Pierre Drevet has been one of the pillars of the Brussels Jazz Orchestra’s trumpet section for 18 years. BJO has also regularly asked him to write arrangements and to compose new works over the years, such as a tribute to Maurice Ravel, of whom he is, in his own words, ‘indisputably a fan’. His creativity knows no bounds – in between all his other activities, Pierre has composed many other pieces for the jazz orchestra repertoire. In November 2019 Pierre will hold a residence in Vienne (FR) with BJO. Entitled ECHANGƎ, this programme will revolve around new work by Pierre Drevet. ECHANGƎ is made possible in part by the Génération Spedidam label.
Pierre Drevet on ECHANGE:
‘With ECHANGƎ we’re playing music that’s full of different colours, for large jazz orchestra. These colours are determined by several influences: melodies and grooves created during all those orchestra years with all the exchanges between musicians from different backgrounds. The main sources of my musical imagination are the fantastic composers of the melodious classical music from the early twentieth century, like Brahms, Ravel and Debussy, as well as the rich and abundant currents within jazz. With this kind of writing, I give the orchestra a big sound (which is not that difficult with the BJO!) and put every player in the spotlight by having them interpret themes and giving them solos. The voice floats over the melodies, and softens the tutti sound of the orchestra. In short, it’s upbeat music that will get both audience and players enthusiastic.’
Pierre Drevet
The solid Brussels Jazz Orchestra sideman develops numerous projects in which he uses his talents as both a trumpet player and arranger. He was a member of the Orchestre National de Jazz led by Laurent Cugny, toured with Riccardo Del Fra playing a tribute to Chet Baker, and wrote the arrangements for the album Jazznavour by Charles Aznavour. Drevet is known for the subtlety of his arrangements. After teaching at the Conservatoire in Chambéry (FR) for 35 years, he is now devoting his energies to the many musical projects in which he can combine both of these talents to the fullest. The project closest to his heart, called Lilananda, delves into the tradition of a country that lives and breathes music: Brazil. With his partner in crime, singer Claire Vaillant, Drevet presents Bossa 2.0, an 'update' of the bossa nova combining a jazz quintet with a string quartet.
Besides his work for the BJO, Pierre also wrote the arrangements for Multiquarium, the big band founded by the Charlier / Sourisse duo. For Drevet, who was influenced by both the virtuosity of Freddie Hubbard and the sensitivity of Chet Baker, the trumpet is a love story, principally expressed in the European Jazz Trumpets, a group that brings together Europe’s top trumpet players.
Claire Vaillant (vocals)
Claire Vaillant is self-taught and is active in various projects in the worlds of jazz, Brazilian music and funk. A charismatic singer, she was one of the founders of the Lilananda collective. She is fascinated by the role of the voice as an instrument in jazz, as evidenced by the duo project Un Ange Passe with her partner in crime Francis Larue. She also has a passion for writing French lyrics for jazz (Lilananda jazz quintet). She has a predilection for rhythmic jazz full of harmonies and has a feel for the beauty of the arrangement. She used these elements to create the Sometime Suite 2010 project based on the music of Kenny Wheeler, and then the project The Road to You, in which she, along with others such as Carine Bonnefoy and André Charlier, interprets the music of Pat Metheny. As a lyricist and singer, Vaillant is one of the driving forces behind the Lilananda jazzk quintet and Bossa 2.0, along with Pierre Drevet.
In the fabulous ‘exchange’ with the BJO that was called ECHANGƎ, Pierre Drevet invites her to sing her words in his moving and virtuoso compositions.
Pierre Drevet
