Jean-Louis Chautemps (6 August 1931 – 25 May 2022)[1] was a French jazz saxophonist.

Jean-Louis Chautemps
Born6 August 1931
Paris, France
Died25 May 2022(2022-05-25) (aged 90)
GenresJazz
InstrumentSaxophone

Career

edit

Born in Paris, Chautemps initially studied medicine and law, and began playing saxophone at age 16. His first major gig was with Jef Gilson in 1950. In 1952 he began playing with Claude Bolling's orchestra, and around the same time worked with Henri Renaud and Albert Nicholas. During these associations he played with Sidney Bechet, Django Reinhardt, Zoot Sims, Lester Young, Bobby Jaspar, Albert Ayler, and Roy Eldridge. He toured Europe as a sideman for Chet Baker in 1956, played with Jacques Hélian and Kurt Edelhagen near the end of the decade, and played often in Parisian clubs in the 1960s. Later associations included work with Nathan Davis, Philly Joe Jones, André Hodeir, Lester Bowie, Bernard Lubat, Martial Solal, Lee Konitz, and Michel Portal.[2][3]

Chautemps played on Elton John's 1972 hit single "Honky Cat", from the album Honky Château.[4][5]

He appears as an interviewee in the 2010 documentary film by Christian Gascio Django Reinhardt - Three-Fingered Lightning.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ Lopez, Louis-Valentin (25 May 2022). "Le saxophoniste Jean-Louis Chautemps nous a quittés". Radio France.
  2. ^ Michel Laplace, "Jean-Louis Chautemps". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd edition, ed. Barry Kernfeld.
  3. ^ "Jean Louis Chautemps | Credits". AllMusic.
  4. ^ "Elton John Lyrics: Honky Cat". www.eltonography.com.
  5. ^ "Honky Chateau". albumlinernotes.
  6. ^ "Django Reinhardt - Three-Fingered Lightning". Archived from the original on 3 March 2021.
edit