And His Jazz Orchestra 1959-1962

Description

Jacques Denjean, born on May 21, 1929, in Igny and died on September 21, 1995, in Évreux, was a musician (pianist and organist), composer, arranger, and conductor who made a significant contribution to French popular music in the 1960s.
A student at the Conservatoire de Paris, he won the 1st prize for piano in 1947 but quickly turned to jazz (he notably participated in the orchestras of Alix Combelle and Maxim Saury, as well as the Double Six).
In 1961, he formed his own orchestra, a big band that released its first recordings with Polydor. This group evolved towards a style comparable to that of the American Mar-Keys, combining jazz sounds from the organ and a section of saxophones and brass with rock rhythms. Jacques Denjean distinguished himself both in accompanying stars of the yéyé generation and through instrumental pieces composed and published on his own. Several were widely popularized by being chosen as theme music for radio shows, such as La Route and Dans le vent, both used in 1963 by France Inter and Europe 1 respectively to introduce music programs.