Pierre Favre

International media have described him as a poet and painter. His work was described as lyrical and passionate. It’s quite remarkable considering Pierre Favre is a drummer. Pierre Favre isn’t just any drummer. Pierre is one of the most highly respected percussionists in the World. Favre’s creativity is unrivalled. Favre’s rare ability to bring out the magic in music is evident, no matter if it’s contemporary classical, free jazz or ethnic. Favre was born in Le Locle in Switzerland and has made a lot of progress in his nearly 60 years of drumming. He now resides in Zurich and travels to many of the concerts, workshops and recording sessions that he is involved with. Pierre Favre is a soft-spoken man despite all the praises. He also has a great sense for humour. Window Steps is Pierre Favre’s latest recording. It also refers to the “band of band-leaders” that he and a Swiss drummer have gathered together. Although they cover most aspects of contemporary improvisation together, the players share a deep melodic understanding. They are lyrical improvisers above all. This may also be true for Favre, the drummer who stood out from his peers in his ability to hear the instrument’s tone even during turbulent times of European free jazz’z “emancipation”. Favre, a self-taught drummer, began to explore the melodic potentials of the drum set in the 1970s. Favre studied classical composition to learn more. He also immersed himself in percussion musics from around the world, including those from Brazil, India, Africa, and Brazil. This information was gradually consolidated in his “sound-color poems” for his Singing Drums club. His sensitivity as a percussionist is evident in many ECM recordings, including those with John Surman (Such Winters Of Memory), Barre Philips (Music By), Dino Saluzzi (“Once Upon A Time – Far Away In The South”), Arvo Part (“Sarah Was Ninety Years Old”), Paul Giger (Alpstein), and his duet recordings featuring Tamia (de la nuit…le journal and Solitudes). His diverse experiences have clearly helped him to become a better writer. He has composed a wide range of tunes for this project. The piece “Cold Nose” has strong Nordic folklore elements that seem to be akin to the work of Edward Vesala, a drummer-leader. Favre’s ability to balance sophistication and an earthiness as a drummer is what makes him a great percussionist. This connects him with some of the early jazz’s greatest drummers, such as Big Sid Catlett (Baby Dodds), Sonny Greer (Sonny Greer). Sid Catlett described his playing as “my idea” of what a melody should sound like. His playing is clear and fluid. Favre’s Window Steps plan includes the “orchestration” of his drum-derived melodies and the smaller “horn section” or “string section” provided his bandmates. from http://www.drummerworld.com

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