Martial Solal

French pianist, composer, and bandleader Martial Solal's intuitive approach to improvisation earned him an honored place among the greatest minds in all of jazz. Thoroughly versed in the tradition from New Orleans (he worked extensively with Sidney Bechet) to big-band swing to bop to post-bop and beyond, Solal also composed chamber music, wrote scores for more than 20 films, and recorded more than 70 albums as soloist and leader. Solal was highly regarded as one of the great storytelling soloists -- his 1954 debut French Modern Sounds, 1974's Himself, and 1998's Jazz 'n (E)motion are prime examples. Likewise, Solal was also a formidable duo partner who pushed others to great heights of improvisation and harmonic inquiry (1978's Duplicity with Lee Konitz, 1980's Happy Reunion with Stéphane Grappelli, 1999's Fast Mood with Michel Portal, 2006's Rue de Seine with Dave Douglas, and 2017's Masters In Bordeaux with David Liebman). Solal passed away on December 12, 2012.