After three years in Boston, seven in New York and two in Paris, where he has played intensively and could record for Fresh Sound, the label that discovered young talents like Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Mark Turner, Stéphane Mercier comes back in Europe to settle down, and play...
-With his own new quartet, featuring Charles Loos, Sal La Rocca and Toon Van Dionant
-With B. Connection: “carte blanche” at the Gaume festival, Lundis d’Hortense tour,...
-With Jay-FX: computer loops live instruments with effects,...
-As a sideman,Jazz Station Big Band in Brussels, Afro Yambi Jazz, Christian Brenner Quartet in Paris...
-As a composer, arranger and producer, for the radio, television and several interprets...
-At last, as a teacher in different Belgian jazz schools...
Education
1992-1995 > Berklee College of Music. Diploma in Performance Major. Summa Cum Laude.
1990-1992 > Royal Conservatory of Music of Brussels. Jazz Section. Two year cursus.
1988-1990 > Jazz Studio of Antwerp. Jazz Music Section. Two year cursus.
1981-1988 > Belgian National Music Academy. Classical Music Section. Government Medal.
Experience in Performance
• New-York : Birdland, JVC New York jazz festival, the Knitting Factory, CBGB’s, the Jazz Standard, Izzy Bar, Jules, Kävehaz, S.O.B’s,...
• Europe : Midem 2007 (Cannes), in Paris: Petit Journal Montparnasse, clubs in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Sunset, Hot Brass, Divan du Monde, Cythéa, Maison de la Radio, Botanique, Gaume and Gouvy festivals, Lundis d’Hortense, Jazz à Liège and de Werf, Travers, Grand’place podium, RTBF, Jazz Marathon, Django à Liberchies, Marcus Mingus, Jazz Jette June, Music Village, Sounds, Théâtre 140, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Fool Moon, Jazz Station, Mons en Jazz,...
• Tours : Exile Society (rap), the B.Connection (contemporary jazz), the Interplay Collective (big band), Lundis d’Hortense and Jazzlab Series tours,...
• Opening acts : Toots Thielemans, Wayne Shorter, Courtney Pine, Lee Konitz, Johnny Griffin, Abbey Lincoln, Trilok Gurtu, the Pharcytes, Phil Abraham,...
Awards
• Midem Cannes: best jazz band Magalon-Hermans-Mercier, 2007
• “Flor de Luna” proclaimed best jazz album of the year by the first Belgian newspaper (Le Soir), 2001
• Down Beat 18th Annual Student Music Award as best instrumental jazz band 1995 (USA), 1995
• Achievement Award in recognition of high level instrumental proficiency, Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA, USA), 1994
Quotes
• Toots Thielemans (harmonicist, guitarist) “Stéphane Mercier is a musician in constant evolution, as a player and as a composer”.
• Mike Zwerin (International Herald Tribune) : “...kind of like Lee Konitz with an edge of Dolphy...good time, great sound, wonderful melodic sense and really knows how to listen”.
• Asim Memon (allaboutjazz.com) : “...an emerging innovator in contemporary jazz”.
• François Louis (worldclass instrument maker) : “Beautiful lines with emotion and inspiration, and wonderful evolution in developing tools for expression”.
• Patrick Bivort (Jazz Hot): “As always, Stéphane is voluble and lyrical, and proved more than once his technical abilities on the instrument”.
• Charles Loos (pianist, composer) “Lately, he gained even more maturity and explores a very personal sound in filiation with Coltrane”
Played and/or recorded with
Mark Turner, Seamus Blake, Chris Cheek, Randy Brecker, Antonio Sanchez, Philip Catherine, Dennis Irwin, Wynton Marsalis, Charles Loos, Guillermo Klein, Nathalie Loriers, Mango Santamaria, Bill McHenry, Aaron Goldberg, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Jeff Ballard, Adam Deitch, Matt Penman, Marlon Browden, Jérôme Sabbagh, Vincent Bourgeyx, Ingrid Jenssens, Joe Martin, Jochen Rueckert, Stéphane Galland, Darren Beckett, Erik Vermeulen, Karl Jannuska, Vijay Iyer, Jean-Louis Rassinfosse, Peter Hertmans, Richard Rousselet, Frank Amsallem, Nic Thys, Melvin Butler, John Benitez, Kris Defoort, Chander Sardjoe, Paolo Loveri, Jacques Schwartz-bart, Avishai Cohen, Dré Pallemaerts, Mederic Collignon, Michel Herr, Bruno Castellucci, Bas Cooijmans...
Teaching Experience
• Brussels Conservatory: saxophone courses as assistant, 2012-present
• JazzBxl School of Music: composition, arrangement, ensemble, woodwinds, 2009-2011
• Music Academy of Evere (Brussels): general jazz education, woodwinds, ensemble, 2004-2009
• Jazz Studio of Antwerp: in woodwinds, arrangement, ensemble, 2004-2009
Additional Discography
Mauro Gargano "Mo’Avast Band" Note Sonanti, Italy, 2011
Belgian Jazz Compilation : "Gramophone China Editor’s choice" (GCCD 0718-2),2008
Magali Souriau : "Birdland Sessions" (koc-cd-8573), 1999
Thomas Gromaire : "live at the Petit Journal", Paris
The Exile Society: "Disciples of the Underground" (LMO prod., Oakland, California)
The Interplay Collective : "Aurore" (Espace2 prod., Genève), 1996
B.Connection : "Don’t butt in line" (4am-00061-200), 1995
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