Renaud Garcia-Fons

Renaud Garcia-Fons (born December 24, 1962) is a French upright-bass player and composer, notable for his customised 5-stringed bass.

Garcia-Fons

Garcia-Fons started his musical studies at an early age. At five years old he picked up playing the piano, switched to classical guitar at eight, then turned to rock in his teens, and finally settling for the upright bass when he was 16. He got formal musical training at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he studied with François Rabbath, who taught him his special technique of playing arco.

Garcia-Fons is known for his melodic sense and his viola-like col arco sound; he is sometimes referred to as "the Paganini of double bass." Garcia-Fons has been deeply influenced by his mentor, the bassist François Rabbath.

He started playing jazz with the band of trumpeter Roger Guérin, and thereafter had many collaborators, including symphony orchestras, jazz groups, and a trio. In 1987-93, he was part of the French all-double bass ensemble 'L'Orchestre de Contrebasses'. He remained with them for six years, also appearing with the 'Orchestre National de Jazz' directed by Claude Barthélémy during some of this time. Enja Records released his debut solo album Légendes (1992). Alboreá (1995) was his next album release, featuring his quartet including Jean-Louis Matinier (accordion), Jacques Mahieux (drums), and Yves Torchinsky (bass).

His third album, 1998's "Oriental Bass," featured his own compositions and was well received in the press. Next he combined with accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier on the album Fuera (1999). On many occasions he is accompanied by a variety of instruments, including guitar, lute, derbouka, flutes, trombone, and accordion. Garcia-Fons has collaborated with jazz musicians like Jean-Louis Matinier, Michael Riessler, Sylvain Luc, Nguyên Lê, and Michel Godard, and contributed to recordings of Gerardo Núñez and to Middle Eastern players such as Kudsi Erguner, Dhafer Youssef, and Cheb Mami.

• 2013: ECHO Jazz Award "DVD of the Year", for Solo – The Marcevol Concert

• "German ECHO JAZZ 2013 Winners Announced". Londonj Jazz News. Retrieved 2013-09-06. 

Solo albums

• 1992: Légendes (Enja Records)
• 1995: Alboreá (Enja Records)
• 1995: Suite Andalouse (Al Sur), with Pedro Soler
• 1997: Oriental Bass (Enja Records)
• 1999: Fuera (Enja Records), with Jean-Louis Matinier
• 2000: Acoustic Songs (Label Hopi), with Gérard Marais
• 2001: Navigatore (Enja Records)
• 2004: Entremundo (Enja Records)
• 2006: Arcoluz (Enja Records)
• 2009: La Linea Del Sur (Enja Records)
• 2010: Méditerranées (Enja Records)
• 2012: Solo - The Marcevol Concert (Enja Records)
• 2013: Beyond The Double Bass (Enja Records)
• 2014: Silk Moon (e-motive Records), with Derya Türkan

Collaborations

With Dhafer Youssef

• 1999: Malak (Enja Records), including with Markus Stockhausen, Nguyên Lê, Jatinder Thakur

Within Gianluigi Trovesi Nonet

• 2000: Round About A Midsummer's Dream (Enja Records)

With Antonio Placer, Paulo Bellinati and Jorge Trasante

• 2000: Nomades D'Ici (Le Chant du Monde)

With Nguyên Lê

• 1997: Three Trios (ACT Music)
• 2000: Bakida (ACT Music)
• 2008: Fragile Beauty (ACT Music)

With Gerardo Núñez

• 2000: Jazzpaña II (ACT Music)

With Kudsi Erguner

• 2001: Islam Blues (ACT Music)

With David Peña Dorantes

• 2015: Paseo A Dos (E-Motive Records)

• Lindsay, Bruce (2014-09-14). "Renaud Garcia-Fons: Beyond The Double Bass (2014)". Musical reviews. All About Jazz. Retrieved 2014-10-15. 
• Lindsay, Bruce. "Silk Moon : New Album - Release Nov 11th, 2014". Musical reviews. Jazzhalo.be. Retrieved 2014-10-15. 
• "Renaud Garcia-Fons". Discography. Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.