Franck Amsallem is a recognized name in the jazz world. Born in Oran and raised in Nice, he lived in the United States for over twenty years, working as a professional musician. He’s played or collaborated with the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Joe Chambers, Gary Peacock, Bill Stewart, Joshua Redman, Maria Schneider, Jerry Bergonzi, Charles Lloyd, Bobby Watson, Roy Hargrove, Kevin Mahogany, Ravi Coltrane, Bob Brookmeyer, Roccisano, and Harry Belafonte to name a few. Now based in Paris, we caught up to discuss his career and the success of his CD, Gotham Goodbye, released in September 2019. The album pays homage to the 1990s and, whilst there are parallels with Amsallem’s earlier recordings with Peacock and Stewart, there’s fresh energy found in the nine original compositions, starting off with my favorite track From Two to Five. The album compositions are masterfully delivered with saxophonist Irving Acao, Viktor Nyberg on bass, and drummer Gautier Garrigue. The production quality is second to none and a delight to hear from start to finish.
Hi Franck, thank you for granting the interview. Congratulations on your career to date. You took up the classical saxophone and the piano at age 7 at the local conservatory. How did the piano become your signature instrument?
In fact, I had played piano since the age of seven, but not seriously. I had a terrible teacher, and my parents were not musical. When I became a teenager, I was lured by the sound of jazz and blues. That was when I picked up the saxophone. However, I played piano naturally without having any teacher telling me what or how to play, which in hindsight was a really positive way of learning. The opposite happened in saxophone where, according to the French classical tradition, I cut my teeth on various early 20th-century composers (Glazounov, Ibert). This made for a contrived musical education that I resent to this day. Meanwhile, I became an in-demand jazz pianist on the Côte d’Azur quite early in my career, so, when at the age of 19 it was time to choose, I picked the piano as my instrument.
Who were role models or inspiring artists in your early career and why?
In 1977 I was lucky enough to witness one of the greatest jazz festivals ever to happen, right in my hometown, the Grande Parade du Jazz in Nice, France. That year, I listened, mesmerized, to the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, the Count Basie band, Charles Mingus, and various soloists, like Eddie Daniels, Clark Terry, Alan Dawson, and Hank Jones. These players inspire me to this day. When at a young age, you’re able to witness these organized jam sessions, you can’t but be stunned at how loose jazz sometimes is on stage. That was a formidable education in music-making. The following year, I listened to the Bill Evans Trio and the Stan Getz Quartet. These two musicians would end up being lifetime role models: Bill Evans for his incredible musical culture and nobility in playing; Stan Getz for his unsurpassed lyricism and depth in sound.
You were awarded a full scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in 1981-84, to study composition and arranging with Herb Pomeroy and Michael Gibbs. Can you recall your experience studying under these renowned artists?
With Herb Pomeroy, that was the first time I played under a conductor who was obviously a master at what he was doing. Every note I played, every chord I played had to fit, and, if you’ve never been through an experience like that, you won’t know what it is. Herb was also a master arranging & composition teacher. His Line Writing and Writing in the Style of Duke Ellington classes were two of the most important I ever attended. The techniques and material I was fed were top stuff. To this day, they are still on my mind. Michael Gibbs was an inspirational teacher. He made you listen to other kinds of music, a lot of which was from contemporary composers, and to analyze their techniques. He tried really hard to make us distill our compositional projects into a highly concentrated form. I learned a lot from him and from his way of approaching composing.
You moved to New York City in 1986 where you completed a Masters in Jazz Composition at the Manhattan School of Music, participating in BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, and collaborated with several iconic figures such as Gerry Mulligan, Bill Stewart, Joe Chambers, Roy Hargrove, and Joshua Redman to name just a few. In the company of so many iconic figures in the industry, was there a particular moment where you felt accepted and officially part of the New York scene?
A funny thing – I never felt completely a part of the New York scene, just like I never felt completely American in so many ways. To many, I remained a French pianist, even though I could swing as hard as most. I guess, due to my upbringing on a different continent and the highly personal way I play, I felt like I didn’t completely blend in, on so many levels, even though I had many great opportunities to play with the best. I guess, deep at heart, some people are more meant to be leaders than sidemen, and I’m one of them. In being a leader, you can shape the music the way you want and not according to anybody else’s whims. I think the closest I felt to being a part of the New York scene were the times I was able to lead a band in NYC. And, of course, in NYC, the people you play with are of such high caliber that you leave the gig feeling that it was an optimal performance. That’s truly when I could say I felt accepted.
In 1990 your debut recording as a leader, Out a Day, featuring Gary Peacock on bass and Bill Stewart on drums, was very well received by the international jazz press and highly praised by the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Looking back, having recorded 12 albums as a leader, how much of an impact do you feel this particular album had on your career?
That record started it all. First, because that music remains to this day – I’ll say immodestly – my joy. To come up with a first record that makes such an impact changes your life even though it takes years to understand how. Also, to prove you can hang with the best and, in this case, on mostly original material shows that your career has legs. Too often people can’t sustain longevity for multiple reasons. I think that, in my case, the fact that I’m a composer (I’ve written for big bands and string orchestras, as well as jazz tunes, of course) has helped me immensely. The album itself has been reissued four times. That says a lot.
You returned to France in 2001, settling in Paris, where you’ve collaborated with the likes of Stephane Belmondo, Elisabeth Kontomanou, and Sara Lazarus. How do New York and Paris compare and what aspects of New York life do you miss?
These are two different animals. Leaving New York at the end of 2001 was a blessing for all the reasons you can imagine. In Paris, I felt like more of a human being, and I got to perform all over the world in places I had never set foot in, due to my French affiliation. Of course, I missed the music in New York and my musician friends, who always steered me in the right direction musically. But at some point, you also take directions based on lifestyle; at that point, in the early 2000s, I wanted to experience what it felt like to be a father and leave the rat race behind. It does look like I was coming home but, in fact, I had never lived in Paris before.
In 2009 you released your first singing album, Amsallem Sings, followed-up with Franck Amsallem Sings, Vol. 2, a trio album, released in 2014. How long was this project fermenting?
To also brand myself as a pianist–singer was a long time in the making. As a matter of fact, I took voice lessons at Berklee back in 1981! But the whole singing vibe wasn’t something I wanted to address early in my career. I’m still shy about singing, but it really was a tremendous opportunity for me to explore The American Songbook in ways I hadn’t done before. I now understand better how to phrase a melody, which is capital for anyone and too often overlooked. Young musicians should always pay close attention to singers!
Your latest album Gotham Goodbye pays homage to the New York scene of the 1990s whilst providing a contemporary twist. The album compositions are masterfully delivered with saxophonist Irving Acao, Viktor Nyberg on bass, and drummer Gautier Garrigue. Please share with our readers how the album, and collaborating with these talented artists, came about?
After a quartet gig we played at Duc des Lombards in Paris in 2016, I felt that this was a band to reckon with. Each of these individuals is a master and, as you can guess, much on-demand on the scene over here. They understood my music perfectly well, and it was time to present something different than standards and songs. I dug into a trove of original unpublished material as well as wrote some new music for the occasion; I found a sympathetic producer, Vincent Bessieres, from Jazz&People, and, after much grant writing, we were able to make it work. Our sound engineer Alban Sautour worked beautifully to give the music a contemporary twist. This wasn’t going to be another blowing session.
Gotham Goodbye has been praised by the jazz press. This is connected to my next question; what have been the most challenging and rewarding aspects of being a recording artist?
I’d say the trick is in the longevity of it. Ideally, you have to come up with a new project, a new idea, a new concept almost every time you record something under your own name. In my case, to show that almost 30 years later I can renew my art yet one more time and show that my music is as fresh as it was 30 years ago is in itself a reward. A recording is something you must be proud of; it is your badge of honor, and you involve many people in a project like that – you better make it worthwhile for everyone.
What other projects should we look forward to seeing you involved in?
Because of Covid-19, everything is on hold. Gigs and tours are on the back burner. I have projects that involve writing for big band and/or string orchestras that have never seen the light of day. These will be future releases. I would also like to do a second opus with this fabulous quartet.
Where can we find out more about you?
Come by and say hello at the Duc des Lombards or at Sunside in Paris. Or drop me a mail through my website:
https://www.facebook.com/franckamsallem
https://www.facebook.com/FranckAmsallemMusic/
Images- ©Jean-Baptiste Millot (Lead photo) and Philippe LEVY-STAB © 2019
About Author
Great article! I downloaded the album and can say I agree with your summary!
Interesting to know his appreciation of the jazz scene in France and how it compares.