Henri Renaud

Henri Renaud (20 April 1925 in Villedieu-sur-Indre, France – 16 October 2002 in Paris)^[1][2] was a French jazz pianist, record producer, and record company executive.^[3]

Biography

His styles reflected the decades when he was musically active: he played in the swing, bebop and cool styles. He developed a reputation internationally when he served as an ensemble-organizing point-man for visiting jazz performers from the United States.^[4]

Renaud moved to Paris in 1946 and established a career as a jazz pianist.^[3] He joined tenor-saxophonist Jean-Claude Fohrenbach's combo. During 1949 and 1950, he accompanied Don Byas, James Moody, and Roy Eldridge.^[3] In 1952, he performed with Lester Young, Sarah Vaughan, and Clifford Brown.^[4] Brown made several recordings with Renaud. In 1954, Renaud visited the United States, where he recorded.^[4] He made recordings with Milt Jackson, J. J. Johnson, Al Cohn, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach, Frank Foster, and Bob Brookmeyer.^[3]

Upon becoming an executive for the jazz division of CBS France in 1964,^[3] he largely stopped his activity as a professional jazz pianist,^[4] but did occasional work as a film composer.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

• Complete Legendary Saturne Picture Discs (Paris Jazz Corner, 1951 [2001])
• New Sound at the "Bœuf Sur Le Toit" (Fresh Sound, 1952 [1987])
• Henri Renaud quintet joue Gigi Grice avec Bobby Jaspar (Vogue, 1953 [1955]) – with Gigi Gryce, Bobby Jaspar
• Bobby Jaspar/Henri Renaud (BMG France, 1953–1954 [1998]) – with Bobby Jaspar
• Henri Renaud All Stars Vol. 1 (Swing, 1954)
• Henri Renaud All Stars Vol. 2 (Swing, 1954)
• Night Session in Paris (Le club français du disque, 1956 [1957]) – with Zoot Sims
• Henri Renaud et son orchestre (trio et octette) (Ducretet Thomson, 1957)
• Dance and Mood Music Vol. 8 (Chappell, 1969)
• Blue Cylinder (PSI, 1970)
• Jeu de l'oie (Arion, 1971) – with Georges Arvanitas, André Ceccarelli

As sideman

With Clifford Brown

• Clifford Brown Big Band in Paris (Prestige, 1953 [1970])
• Clifford Brown Quartet (Vogue, 1953)
• Clifford Brown Quartet in Paris (Prestige, 1953 [1970])
• Clifford Brown Sextet in Paris (Prestige, 1953 [1970])
• Jazz Time Paris Vol. 13 (Vogue, 1954)

With Gigi Gryce

• Jazz Time Paris Vol. 10 (Vogue, 1953) – with Clifford Brown
• Jazz Time Paris Vol. 11 (Vogue, 1954) – with Clifford Brown
• Gigi Gryce Octet (Vogue, 1954)

With Zoot Sims

• Quartet & Sextet (Vogue, 1953)
• Zoot Goes to Town: Jazz Time Paris Vol. 8 (Vogue, 1953)
• Zoot Sims avec Henri Renaud et son orchestre et Jon Eardley (Ducretet Thomson, 1956) – with Jon Eardley^[5]

With others

• Bob Brookmeyer, Bob Brookmeyer Quintet (Vogue, 1956)
• Jay Cameron, Jay Cameron's International Sax-Band (Swing, 1955)
• Jay Cameron, The Third Herdsmen: The Vogue Sessions (BMG France, 1955 [1999])
• Al Cohn, The Birdlanders Vol. 1 (Period, 1954 [1957])
• Al Cohn, The Birdlanders Vol. 2 (Period, 1954 [1957])
• Frank Foster, Frank Foster (Vogue, 1955)
• Bobby Jaspar, New Sound from Belgium Vol. 4 (Vogue, 1953)
• J. J. Johnson, Milt Jackson, A Date in New York (Inner City, 1954 [1979])
• Lee Konitz, Lee Konitz Plays: Jazz Time Paris Vol. 7 (Vogue, 1953)
• Oscar Pettiford, Oscar Pettiford Sextet (Vogue, 1954)
• René Thomas, René Thomas et son quintette (Vogue, 1955)
• Lucky Thompson, Modern Jazz Group (Le club français du disque, 1956)
• Lucky Thompson, Thompson Plays for Thomson (Ducretet Thomson, 1956) – with Emmett Berry

See also

• Clifford Brown
• French jazz