François Bréant

François Bréant started as a jazz pianist but soon turned to progressive rock in the early 1970s, making his first recordings in a number of obscure French groups. He made a name for himself in the late '70s as the keyboardist, arranger, and bandleader of famous French singer/songwriter Bernard Lavilliers, before becoming a sought-after producer in the '80s and beyond. His work on Salif Keita's 1987 album, Soro, was crucial to the early development of worldbeat. He released two solo LPs in the late '70s. Born in Rouen, France, Bréant's musical inclinations were strongly encouraged by his father, himself a pianist and painter. He learned to play the piano and the organ at a young age. In his lycée (high school) years he took a shine to the music of Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, and played in a number of local jazz units. After studies at Rouen's École des Beaux-Arts he joined Cruciferius Lobonz, a visionary fusion jazz group formed by Christian Vander and Bernard Paganotti. The group recorded its sole album, A Nice Way of Life, in 1970, after which Vander quit to form the highly influential Magma. After a short-lived project with Albert Marcoeur and Pascal Arroyo, Bréant traveled to the U.S. for eight months. Back home he formed Nemo with Cruciferius' Marc Perru, Clément Bailly, and future Alpha Ralpha drummer Emmanuel Lacordaire -- with them he began to use synthesizers. After two progressive rock LPs the group disbanded in 1975. Soon after he began work on his first solo album, which would be three years in the making. Meanwhile he joined old friends Lacordaire and Arroyo in 1976 to form one of Lavilliers' first bands. His first solo LP, Sons Optiques, came out in 1979, soon followed by Voyeur Extra-Lucide. That same year he co-wrote Lavilliers' album Pouvoirs, one of the singer's finest moments. Bréant left Lavilliers' band in 1983 and spent a few years away from the spotlight, recording music for film, television, and producing. His name resurfaced in 1987 when Salif Keita's LP Soro became one of the first cornerstones of worldbeat. He also contributed to the African singer's follow-up, Ko-Yan. From 1989 onward he played an important part in the career of jazz-pop singer Enzo Enzo, but once again remained out of the spotlight, except for a short escapade with the jazz-rock band Zao in the early '90s. ~ François Couture, Rovi