Claude Bolling (10 April 1930 – 29 December 2020) was a French jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and occasional actor.

Early life and education

thumb|right|upright|Bolling (far right) with [[Xavier Gélin (third from left) and Danièle Delorme (third from right), date unknown]]

He was born in Cannes, France, and studied at the Nice Conservatory, and then in Paris. A child prodigy, by the age of 14 he was playing jazz piano professionally, with Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, and Kenny Clarke.

Discography

  • French Jazz (Bally, 1956)
  • Rolling with Bolling (Omega Disk, 1957)
  • Joue Duke Ellington (Fontana, 1960)
  • Jazzgang Amadeus Mozart (Philips, 1965)
  • Original Ragtime (Philips, 1967)
  • Original Boogie Woogie (Philips, 1968)
  • Original Piano Blues (Philips, 1969)
  • Original Jazz Classics Piano (Philips, 1970)
  • Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio with Jean-Pierre Rampal (Columbia Masterworks, 1975)
  • With the Help of My Friends (Who's Who in Jazz, 1975)
  • Concerto for Classic Guitar and Jazz Piano with Alexander Lagoya (CBS, 1976)
  • Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano (Columbia Masterworks, 1977)
  • Jazz Gala 79 (America, 1979)
  • Concerto for Classic Guitar and Jazz Piano with Angel Romero (Angel, 1980)
  • Picnic Suite (CBS, 1980)
  • Bolling: Toot Suite with Maurice Andre (CBS, 1981)
  • Suite for Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Piano with Jean-Pierre Rampal (CBS, 1983)
  • The Original Bolling Blues (Mercury, 1983)
  • Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio with Yo Yo Ma (CBS Masterworks, 1984)
  • Jazz A La Française (CBS, 1984)
  • Bolling [Band] plays Ellington [Music] (CBS, 1987)
  • Bolling: Suite No. 2 for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (CBS, 1987)
  • Sonatas for Two Pianists (CBS, 1989)
  • Warm Up the Band (Columbia, 1991)
  • Cross Over U.S.A. (Milan, 1993)
  • Enchanting Versailles: Strictly Classical (Milan, 1995)
  • Suite for Flute and Piano Jazz Trio (Acte Préalable, 1999)
  • Suite for Violin and Piano Jazz Trio (Acte Préalable, 1999)
  • Suite for Cello and Piano Jazz Trio (Acte Préalable, 1999)
  • Bolling Big Band: Gershwin In Swing (CAID, 2003)
  • Bolling: Suite for Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Piano Trio (Mérida, 2011)

References

  • Official site
  • Discography at SonyBMG Masterworks