Born in 1960 in Paris,
France, Jean-Louis started playing guitar in the late 70’s while living in London, UK, then moved on to electric bass
in the early 1980’s. He learned jazz theory and bass at the Centre d’Informations Musicales (CIM), one of the
best jazz schools in Paris (http://www.lecim.com/). After playing in a number of jazz or jazz-rock combos in Paris in the
1980’s, Jean-Louis put his musical activities on the back-burner for a number of years. After moving to the United States
in the early 1990’s, Jean-Louis resumed playing music in his spare time at the turn of the millennium, either leisurely
playing gypsy jazz rhythm guitar or his main instrument, the 5-string electric bass.
Currently
Jean-Louis plays bass in a member of bands occasionally performing in the New Jersey/New York area (The Bossa 5, a Samba and
Bossa Nova band directed by Marc Ferranti, covering the Brazilian repertoire from Antonio Carlos Jobim and others; The Bill
Tally/Devin Leonard Quintet, covering a 1960’s hard bop repertoire including Horace Silver and Tadd Dameron tunes, or
The Chris Colaneri Quartet, covering Jazz, Jazz-Rock and Latin Jazz repertoires). Jean-Louis also occasionally performs with
The Viva Flamenco dance group, directed by Antonia Messina. Since the summer 2008, Jean-Louis has been a participant of the
jam sessions run by the Somerset Jazz Consortium.
Jean-Louis’ musical influences, ranging
from Baroque to Word Music, including Chanson Française and Musette, through all colors of Jazz are too numerous to
list, but he firmly believes that any kind of music that grooves, swings or simply sounds good and makes you tap your foot
or want to dance is well worth listening to or playing. His favorite quote is that of the great Duke/Irving Mills: "It
Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing!". His short list of favorite bass players includes, in no
particular order, Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Scott LaFaro, Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius and Oscar Stagnaro.
To Contact Jean-Louis
Tel: 908-322-4097
E-mail: Saillot@comcast.net
