Born in Algiers in 1927, Martial Solal studied classical music in school until he was expelled by the Vichy French government in 1942 because of his parents' Jewish ancestry. From then on, he taught himself on the piano by imitating music on the radio at home, following his instinct and his god-given sense for melody. Once the war finished he moved to Paris and embarked on a long career that saw him rub shoulders with the likes of Django Reinhardt, Sidney Bechet and Don Byas, expatriates who were making the post-war Paris scene their own. Perhaps best known for his sublime soundtrack to the Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 New Wave masterpiece À bout de souffle, Solal has accrued a nearly 8-decade career as a prolific jazzman, having played his first concerts at age 15.
Here, he graces the Munich Summer Piano Festival's 1999 edition, for a solo concert that was billed as an evening with a true veteran of the jazz piano. On the repertoire where tributes to another pioneer of swelling, big band composition, Duke Ellington, as well as the great beguiler, Thelonious Monk and interpretations of classics like "Caravan" and "Foggy Day." Solal comes alive for each track, embodying its internal quirks through shifts in his playing style. A particular highlight is his original, "Ah, Non!" A sight to behold.
