Jean-Pierre Marielle liked to say that he was a straggler: "a guy who walks around, who hangs out, who looks like that... that's what I like most in life: hanging out. »
And it was by dragging his gaiters that he liked to discover jazz in clubs rather than in concert. That of Saint-Germain to listen to Art Blakey or the clubs of Vieux Colombier, Blue Note, Mars Club.
"That's what I like about jazz, chance, sometimes a little rough music, but when 'it happens', it's really good. »
He could lock himself up at home for several days to listen to Billie Holiday, Ornette Coleman or Art Pepper.
A great lover and admirer of musicians, he said “we are smokers on the side”. Their improvisations amazed him.
Jean-Pierre Marielle meets another jazz fan in a club, Alain Corneau. The director wants to offer him the role of Monsieur de Sainte Colombe, the old viol master in ‘Tous les matins du monde’ (All the mornings of the world). Jean-Pierre Marielle hesitates and Alain Corneau says to him “Imagine that you play Lester Young”.
That's what convinced him to play the role.
To listen to a few tracks, I offer you an imaginary and almost perfect playlist of this actor with such a recognizable timbre and rhythm...
