Born Paris, France
29 January, 1933
Now known throughout the world as a popular singer, Sacha Distel, in the late 1950s was regarded by many as France's and Europe's leading modern jazz guitarist.
Sacha Distel is the nephew of the European big band leader, the late Ray Ventura.
His father was a chemist, and his mother a singer and
pianist. As a result Distel's first musical instrument was the piano. He began
to play the guitar at the age of fourteen. Distel played in various college
groups at the Lycee Claude Bernard in Paris. He gained national prominence
by winning an amateur talent contest at
the age of eighteen. From the age of nineteen, he was constantly featured and
recording with top jazz artists including Bernard Pfeiffer, Henri Salvador,
Bobby Jaspar, Kenny Clarke and John Lewis. In 1954 and 1956, he Won "Jazz
Hot" magazine's readers' poll. In 1957 he Won that magazine's critics'
prize, and also the Internarional Jazz Club's prize. Whilst playing in Paris
at clubs like the Club St.Germain, Distel gained a lot of popular press publicity
from his association with film star Brigitte Bardot. Later, on a six month
trip to the USA, he met and befriended saxophonists Stan Getz
and Gerry Mulligan.
For over two years Sacha Distel was featured in the backing group of the famous French chanteuse Juliette Greco. It was during this time he developed his own individual singing style. In 1958 Distel made his first hit record as a vocalist and since that time has been a top line popular singer and entertainer all over the world. In 1960 he appeared in the French film, "les Mordus". In the last times, he had occasionally included his jazz guitar playing into some of his many television and radio programmes. He has also had as his guests on these programmes top jazz guitarists.
Sacha Distel died on the 24th of July 2004 of a Cancer.
(Text from the book THE JAZZ GUITAR by Maurice J. Summerfield, Edition Hal Leonard)