About Me
Manuel comes from a family of musicians. On his mother's side, his grandmother is a piano teacher, his grandfather a flautist, his mother plays cello and viola and his aunt the violin. His father, Lionel Rocheman (guitarist and actor), created the "Hootenanny" at the American Center in Paris, where performers came from around the world. As a 10 year old his brother gave him a wonderful record of Oscar Peterson playing solo (it was 'Tracks'); Manuel already had his own track-record of four years of piano. Listening to the Canadian virtuoso gave him a great feeling of freedom and made him want to go down the same road. He was entirely won over by the harmony and rhythm of the language of Jazz.Pianist Bob Vatel invited him to come and jam in Paris Jazz clubs when he was 12. Manuel had to get himself technically equipped, which he did by meeting Alberto Neuman at the C.N.R de Paris, one of the rare disciples of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli. At his side he greatly developed his piano technique. He also took music academy courses in writing and percussion. In parallel he worked with Jazz pianists Gabriel Garvanoff and Michel Sardaby. While staying in New York in 1980 he met Tommy Flanagan and Jaki Byard who urged him on. He kept in close touch with them until they passed away. That same year Bob Vatel introduced him to Martial Solal and as chance would have it Martial accepted to take Manuel on as his only pupil. By 1983 he was performing professionally in Paris with a trio, in 1984 he played two pianos with Martial Solal at the Paris Jazz Festival and from then on it was one engagement after another. The profession was very quick to acknowledge his immense talent: best French pianist at the Martial Solal Jazz Piano international competition in 1989. In 1991 he won the best disc award from the Académie du Jazz for his first CD Trio Urbain. In 1992 he won the Django d'Or for the best French disc for his second CD White Keys. Won over by his personality and his talent, Fondation BNP Paribas, one of the few sponsors on the jazz scene, accompanied his career development from 1995 to 2002. In 1998 he won the Django Reinhardt Prize of the Académie du Jazz for the musician of the year. Appearing often in trio, in solo or as a duo with Olivier Ker Ourio or Sara Lazarus, Manuel Rocheman is making his mark as one of the greatest pianists of the day. Performers from all walks seek him out, from Anthony Ortega to Sylvain Beuf, drummers Al Foster and Aldo Romano, double-bass players George Mraz and Kyle Eastwood, while the Orchestre National de Jazz commissioned a piece from him: 'San Felipe' was created for the ONJ and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Montpellier. Since 2004, Manuel is a member of the International Jazz Orchestra directed by Dusko Goykovich. Manuel has demonstrated his talent as a composer on his albums, particularly those recorded in New York with two giants, double-bass player George Mraz and drummer Al Foster, and his latest album « Cactus Dance » recorded with Scott Colley ( bass) and Antonio Sanchez (drums).Principal concertsIn France : Radio-France, Auditorium du Châtelet, Cité de la Musique (Paris and Marseille), New Morning in Paris, and most of the big Festivals : Festival de Jazz de Paris, Festival de Radio-France et de Montpellier, Festival d..Antibes Juan-les-Pins, Grande Parade du Jazz in Nice, JVC Halle that Jazz, Festival de Cannes. Manuel has toured in over 30 countries around the world. He has appeared at major Jazz Festivals like Festival Cervantino (Mexico), Punta del Este (Uruguay), Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa (Canada), he played in the U.S. with his trio in New-York, Washington, Miami, New-Orleans, Denver, Chicago and Minneapolis and has performed in most of the important European Jazz Festival.Manuel Rocheman has played with: Johnny GRIFFIN, Teddy EDWARDS, Vincent HERRING, Victor LEWIS, Terrell STAFFORD, Big-Band Lumière de Laurent CUGNY, Tentet de Didier LEVALLET, Jean-Loup LONGNON, Jean-Louis CHAUTEMPS, Denis BARBIER, Philippe MACE, Peter KING, Anthony ORTEGA, Tony COE, Hal SINGER, Jacques VIDAL Quintet, Aldo ROMANO, Riccardo DEL FRA, Hein VAN DE GEYN, André CECCARELLI, Erik TRUFFAZ, Bill MOBLEY, André VILLEGER, Misja FITZGERALD-MICHEL, Christian ESCOUDE, Michel LEGRAND, George MRAZ, Jean-Luc PONTY, Al FOSTER, Patrice CARATINI, Tony PETRUCCIANI, François CHASSAGNITE, Sylvain BEUF, Vladimir COSMA, MINGUS Big Band, Kyle EASTWOOD, Rich PERRY, Didier LOCKWOOD, Pierre BLANCHARD, Peter ERSKINE, Olivier KER OURIO, Sara LAZARUS, Dusko GOYKOVICH, MOUTIN Réunion, Eddie GOMEZ, Scott COLLEY, Antonio SANCHEZ, Eddie HENDERSON, Pierre DREVET, Laurent NAOURI, Rick MARGITZA, among othersDiscographyManuel Rocheman Trio:"Cactus Dance" 2007 Nocturne with Scott Colley and Antonio Sanchez "I..m Old Fashioned" 2000 Columbia/Sony with G.Mraz/ A.Foster/ R.Del Fra/ S.Goubert "Come shine" 1998 Columbia/Sony with George MRAZ and Al FOSTER. "Tropic City" 1996, A-Records with Christophe WALLEMME and Simon GOUBERT "White Keys"1992 Nocturne Productions with François and Louis MOUTIN "Trio Urbain" 1990 Nocturne Productions with François MOUTIN and Peter GRITZManuel Rocheman Solo :.. Live au New Morning .. DVD 2004 RDC Records .. Alone at last .. 2003 RDC RecordsAs a sideman:Dusko GOYKOVICH .. A Handful O.. Soul .. Enja Records 2005 Vladimir COSMA with Orchestre National de Lyon Pomme Music 2005 Kyle Eastwood .. Paris Blue .. 2005 Candid Records Jacques Vidal .. Sans Issue .. 2005 Nocturne Caratini Jazz Ensemble .. From the Ground .. 2004 Chant du Monde François RABBATH .. In a sentimental mood .. 2004 King Records AKIKO .. Girl Talk .. 2001 Verve Sylvain BEUF Quintet .. Soul Notes .. 2001 Naïve Jacques VIDAL "Saida" 2001 Shaï Records Jacques VIDAL "Ramblin" 1999 Shaï Records Sylvain BEUF Quintet "La danse des InterNotes" 1999 RDC Records Rhapsody in Blue ,Variations I got Rhythm for Piano and Orchestra de G.GERSHWIN with l'ensemble Opus 16 1997 K 617 Jacques VIDAL "Traverses" 1996 Quoi De Neuf Docteur Anthony ORTEGA "Neuf" 1994 Evidence Anthony ORTEGA Quartet "On Evidence" 1992 Evidence Didier LEVALLET Tentet "Générations" 1992 Evidence 13th Jazz Hoeilaart International Europ' Jazz Contest 1991 B.Sharp Records Gil Evans/Laurent Cugny Big Band Lumière "Rhythm-a-ning" 1988 Emarcy
