Martial Solal

French pianist, composer, and bandleader Martial Solal's intuitive approach to improvisation earned him an honored place among the greatest minds in all of jazz. Thoroughly versed in the tradition from New Orleans (he worked extensively with Sidney Bechet) to big-band swing to bop to post-bop and beyond, Solal also composed chamber music, wrote scores for more than 20 films, and recorded more than 70 albums as soloist and leader. For more than 60 years, he personified the cross-pollinated splendor of European jazz by utilizing styles and influences from both sides of the Atlan...