Erik Truffaz

Swiss-born trumpeter/composer Erik Truffaz pioneered a nu-jazz meld of post-bop, modal, fusion, electronica, hip-hop, rock, pop, and global folk traditions. 1999’s Bending New Corners showcased the deep influence of Miles Davis’ second quintet and electric recordings and 2001’s Revisité and Mantis threaded in drum’n’bass, grime, acid house and hip-hop rhythms through post-bop. 2003’s Walk of the Giant Turtle wove rockist funky fusion into mutant dancefloor jams, and 2007’s Arkhangelsk reflected the influence of Jon Hassell’s Fourth World music and pop with guest Ed Harcourt. 2010’s In Between featured singer Sophie Hunger on several cuts. 2012’s El Tiempo de La Revolución mixed electric jazz, ’80s soul, and Nordic cool while 2016’s Doni Doni was recorded in collaboration with Malian singer Rokia Traore, and 2019’s Lune Rouge considered astronomy through murky 21st century jazz. 2023’s Rollin’ offered Truffaz’s interpretations of 20th century movie themes.

Truffaz was born in Switzerland and raised in France. His father played saxophone in a dance band and exposed him to music early. He started playing trumpet in grade school. At ten, he began performing with his father’s band and was soon performing with other bands in the region until he was 16 and heard Miles Davis’ seminal Kind of Blue. The great jazz trumpeter’s music inspired him to learn more and he set off to study music theory, composition, and history at the Conservatoire. His performance repertoire expanded to include works by Mozart and Verdi, and he performed as a member of L’Orchestre de Suisse.

In 1996, Truffaz signed with the French EMI label. Truffaz’s second album on Blue Note, The Dawn, produced together with Patrick Muller, Marcello Giuliani and Mark Erbetta. Since then they have produced many Blue Note albums together such as Bending New Corners, which became a Silver Album in France. The 2007 release Arkhangelsk is a mixture of pop songs, French chanson, and jazz-groove. In 2007 he and Ed Harcourt appeared in a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon.