Michel Leeb

Born in Germany in 1947 and settled in France during his childhood, Michel Leeb developed from the 1970s onward a career at the crossroads of comedy, theater and song. His public profile was first established through one-man shows and impersonations, before he carved out a clearer place in a musical register associated with music-hall, whimsical song and above all vocal jazz. Michel Leeb recorded several albums in the 1970s and 1980s, including Les Calendriers (1978), Mes chicots rock (1980), Safari Nana (1982), Erreur sur la personne (1983), I Want You (1985), Le Tombeur (1986) and Les 6 Numéros (1987). His jazz side is particularly evident with Bon Basie de Paris (2002), recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra, and later Repères (2014). On stage, Michel Leeb performed in major Paris venues such as the Olympia, the Casino de Paris and the Théâtre Marigny as well as on tours throughout France, in formats combining sketches, sung performances and orchestral passages. He has also performed with the Big Band Brass conducted by Dominique Rieux, extending a repertoire of standards and swing within a big band aesthetic.