Henri Chaix

Henri François Chaix (born February 21, 1925 in Geneva ; † June 11, 1999 ibid) was a Swiss jazz pianist , orchestra conductor and arranger .

Life

Chaix was born in Geneva to French parents. He received his musical training at the Conservatoire de musique de Genève and at the age of almost 20 he played in the band The Dixie Dandies of the legendary Geneva clarinetist Loys Choquart and later joined the orchestra of the soprano saxophonist Claude Aubert , which he took over after the leader left as Orchester Henri Chaix performed until the 1970s; important soloists were Roger Zufferey and Michel Pilet as well as Jo Gagliardi . At the same time he played as a soloist and led his own trio (mostly with Alain du Bois on bass and Romano Cavicchiolo on drums).

Chaix worked as a sideman with two major Swiss jazz bands in the Tremble Kids (in 1959, later sporadically and in 1976 again regularly) and the Hot Mallets of Isla Eckinger .

In his long career, Chaix accompanied countless jazz musicians, such as Sidney Bechet in 1950 ; later followed by Stuff Smith , Bill Coleman , Buck Clayton , Rex Stewart , Ben Webster , Benny Bailey , Milt Buckner , Benny Carter , Albert Nicholas , Earle Warren and others. In his last years he had a steady gig with his trio in the Bouchon à Tonio (in Carouge near Geneva), worked as a teacher in the traditional jazz workshop Lenk of his piano colleague Mike Goetz and occasionally played with this piano duo.

style

As a solo pianist, Chaix was primarily committed to the Harlem Stride Piano , but his playing also showed influences from Jelly Roll Morton , Duke Ellington and even Thelonious Monk , and he also had a genuinely felt blues feeling . Chaix, in turn, influenced pianists such as Buddha Scheidegger , Mike Goetz, François Rilhac and others.

Others

Chaix was a big fan of the three-wheeled Messerschmitt cabin scooter , which he occasionally rode to his engagements.

Selected discography

• 1967: Ben Webster, Buck Clayton & Henri Chaix Trio: Ben and Buck
• 1968: Oscar and Miriam Klein , Henri Chaix, Bob Carter , H.-P. Giger : 'Blues & Boogie'
• 1969: Henri Chaix: 'Here Comes The Band' (Philips)
• 1969: Albert Nicholas with Henri Chaix Trio: Live in Baden
• 1975: Henri Chaix Trio: Au Popcorn Jazz Club
• 1975: Oscar Klein - Henri Chaix
• 1976: Tremble Kids: Play Satchmo Tunes
• 1982: Hot Mallets
• 1983: Hot Mallets: Live at the Widder-Bar
• 1987: Doc Cheatham & his Swedish Jazz All Stars featuring Henri Chaix
• 1990: Henri Chaix Trio: Jumpin 'Punkins
• 1993: Henri Chaix Trio: Jive at Five

Web links

• Georg Modestin: Chaix, Henri. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .