The jazz pianist, conductor and composer has written numerous film scores, such as that of “Borsalino”, and arranged “La Madrague”, a famous song by Brigitte Bardot.
Le Monde avec AFP
He is the author of many film scores like Borsalino’s. Jazz pianist, conductor and composer Claude Bolling died at the age of 90, his entourage announced Wednesday, December 30, to Agence France-Presse. Mr. Bolling, who suffered from various pathologies, died Tuesday at the Saint-Cloud hospital, west of Paris.
Born in Cannes on April 10, 1930, he left Paris for Nice during the Occupation. There, he followed the teaching of Marie-Louise “Bob” Colin, pianist, trumpeter and drummer in one of the many popular female orchestras in the interwar period. She encouraged him to return to Paris, where he created his first orchestra at 16 and recorded his first album at 18.
Disciple of Duke Ellington, the famous American jazz composer, he created a big jazz band in 1956 which will last until the mid-2010s, an exceptional longevity. In France, he is considered a benchmark in the world of jazz. Among those who have played in his large orchestra have been renowned musicians such as his alto saxophonist Claude Tissendier.
A jack of all trades
In the 1960s, Boris Vian, who nicknamed him “Bollington”, opened the doors to variety and musical direction for many stars such as Brigitte Bardot, Juliette Gréco or Henri Salvador. He thus arranges the title La Madrague, famous song by Brigitte Bardot.
“Claude Bolling, mon” dubol ” left taking with him my youth and sixty years of faithful friendship, joie de vivre, funny songs and a carefree bond, “responded Brigitte Bardot in a press release sent to AFP.
“” It’s a day like any other and yet you are leaving “, I sing it for you today with tears in my eyes.”
He composed music for films whose more famous are Borsalino (1970) by Jacques Deray, with Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo, but also Le Magnifique, Lucky Luke, or Les Brigades du Tigre.
This jack-of-all-trades has multiplied experiments in marrying a jazz trio with a classical soloist. He composed and recorded in particular Suite for flute and jazz piano trio with the famous French flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal, a work which broke attendance records in the Billboard charts in the United States (530 weeks) and led Claude Bolling to New York’s Carnegie Hall stage.