The adventure with pianist Paul Lay started in 2009 and our exchanges quickly led the Label to sign Paul’s first album, “Unveiling”, that was released in 2010. What was already perceptible at that time was Paul Lay’s culture and knowledge of the history of jazz combined with his mastery of the instrument. His compositional labour revealed that assimilation of the repertoire and all the jazz specialists were unanimous at that time in sensing that creative boiling of the time being and yet respectful of history.
From then on, Laborie Jazz has kept accompanying Paul Lay in his musical project and in the choices to be made. 2013 would be devoted to preparing his new album.
Paul Lay made a point of preparing that second production and of surrounding himself with a tailor-made formula.
Now well identified by the jazz scene, but also highly appreciated by the classical world, Paul Lay establishes himself as a pianist and a leading composer who must be reckoned with among the young European talents. “Mikado” will be the good combination between the inventiveness of the present and the learning from the past. He invites Dré Pallemaerts, an immense European drummer and one of his former teachers at the Paris CNSM, to join him. He will be the hyphen in this quartet completed by Clemens Van Der Feen and Antonin Tri Hoang. The group and the record will be again hailed by critics and Paul Lay will be awarded the Grand Prix du Disque by the Académie Charles Cros and the Django Reinhardt Grand Prix by the Académie du Jazz as the 2015 Artist of the Year.
During those years, Paul Lay increased his collaborations with other artists such as Hugh Coltman, Eric Le Lann, Pink Machine and each time revealed himself as a highly talented accompanist, appreciated by all.
2016, Paul Lay remains faithful to the Laborie Jazz label and proposes two new projects, two new trios that will be released the same year, in 2017. “Alcazar Memories” and “The Party”, two trios, two radically different concepts yet showing the beauty of his composition and how much he can handle his musicians’ sense of play. Everything is thought of and focused on a unique perspective : emotion. There again, the media and the professionals acknowledge two outstanding productions : Paul Lay is definitely one of the confirmed talents on the French scene.
The Laborie team and China-Canada Cultural Exchange Center, under the direction of Haiying Song, are pleased to collaborate by introducing Paul Lay's "The Party" album during his Chinese tour from May 9 to 28 which will include 13 concerts from Kunming to Nantong.
>>> Read all about the program and our partners.
