Photo credits
Sebastien Fangier
Jean sings primarily with his double bass but also with his vocal cords. He occasionally plays the snare drum, slide whistle, and ratchet—though a bit less often.
A film enthusiast, he never forgets to bring a touch of cinema to his music, even when there are no images. Because for him, music must always be spectacular.
It all began with the drums when he was fifteen. He corrected that "mistake" three years later by switching to the double bass. Like all self-taught musicians, he learned on his own—mainly by playing with others. And like all self-taught musicians, he fears nothing. At a concert by Charles Mingus, he felt compelled to climb on stage during the intermission and try out the master’s bass while Mingus had his back turned. Naturally, he got chewed out, but the experience left him with a taste for risk.
It would be impossible to list all his past and present collaborations and ensembles, but here are a few: Sonny Murray, Raoul Brucker, Louis Sclavis, Jacques Di Donato, Daunik Lazro, Carlos Zingaro, Sakis Papadimitriou, Colette Magny, André Jaume, Michel Portal, Alain Brunet, Norbert Stein, and Maguy Marin.
At ARFI, he currently plays with the Workshop de Lyon. He is also part of two duos for film concerts: one with Guy Villerd for Koko the Clown, and the other with Félix the Cat for Félix the Cat. He has taken part in countless ARFI adventures, at the pinnacle of which is La Marmite Infernale, which he co-founded.