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| Moutin Reunion At Kansas City's 2006 Blues & Jazz Festival Kansas City's 2006 Blues & Jazz Festival organizers have announced the addition of Moutin Reunion to their list of stellar headliners. The internationally-known band comes to Kansas City direct from their hometown of Paris, France. Moutin Reunion will join blues man Bo Diddley and a number of other nationally-recognized performers on Saturday, Sept. 2nd at The Woodlands in Kansas City, Kan. As for Moutin Reunion, the band is popular throughout the U.S. and Europe. Parisian natives and twin brothers Louis (drums) and Franois Moutin (upright bass) founded the band in 1999, and were influenced at an early age by their parents' large, mostly jazz record collection. Louis started on piano and Franois on guitar, but both switched to their current instruments by the age of 20. Louis left college with a master's degree in mathematics, Franois with a doctorate in physics. Within three years of graduation, both had ditched their more traditional careers to try their luck in the world of jazz. Louis started with Trio Machado and later became a sideman to John Abercrombie, Markus Stockhausen, Albert Mangelsdorff, and Michel Legrand. Franois kicked off his career with the Martial Solal Trio and played with Randy Brecker, Toots Thielemans, and Archie Shepp while he was still in Paris. In late 1997, Franois moved to New York City and kept busy playing with Frank Wess, Monty Alexander, Simon Shaheen, and many others. Despite being on two different continents, the twins managed to come together to form the Moutin Reunion Quartet, adding two French musicians. Pianist and former Mangelsdorff sideman Baptiste Trotignon and saxophonist and Martial Solal alumnus Sylvain Beuf accompanied the brothers on their 2002 debut, Power Tree. Beuf left the band and was replaced with former Miles Davis saxophonist and New York City resident Rick Margitza. The new lineup released Red Moon at the beginning of 2004. The Blues & Jazz Fest continues to draw large crowds as Kansas Citians rejoice in the area's jazz roots. For two straight days, festival-goers can hear more than 20 hours of live blues and jazz by both local and national performers. Other planned bands include Proto-Kaw, formerly the popular 1970s band Kansas, The Latin Jazz All Stars, Baby Lee and the Kansas City All Stars and Fast Johnny Ricker just to name a few. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |