Robert JEANNE : biography

Robert JEANNE

Tenor / Soprano Saxophone

It was 1950 when he discovered jazz in Liège and decided to learn to play the saxophone, while listening to Jacques PELZER, Bobby JASPAR and René THOMAS, during memorable jam-sessions in Liège.

1955: he participated in few concerts, Belgium and Germany, alongside René THOMAS and Jacques PELZER.

1958: he formed the NEW JAZZ QUINTET with trumpet player Milou STRUVAY.

1960: he formed his own quartet with drummer Félix SIMTAINE, bassist Jean LERUSSE and pianist Léo FLECHET.
This group lasted for a decade and often accompanied René THOMAS and other stars passing through Belgium: Chet BAKER, Slide HAMPTON, Dizzy REECE, Dusko GOJKOVICH, Bill COLEMAN.
Robert JEANNE played in many European festivals :

SPA, where he won first prize in 1958

BEEK EN DONK, first prize in 1967;

VIENNA

DUNKERQUE

COMBLAIN-LA-TOUR

BILZEN

OSTEND

ZURICH

VIERSEN

DOETINCHEM, etc.

1968: he took part in a recording with René THOMAS, of which one number was included in the CD album "GUITAR GENIUS" of René THOMAS.

1971: he is invited by Jack VAN POLL to play with his new quintet COSA NOSTRA with which he participated in the festival of Prag.

1974: he is a member of the fusion group SOLIS LACUS, led by pianist Michel HERR and records with it his first LP.

1975: he is member of KARAS BOULBAND of pianist Frank WUYTS.

1976: he appears with the group of pianist Koen DE BRUYNE with whom he records for the BRT (Belgian Radio and Television) "GAMES" composed by Koen for a jazz quintet jazz and the symphony orchestra of the BRT.

1978: he is a member of ACT 12 Big Band of Félix SIMTAINE and gets hired with Jacques PELZER in the orchestra of Centre Lyrique de Wallonie for the musical "NONO NANETTE".

1980: he participates in a series of concerts in Belgium, Germany and Paris with the group SAXO MILLE, including five saxophonists, Henri SOLBACH, Jacques PELZER, Steve HOUBEN and John RUOCCO and a rhythm section: Michel HERR, Félix SIMTAINE, Jean-Louis RASSINFOSSE. The group was a tribute to Bobby JASPAR and René THOMAS.

1982: he forms his quartet again with which he records, in 1983, his first LP as leader: Robert JEANNE QUARTET "SECOND LIFE" with pianist Léo FLECHET, bassist André KLENES and drummer Stefan KREMER.

As of 1985, he appears about everywhere in quartet or quintet with various musicians like Gino LATTUCA, Jacques PIROTTON, Steve HOUBEN, Phil ABRAHAM, Jacques PELZER (a TV show recorded in 1985 at Festival de NAMUR and "Jazz vivant" for RTBF in 1992), Michel HERR ("Jazz Vivant" in 1990), Jon EARDLEY, Dave PIKE, and Pirly ZURSTRASSEN who played with the quartet almost on a regular basis.

Since 1990, his quartet includes pianist Erik VERMEULEN, bassist Sal LA ROCCA and drummer Frédéric JACQUEMIN or Mimi VERDERAME. A CD was recorded in 1992 (B SHARP).
They appeared at the Festivals of OUPEYE 1991-1993, Jazz à LIEGE 1992-l993.
He is also hired to organize JAM SESSIONS in which participated numerous musicians, Belgian and foreign, with a special mention for an evening in Liège, in 1992, during which 6 horn players of the Lionel HAMPTON band plus the drummer of Sonny ROLLINS came to join in with the original band (François MATHUS, Piet VERBIST, Robert JEANNE, Mimi VERDERAME).

1992: he participates in the recording of a CD, of which the benefit goes for alleviating hunger in Somalia, with a band under the direction of Mimi VERDERAME (MALAIKA).

He also plays with the orchestra CHAPUIS STREET BIG BAND formed since 1991, and composed of young musicians, most of them out of Liège and Verviers conservatories. This group turned out to be one of the highlights of the Liège Jazz Festival in 1992.

1996: member of the JAZZ ADDICTION BAND of drummer Mimi VERDERAME.

1998: Concerts in Senegal with Ivan PADUART, Mimi VERDERAME, Sal LA ROCCA.

1999: with the same group a tour in Nicaragua

In 2003, the IGLOO label releases Blue Landscapes, an album recorded in quartet with Michel HERR (p), Jean WARLAND (b) and Félix SIMTAINE (drs) (IGLOO Igl 171).
DISCOGRAPHY

	Michel HERR Perspective/SOLIS LACUS	B Sharp CD CDS 0084
	GUITAR GENIUS: previously unreleased material of René THOMAS	CD CDS RTBF
	SAXO MILLE Remembering Bobby JASPAR and René THOMAS	LP B.D.N. MD 0060
	Christine SCHALLER Real Life + Act 12 Big Band	LP
	ACT BIG BAND	LP LDH 1002
	Robert JEANNE QUARTET "SECOND LIFE"	LP Jazz Cats 6983010
	Robert JEANNE : QUARTETS	B Sharp CD CDS 0085
	MALAIKA	Philips CD 8646192
	Jazz Addiction Band - NICE CAP	Lyrae Records 20021-C
	10 ANS DE JAZZ à LIÈGE 1991 - 2000	Maison du Jazz de Liège
	Robert JEANNE QUARTET BLUE LANDSCAPES	IGLOO Igl 171, 2003

A more extensive documentation about Robert JEANNE is available in works like:
HISTOIRE DU JAZZ à Liège by J.P. SCHROEDER
DICTIONNAIRE DU JAZZ à Bruxelles et en Wallonie (publisher P. MARDAGA)
DICTIONNAIRE DES BELGES de P. LEGRAIN (2 issues). See our Books page.

Robert JEANNE Quartet