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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZURTREGER, Rene(b 6 July 1934, Paris) Jazz pianist. He also wrote film scores for his childhood friend, director Claude Berri. He is the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland; his mother died in Auschwitz. He was classically trained, switched to jazz aged 17, got his first break ‘52 with guitarist/singer Sacha Distel, then was king of French jazz pianists for 12 years (hence his title 'le Roi René'), and the perennial accompanist of American jazzmen passing through Paris (Lester Young, Don Byas, Kenny Clarke, J.J. Johnson, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Chet Baker…), and also their body-guard of sorts, given his habit of punching out patrons making racist remarks. His recording debut was Plays Bud Powell '55 (Powell being his idol). He played with Miles Davis ’57 on the celebrated improvised soundtrack of the movie Ascenseur pour l'échafaud; in a trio with Daniel Humair on drums and bassist Pierre Michelot (album H.U.M.! ’60). He played piano for the vocalese group Les Double Six ’59-62. He essentially abandoned the jazz scene ’64-78, as jazz went out of fashion and drug addiction temporarily got the better of him, to join French pop singers Claude François and Distel. But he returned ’78 with Récidive ’78, and H.U.M. II '79, then played Paris clubs continually. More albums were René Urtreger Trio 2014, and Premier Rendez vous 2017, with his biographer, French writer Agnès Desarthe, singing along on the latter. |