Born a february 29th in Montpellier-France
Grew up in cinema-halls where his father was projectionist and his mother was cinema-usherette. First musical shock at 11 years by discovering the Beatles, then other british rock groups of the 60'…
Self taught guitarist, live beginnings in rythmn' blues, rock and dance groups (1968 / 74).
Discovers jazz and improvisation at the same period with Jean-Luc Parodi, JP Florens, Joseph Dejean & Jean Pierre Mas.
- 1975 moves to Paris : jazz concerts with Aldo Romano, Bernard Lubat...
- 75 to 78 Tours in Canada and all Europ with pop singer Michel Fugain and the Big Bazar...
Many studio sessions in the 70's in Paris and Montpellier
- 81 / 82 Los Angeles : one year studies with Joe Diorio, Pat Martino, Robben Ford, John Abercrombie ...
Back from L.A , he decides to follow his own way, between jazz and mediterranean musics. He meets italian "genius" Antonello Salis in the Alain Joule Jam Experimental Orchestra with Danilo Terenzi, JF Canape... It's the beginning of a long friendship and collaboration.
He composes the "Repérages" project for this ensemble.
- 84 Nice jazz festival with Gilles Perrin, Michel Benita & Peter Gritz.
- 85 1st album "Calypso" (Owl records) with Aldo Romano, Doudou Gouirand, Antonello Salis and Michel Benita.
- Concerts with Archie Shepp bands feat: Siegfried Kessler, Michel Marre, Doudou Gouirand, Andy Mc Kee, Sangoma Everett, Joe Lee Wilson...
- 86, album "Cinecittà " and many concerts in duo with Antonello Salis accross Italy and all Europ, Cabo verde ...
- 87 Plays with Don Cherry and Doudou Gouirand at Angouleme jazz Festival . Records with them the "Forgotten tales" album.
- 88 Paris jazz festival with Neneh Cherry / D. Gouirand project.
- From 89, Tours with Enrico Rava (one of his major influences ...)
- 89 / 91 Joins the National Jazz Orchestra (ONJ) directed by Claude Barthelemy. Tours in Europ, Irak, East Europ and Japan . 2 albums with ONJ for Label bleu
- 87 to 99 Tours in all Europ, Algeria, Burkina-Faso, Cabo-Verde, Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Equatorial-Guinea, Russia...
- Plays in the Gerard Marais "Guitar passion" project with Philippe Deschepper & Raymond Boni
- "Beatles stories" album : CD and concerts in Europ, mainly in Italy, in duo with Antonello Salis ...
- "Voices" album with Enrico Rava in 5tet (Salis/Benita/Romano)
- Projects for Pezenas Blues d'Automne Festival:
"Chaplin musics" (Jazz and cinema) with Enrico Rava, Michel Godard, Antonello Salis, Michel Benita & Aldo Romano.
" Secret negociations" (between a rock group and a jazz group) with General Alcazar and Gerard Pansanel Band (Antonello Salis, Bobby Rangell, JF Canape, Michel Godard, Joel Allouche).
- 94 "The cross channel band" with Kevin Davy, Doudou Gouirand, Sylvan Richardson, Mike wilson, Michel Marre ...) Concerts in England and France.
- 94 "Nino Rota / Fellini" project by Gouirand and Pansanel in 8tet. More than 150 concerts and festivals in France, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, Spain, Italy ... (guests: Lester Bowie, Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Roberto Gatto, Aldo Romano, Gianluca Petrella, Paolino della Porta, Hélène Labarrière ...)
- CD "Nino Rota / Fellini" in 95 (with Doudou Gouirand, Antonello Salis, Michel Godard, Michel Marre, Yves Robert, Jean-Jacques Avenel & Joel Allouche)
- 95 Nimes Festival: Gerard Pansanel invits Dino Saluzzi & Enrico Rava, in 5tet with Michel Benita and Joël Allouche
- 97 "Navigators" album and concerts : (with Paolo Fresu, Furio di Castri, Antonello Salis, Joel Allouche..)
Cinema : studio sessions for soundtracks (Mocky, Jodorovsky ...)
- Oct 97 Composer and musician in Eric Rohmer 's movie "Conte d'Automne"(Autumn tale) (Best script price - Venice Mostra 98) .
- 99 "Montpellier Guitar Internationales Festival": Gerard Pansanel / John Stowell duo and Pansanel / Enrico Rava 4tet with Aldo Romano & Michel Benita.
- 99/2001 Forms the "Orchestra Frizzante" with Claude Barthelemy, Patrick Vaillant, Nedim Nalbantoglu, Regis Huby, Frederic Monino, Fethi Tabet, Joel Allouche...
(CD , concerts & Festivals Radio-France-Montpellier, Assier, Marseille, Fort de France / Martinique, Paris ...)
- 2002 Junas jazz Festival : Pansanel "Transalpino Project" with Claudio Pontiggia, Heiri Kaenzig, Antonello Salis & Patrice Heral.
- Roma jazz Festival in duo with Antonello Salis.
- 2002 "Montpellier Guitar Internationales Festival": Gerard Pansanel invits Henri Texier, Paolo Fresu, Claude Barthelemy, Antonello Salis, Frederic Monino, Serge Lazarevitch, J. Allouche ...
- " Toreros de Salon "( texts of Camilo-Jose Cela - Nobel price of Literature 1989) Acting and Music with Herve Peziere & Charles Calamel.
- Participation to Michel Marre projects Cossi Anatz, Sardana jazz, Indian gavachs ... (tours with him in Africa, Algeria, Haïti with Simon Goubert, Clifford Jarvis & many others great players) ...
and Jean-Marc Padovani projects (Sud, Diverses blessures, Mingus, Le rodeur) Out (Eric Dolphy's music with Frank Tortiller, Sebastien Texier, Jacques Mahieux, Olivier Sens, Michel Marre) CD and concerts...
-2004 "Montpellier Guitar Internationales Festival": Gerard Pansanel invits belgium guitarist Philip Catherine with Furio di Castri, Michel Marre and Patrice Heral.
- 2005 - 2008 : Invited by Continuum association to play with Herwig Gradisnik trio, Simon Sprang Hansen trio and Claude Barthelemy 4tet .
Teaching : Los Angeles GIT graduate in 82 and French Jazz State diploma in 2002 (D.E Jazz). Guitar clinics in festivals, music schools, master classes, conservatories of music...
For 15 years, one week July summer session in Vauvert (Gard - France) . Clinics and concerts ...
- Nov 97 : Teaches to 10 african guitar players (Equatorial-Guinea, Cameroun) at French Culture Institute of Malabo (Equatorial-Guinea)
- 1980 to 2008 Albums (arranging, playing & production) and many tours in Europ with singer/poet/writer/story-teller, icon of Occitania Claude Marti.
- For a few years, plays (mainly in duo or in trio with Giacomo Bertuglia) with sicilian singer Gianfranco Buffa (albums and concerts)
2006. "Electrizzante" with Antonello Salis, Patrice Heral, Lionel Suarez et Andre Minvielle. (CD and concerts)
2006 "Montpellier Guitar Internationales Festival": G.Pansanel invits John Abercrombie, Aldo Romano, Enrico Rava & Henri Texier.
2007. Junas jazz festival: trio with Arild Andersen & Patrice Heral
- Millau in Jazz : Electrizzante trio with Lionel Suarez & Patrice Heral
- Jazz workshops director for "Montpellier Guitar Internationales Festival"
- Scenarist for a 52' film around Marti for french TV FR3 : "Et pourtant elle tourne"
2007 Junas jazz festival in trio with Arild Andersen & Patrice Heral
2008
- Producer and composer for Marti's new album "Tolosa"
- Concerts with Antonello Salis, Electrizzante, Pansanel/Andersen/Heral trio, Toreros de salon...
and also with Gianfranco Buffa, Marti ...
+ concerts as sideman ...
2009 projects :
- Pascal Comelade / Gerard Pansanel duo (new album and concerts)
- Claude Marti sings Brassens and Trenet in occitan (new album and concerts) guitars, arranging & production
- New jazz album and concerts in trio with Arild Ansersen & Patrice Heral
9 albums as a leader 1984 - 2008 (labels: owl records - bleu citron - splash records - 52e rue est - deux Z - nord sud) - 9th album in 2008
1975 / 2008 plays with Antonello Salis, Lester Bowie, Enrico Rava, Don Cherry, Paolo Fresu, John Abercrombie, Aldo Romano, Dino Saluzzi, Arild Andersen, Archie Shepp, ONJ Claude Barthelemy, Philip Catherine, Michel Portal, Billy Hart, Ron Mc Clure, Furio di Castri, Henri Texier, Patrice Heral, Lindley Marthe, Roberto Gatto, Gianluca Petrella, Bernard Lubat, Doudou Gouirand, Michel Marre, Joël Allouche, Frank Tortiller, Jean Marc Padovani, Riccardo del Fra, Sangoma Everett and many others great jazz musicians...
and also with :
Emilie Simon, Antonio Rivas, Soriba Kouyate, Phil Manzanera, Steve Hillage, Pascal Comelade, Michel Fugain & the Big Bazar, Gianfranco Buffa, Guy & Zab Skornik, Francois Beranger, Claude Marti, Nabil Khalidi, Kudsi Erguner, Luther Allison, Neneh Cherry ....
website : http://gerard.pansanel.free.fr/
