André Ceccarelli

Biography

After learning to play the drums from his father, Ceccarelli started out playing in the salons of the Hotel Royal Nice Promenade des Anglais at the age of fifteen, where he played with some musicians at tea dances on weekends. He was spotted by a lady who was the wife of John Tosan, and was presented to the brothers John Rob alias Jean-Claude and James Fawler alias Gerard Roboly, and on their request participated on rehearsals with the French band rock Les Chats Sauvages, who was looking for a new drummer, and was hired at age 16 in May 1962, which corresponds to the beginning of his long career.

After almost two years, several tours and many recordings with this band, he left in January 1964 to resume the position of drummer in the band the Casino Sporting Club Monaco, and playing with many entertainers in studio and on tour, including Claude François, he turned to jazz. He had always wanted to be able to play with the jazz greats of the time, and could do so when becoming an active studio musician.

From the late 1960s, he collaborated with arranger and trumpeter Ivan Jullien with whom he recorded the album including 'Synthesis' (1978). It also participates in the short-lived group Troc (1972) with Jannick Top and Alex Ligertwood and sign two fusion style albums, one on the label Bingow, recorded between 1972 and 1973, the other for the Carla label in 1977. In 1974, he played in the orchestra of Jean-Claude Naude and participated on the album A New Kind of Band.

In 1979, he began a career in the United States alongside Bunny Brunel and Chick Corea, and met Dee Dee Bridgewater in 1987, with whom he continued a long lasting collaboration. He founded the 'Trio Sud' with Sylvain Luc and Jean-Marc Jafet in 2000.

He has recorded as leader since the 1976, and released the album Avenue Des Diables Blues (2005) within his own trio.

He created the group Troc in November 2011 with Jannick Top (bass), Alex Ligertwood (vocals), Eric Legnini (keyboards) and Claude Engel (guitar).

Ceccarelli is the official sponsor of the festival 'Jazz at any time', started in 1998 to Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, where he participates with his trio every year from first, and was also sponsor of Nice Jazz Festival in 2013.

Honors

1998: Great Jazz Award, Sacem (French copyright management society), lifetime achievement

Solo

1976: Rythmes (Music De Wolfe)

1977: Ceccarelli (Carla), with Janick Top, featuring Christian Escoudé and Didier Lockwood

1981: André Ceccarelli (Disques JMS), with Richard Galliano, Michel Graillier and Didier Lockwood

1985: Project One (Sonotec/Globo Records France), with Bernard Arcadio

1986: Africa (Patchwork), with Bernard Arcadio

1986: Made in Sax (Patchwork), with Bernard Arcadio

1990: Dance on Me (Phonogram), with Jean-Marc Jafet and Thierry Eliez

1992: Hat Snatcher (Polygram), A. C. Trio with Jean-Marc Jafet and Thierry Eliez, featuring Didier Lockwood and Jean-Paul Ceccarelli

1994: 3 around the 4 (Verve), with Thierry Eliez and Jean-Marc Jafet

1995: From the Heart (Verve), with Jean-Michel Pilc, featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater

1997: West Side Story (BMG France), A. C. Quartet with Rémi Vignolo, Antonio Faraò and Sylvain Beuf, featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, Richard Galliano, Bireli Lagrene and Régis Ceccarelli

1999: 61:32° (BMG France), with Sylvain Beuf, Antonio Faraò, Rémi Vignolo, featuring Stéphane Belmondo, Sylvain Luc, Thierry Eliez and Minino Garay

2004: Carte Blanche (Dreyfus), with Bireli Lagrene, Didier Lockwood, John McLaughlin, Richard Galliano and Sylvain Luc

2005: Avenue Blues Devils (Dreyfus Jazz), A. C. Trio with Bireli Lagrene and Joey DeFrancesco

2007: Golden Land (Cam Cine TV Inc)

2008: Sweet People (CAM Jazz), with Julian Oliver Mazzariello and Sylvain Beuf

2009: Le Coq Et La Pendule – Hommage A Claude Nougaro (Plus Loin Music), with Diego Imbert and Pierre-Alain Goualch, featuring David Linx

2011: Ricordo (La Cigogne)

2014: Twenty (Bonsaï), with Jean-Michel Pilc and Thomas Bramerie

As co-leader

1983: The Game (JMS), within 'Couturier Celea Quintet' including with Jean-Paul Celea, François Couturier, François Jeanneau and Philippe Macé

1986: Rock (Patchwork), with Bernard Arcadio and Jean-Claude Chavanat

1988: New-Music (MCT Music), with Bernard Arcadio and Jean-Claude Chavanat

1991: Sail Away (Musidisc), with Tom Harrell, Kenny Werner and Paul Imm

1993: Init (Phonogram), with François Moutin and Nguyên Lê, featuring Bob Berg

2006: Golden Land (Cam Jazz), with Enrico Pieranunzi, Hein Van de Gein, David El-Malek and Elizabeth Kontomanou

2013: Ultimo, composition written for symphony orchestra and usual trio

2013: A We Garo (Just Looking Productions)

Within Troc

1971: Old Man River (Cy)

1973: Barter (Cy)

2011: Barter 2011 (Universal)

Within CCPP including Marc Chantereau, Christian Padovan and Slim Pezin

1975: CCPP (Flamophone)

Within Bad News Travels Fast, including with Bernard Arcadio, Jean-Claude Chavanat and Tony Bonfils

1979: Ordinary Man (Casablanca)

1979: Look Out (Casablanca)

With Trio Sud

2000: Sud

2002: Trio Sud (the album is credited as the Sylvain Luc)

2008: Young and Fine

Within Ligne Sud Trio, including Christian Gaubert and Jannick Top

2013: Ligne Sud Trio (Cristal)

His debut with Les Chats Sauvages

1962: Les Chats Sauvages (Pathé)

1962: Avec Dick Rivers (Pathé)

1963: N° 3 (Pathé), with Mike Shannon

1962: Last Kisses, with Mike Shannon (EP 45 t - EA 631)

1963: Come on Girls, 10 tracks, third album of the band (AB 33 t - ST 1170)

1963: John, c'est l'Amour, with Mike Shannon (EP 45 rpm - EA 644)

1963: Come back to dance, (EP 45 t - EA 671)

1963: Let me sing, (EP 45 t - EG 662)

1963: Pretty Girl, (EP 45 t - EG 759)

1967: C'est Pas Sérieux (Muse)

1968: Oh! Lady, with Dick Rivers (Muse)

As sideman

With Michel Legrand

1964 The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

With Jean-Luc Ponty and Stéphane Grappelli

1973: Grappelli-Ponty (America), featuring Maurice Vander, Philippe Catherine, Tony Bonfils and Andre Ceccarelli

With Jonasz

1972: Jonasz

1981: New Life

With Johnny Hallyday

1974: Je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime

Within Jean-Claude Naude Grand Orchestre

1975: A New Kind of Band (Disques Balance)

With Tina Turner

1979: Love Explosion

With Martial Solal

1981: Big Band

1984: Solal and His Orchestra play Hodeir

With René Urtreger, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Christian Escoudé

1987: Masters (Carlyne Music)

With Michel Portal

1987: Turbulence

With Dee Dee Bridgewater

1987: Live in Paris

1989: Victim of Love

1990: In Montreux

1993: Keeping Tradition

1995: Love and Peace – A Tribute to Horace Silver (Verve)

1997: Dear Ella

2011: Midnight Sun

With Patricia Kaas

1990: Scène De Vie

With Aretha Franklin

1991: What You See Is What You Sweat

With Khalil Chahine

1992: Turkoise

With Enrico Rava

1992: Tribute to Mingus (Adda)

With Kenny Wheeler

1992: California Daydream (Musidisc)

With Bireli Lagrene

1992: Standards (Blue Note), including with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen

1994: Live in Marciac (Dreyfus Jazz), including with Chris Minh Doky

With Pierre-Alain Goualch

2001: Exploring the Music of Serge Gainsbourg (Night Bird Music)

With Enrico Pieranunzi

2005: Live in Paris (Challenge)

With Antonio Faraò

2008: Woman's Perfume (CAM Jazz), with Dominique Di Piazza

With Flavio Boltro

2012: Joyful (Bonsaï Music)