Henri Texier (; born 27 January 1945) is a French

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

double bassist. At the age of sixteen, fascinated by the double bass, Texier became a self-taught bassist, crediting

Wilbur Ware Wilbur Bernard Ware (September 8, 1923 – September 9, 1979) was an American jazz double bassist.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 674. Oxford University Press He was a regular bassist for ...

most as an influence. He formed his first group with Georges Locatelli, Alain Tabar-Nouval,

Jean-Max Albert Jean-Max Albert (born 1942) is a French painter, sculptor, writer, and musician. He has published theory, books on artists, and a collection of poems, plays and novels inspired by quantum physics. He perpetuated experiments initiated by Paul Klee ...

, and Klaus Hagel, inspired by the music of Don Cherry and

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, and composer. He is best known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Ja ...

. In spite of an almost absence of recorded documents this group represents one of the first expressions of

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

in France (1965). From 1968 to 1972, Texier was a member of

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began t ...

and his European Rhythm Machine, along with

George Gruntz George Gruntz (24 June 1932 – 10 January 2013) was a Swiss jazz pianist, organist, harpsichordist, keyboardist, and composer known for the George Gruntz Concert Big Band and his work with Phil Woods, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Don Cherry, Chet Baker ...

, Gordon Beck and

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. Throughout the 1970s, Texier remained active in Europe on the jazz scene, performing with musicians such as John Abercrombie and Didier Lockwood, among others. In 1982, he formed a quartet with Louis Sclavis. With the trio Romano-Sclavis-Texier, he collaborated in three albums having for theme Africa as seen by the photographer Guy Le Querrec: ''Carnet de routes'', ''Suite africaine'' and ''African Flashback''.Musique Française

Discography

As leader

* ''Total Issue'' with Total Issue (United Artists, 1971) * ''Amir'' (Eurodisc, 1976) * ''Humair Jeanneau Texier'' (Owl, 1979) * ''Varech'' (JMS, 1979) * ''A Cordes et a Cris'' (JMS, 1979) * ''Akagera'' with

, Francois Jeanneau (JMS, 1980) * ''La Companera'' (Caratini, 1983) * ''Paris-Batignolles'' with Joe Lovano (Label Bleu, 1986) * ''Eric Barret/Aldo Romano/Henri Texier'' (Carlyne, 1988) * ''Izlaz'' (Label Bleu, 1988) * ''Colonel Skopje'' (Label Bleu, 1989) * ''Up Date 3.3'' with Daniel Humair, Francois Jeanneau (Label Bleu, 1990) * ''The Scene Is Clean'' (Label Bleu, 1991) * ''An Indian's Week'' (Label Bleu, 1993) * ''Tresse'' with

Pietro Tonolo Pietro Tonolo (born 30 May 1959) is an Italian jazz saxophone player and composer. Biography He was born in Mirano, Italy. Pietro Tonolo gave up a career as a classical violinist to become a jazz sax player. Around that time, he moved to Milan, ...

, Aldo Romano (SplascH, 1993) * ''Carnet de Routes'' with Romano Sclavis (Label Bleu, 1995) * ''Respect'' (Label Bleu, 1997) * ''Le Coffret JMS'' (JMS, 1998) * ''Mosaic Man'' (Label Bleu, 1998) * ''Carnet de Routes Suite African'' with Romano Sclavis (Label Bleu, 1999) * ''Remparts D'Argile'' (Label Bleu, 2000) * ''Strings' Spirit'' (Label Bleu, 2002) * ''Mad Nomads'' (Label Bleu, 2002) * ''Holy Lola'' (Normal, 2004) * ''Vivre'' (Label Bleu, 2004) * ''African Flashback'' with Romano Sclavis (Label Bleu, 2005) * ''Alerte a L'Eau Water Alert'' (Label Bleu, 2006) * ''Love Songs Reflexions'' (Label Bleu, 2008) * ''Canto Negro'' (Label Bleu, 2011) * ''3+3'' with Romano Sclavis (Label Bleu, 2012) * ''At L'Improviste'' (Label Bleu, 2013) * ''Sky Dancers'' (Label Bleu, 2016) * ''Dakota Mab Live at Theater Gutersloh'' (Intuition, 2016) * ''Sand Woman'' (Label Bleu, 2018) * ''Chance'' (Label Bleu, 2020) * ''Heteroklite Lockdown'' (Label Bleu, 2022)

As sideman

With Aldo Romano * ''Just Jazz'' (Dreyfus, 2008) * ''Complete Communion to Don Cherry'' (Dreyfus, 2010) * ''Desireless'' (Musica Jazz 2010) * ''Liberi Sumus Live Au Triton'' (Le Triton 2014) With

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious M ...

* ''African Cookbook'' (Polydor, 1969) * ''Niles Littlebig'' (Polydor, 1969) * ''Randy Weston's African Rhythms'' (Comet, 2002) With

* ''Alive and Well in Paris'' (Pathe, 1968) * ''At the Montreux Jazz Festival'' (MGM, 1970) * ''Phil Woods and His European Rhythm Machine'' (Pierre Cardin, 1970) * ''At the Frankfurt Jazz Festival'' (Embryo, 1971) With others * Georges Arvanitas, Michel Graillier, ''Pianos Puzzle'' (Saravah, 1970) * Claude Barthelemy, ''Jaune et Encore'' (Cobalt, 1979) * Jean-Jacques Birge, ''Sarajevo Suite'' (L'Empreinte, 1994) *

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doub ...

, ''What Happens?'' (Campi, 1968) * Claudio Fasoli, ''Ten Tributes'' (RAM, 1995) * Claudio Fasoli, ''Trois Trios'' (SplascH, 1999) * Jef Gilson, ''Enfin!'' (Club de L'Echiquier, 1963) * Jef Gilson, Jean-Luc Ponty, ''OEil Vision'' (Club de L'Echiquier, 1964) * Jimmy Gourley, ''Graffitti'' (Promophone, 1977) * Michel Godard & Jean-Marc Padovani, ''Comedy'' (Big Noise, 1987) *

, ''2001 Keys Piano Conclave'' (Atlantic, 1974) * Henri Guedon, ''Afro Temple'' (Le Chant du Monde, 1984) *

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombone, jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tub ...

, ''Mellow-dy'' (LRC, 1992) *

, ''Surrounded 1964 & 87'' (Blue Flame, 1987) * Francois Jeanneau, ''Ephemere'' (Owl, 1977) * Francois Jeanneau, ''Terrains Vagues'' (Owl, 1983) * Bill Keith, ''Bill Keith & Jim Collier'' (Hexagone 1979) *

Lee Konitz Leon "Lee" Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's ass ...

& Martial Solal, ''European Episode'' (Campi, 1969) * Lee Konitz & Martial Solal, ''Impressive Rome'' (Campi, 1969) * Guy Lafitte, ''Blues'' (Vega, 1969) * Guy Lafitte, ''Blues in Summertime'' (RCA Victor, 1971) * Julien Lourau, ''The Rise'' (Label Bleu, 2001) *

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist. T ...

, ''Worlds'' (Label Bleu, 1990) * Colette Magny, ''Chansons Pour Titine'' (Le Chant du Monde, 1983) * Colette Magny, ''Feu et Rythme & Un Juif a La Mer Un Palestinien Au Napalm'' (Scalen'Dis 1992) * Patrice Meyer, ''Racines Croisees'' (Music'Al 1982) * Patrice Meyer, ''Dromadaire Viennois'' (FMR, 1986) * Jean-Marc Padovani, ''Demain Matin'' (Metro, 1983) * Henri Renaud, ''Blue Cylinder'' (PSI, 1970) * Catherine Ribeiro, ''Libertes?'' (Fontana, 1975) * Larry Schneider, ''So Easy'' (Label Bleu, 1988) * Hal Singer, ''Soul of Africa'' (Kindred Spirits, 2008) * Martial Solal, ''Locomotion'' (PSI, 1974)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Texier, Henri Cool jazz double-bassists French jazz double-bassists French male double-bassists Post-bop double-bassists Hard bop double-bassists 1945 births Living people 21st-century French double-bassists 21st-century French male musicians French male jazz musicians Label Bleu artists