Fabien Mary

French trumpeter and arranger Fabien Mary develops a musical language rooted in bebop, hard bop and cool jazz, with a playing style that favors clear phrasing, melodic continuity and a measured tone. His career has been built both in small groups and in several major French jazz ensembles, notably Nicolas Folmer and Pierre Bertrand’s Paris Jazz Big Band, Michel Pastre’s big band, and the Vintage Orchestra, which he co-founded. This back-and-forth between tight formats and orchestral writing feeds a music in which improvisation remains linked to genuine arranging work. Over the course of his career Fabien Mary has also performed with musicians such as Benny Golson, Johnny Griffin, Harold Mabern, Archie Shepp, Diana Krall and Michel Legrand. His approach belongs to the continuity of modern acoustic jazz, avoiding showy effects and paying particular attention to the line, ensemble balance and the interplay between bop tradition and contemporary writing.