DREYFUS JAZZ. Further this album, the singer is rewarded by the Academy of the Jazz, and she receives the Price Billie Holiday, in december 2001. This new reward will not be the last one, because there in April 2002, the "Django d'Or/ Victoires de la musique" awards her with the price of the artist vocal of the year.
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