Umlaut Big Band

© Léa Lanoë
Umlaut Big Band is an orchestra of fourteen musicians that, under the direction of Pierre-Antoine Badaroux, explores both the historical « swing » repertory of big bands based on sound archives and manuscripts (1920-1940), through the music of Don Redman, Mary Lou Williams, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Benny Carter and other American and European musicians, but also a more contemporary creative repertory with commissions to composers with an intimate relationship with jazz, such as Alexander Von Schlippenbach, Jean-Luc Guionnet, Axel Dörner, Bertrand Denzler and Joel Grip. They developed a repertory of over 200 tracks and released 5 records in 10 years.
In the manner of the orchestras of early music, the historical research carried out from rare scores and recordings, is based on the intimate conviction that the arrangers, rarely featured in the history of jazz, are creators who never stop inventing new forms.
Too rarely tackled by composers in our days, the form of the big band is ideal for rich sound explorations, and starting a dialogue between a long tradition linked to jazz and the forms of contemporary inventions.
In its performances, the band favors the acoustic as well as a warm and festive atmosphere, whether they are playing in a concert hall or on a village square.
In residency at the Théâtre de l’Aquarium (La Cartoucherie, Paris) from end of 2019 to 2022, upon the invitation of the company La Vie Brève.
Website : umlaut-bigband.com
Members of the band
Pierre-Antoine Badaroux
artistic director, alto saxophone
Antonin-Tri Hoang
alto saxophone, clarinet
Pierre Borel
tenor saxophone, clarinet
Geoffroy Gesser
tenor saxophone, clarinet
Benjamin Dousteyssier
alto, baritone and bass saxophone
Brice Pichard
trumpet
Pauline Leblond
trumpet
Gabriel Levasseur
trumpet
Alexis Persigan
trombone
Michaël Ballue
trombone
Romain Vuillemin
guitar, banjo
Matthieu Naulleau
piano
Sébastien Beliah
double bass
Antonin Gerbal
drums
Nawel Benziane
production, communication, booking, tour manager
Albums
Mary's Ideas : Umlaut Big Band plays Mary Lou Williams (double album)
The King of Bungle Bar: Umlaut Big Band plays Don Redman
Euro Swing Vol.2
Euro Swing Vol.1
Nelson's Jacket (4 LPs)
Press
- 30/10/2022
Syncopated Times, Umlaut Big Band - 19/04/2022
Nieuwe Noten, Mary's Ideas - 02/03/2022
RTBF, Mary's Ideas - 12/02/2022
RTS, Mary's Ideas - 06/02/2022
Citizen Jazz, Mary's Ideas - 01/01/2022
Point of Departure, Mary's Ideas - 01/01/2022
The Wire, Mary's Ideas - 17/12/2021
Charles Cros, Mary's Ideas - 17/12/2021
NDR, Mary's Ideas - 16/12/2021
All About Jazz, Mary's Ideas - 05/12/2021
Free Jazz Blog, Mary's Ideas - 03/12/2021
Jazz Word, Mary's Ideas - 18/11/2021
Le Souffle Bleu, Mary's Ideas - 11/11/2021
Culture Jazz, Mary's Ideas - 02/11/2021
Hot Club, Mary's Ideas - 31/10/2021
Fragile, Mary's Ideas - 25/10/2021
Radio France, Mary's Ideas - 14/10/2021
All About Jazz, Mary's Ideas - 06/10/2021
Le Monde, Mary's Ideas - 04/10/2021
Overblog, Mary's Ideas - 04/10/2021
Blog de Choc, Mary's Ideas - 01/10/2021
Jazz News, Mary's Ideas - 30/09/2021
Jazz Magazine, Mary's Ideas - 30/09/2021
TSF Jazz, Mary's Ideas - 30/09/2021
Froggy's delight, Mary's Ideas - 28/09/2021
Le Grigri, Mary's Ideas - 27/09/2021
Culture Jazz, Mary's Ideas - 20/09/2021
Couleurs Jazz Media, Mary's Ideas - 20/09/2021
The Quietus, Mary's Ideas - 16/09/2021
Pointbreak, Mary's Ideas - 16/09/2021
Latins de Jazz, Mary's Ideas - 15/09/2021
Radio France, Mary's Ideas - 11/09/2021
Daniel Yvinec, Mary's Ideas - 31/08/2021
Radio France, Mary's Ideas - 03/07/2021
Radio France, Mary's Ideas - 03/07/2020
Le Monde, Umlaut Big Band - 23/06/2021
Le Grigri, Mary's Ideas - 14/12/2018
Citizen Jazz, The King of Bungle Bar - 14/12/2018
Académie Charles Cros, The King of Bungle Bar - 30/11/2018
Couleurs Jazz, The King of Bungle Bar - 26/11/2018
Le Grigri, The King of Bungle Bar - 26/11/2018
Culture Jazz, The King of Bungle Bar - 25/11/2018
Jazz à bâbord, The King of Bungle Bar - 14/10/2018
Le Dauphiné libéré, The King of Bungle Bar - 08/10/2018
France Musique, The King of Bungle Bar - 02/10/2018
TSF Jazz, The King of Bungle Bar - 02/10/2018
Les Dernières Nouvelles du Jazz, The King of Bungle Bar - 01/10/2018
Jazz Magazine, The King of Bungle Bar - 21/09/2018
Radio Campus Paris, The King of Bungle Bar - 20/09/2018
Libération, The King of Bungle Bar - 08/09/2018
Culture Jazz, The King of Bungle Bar - 28/08/2018
France Musique, The King of Bungle Bar - 25/08/2018
Télérama, The King of Bungle Bar - 07/06/2018
Télérama, The King of Bungle Bar - 07/08/2018
Jazz News, The King of Bungle Bar - 20/07/2018
L'Est Républicain, The King of Bungle Bar