Brian Eno, Sting, Thomas Newman, Bob Dylan, Terry Riley, John Cage, Joni Mitchell, Leo Fender, Bob Moog, Vangelis, Klaus Schulze, IRCAM, Pierre Schaeffer, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Peter Gabriel, Jack Kerouac, Freud, Hubert Reeves, Chinese martial arts, Pat Metheny, Jean-Michel Jarre , Kraftwerk, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, U2, Radiohead, Robert Johnson, Sleepy John Estes, Leadbelly, Alan Lomax, Woody Guthrie, Bach, Ravel, ECM label, Windham Hill Records, Caribbean music, Celtic music, Hip-Hop sound-mangling techniques, Computer music, David Lynch, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Pierre Bensusan, Marcel Dadi, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Douglas James Burton, Air, Joe Zawinul, Sandy Bull, Daniel Lanois, and all the talented musicians i met around the globe that i had the chance to hear or play with.
How to define myself? I am an explorer of musical landscapes. Over the years, I have voyaged across many diverse territories:
- I produced Mongolian throat (“overtone”) singer Okna Tsahan Zam (World music)
- I wrote a reggae song for Rita Marley (Bob's wife)
- I composed music for videogames including Rayman (UbiSoft hit video game)
- I scored “Bo Ba Bu”, a film by Uzbek director Ali Khamraev (the film won “Best Music” award at the 2001 Shanghai Film Festival
- I have also developed and performed a live Show in which I introduce all my stringed 'toys' : guitars, banjo, pedal steel, oud, dobro, mandolin and many others. I performed this show live for two years as opening act for J.J. Goldman while he was on tour.
- l also own and operate a fully-equipped professional recording studio in the heart of Paris, "Studio 124" which I use for my own creations and to compose, arrange, record and mix projects
And much more…
Presently, I am Musical Director for electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre. Jean Michel has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide, and holds several records for spectacular outdoor live shows including largest single live audience (3,5 million in Moscow, 1997). In particular, I performed and arranged with Jean Michel in 2004 in Beijing’s ‘Forbidden City’, Gdansk shipyards (Poland 2005) and in Merzouga, (Moroccan desert) in 2006. These performances were spectacular and memorable for me !
In 2007/2008 we toured all through Europe, from Paris to Moscow, Oslo to Lisboa with the "Oxygene tour", based on a live performance of the Oxygene album, entirely performed on vintage analog gear.
In 2009/2010 we 'll perform a brand show in a World Tour called "In-Doors"playing big Arenas like Wembley in London.
In addition to composing, arranging and directing music for other artists, I have played on creative endeavors with a many musicians I respect and admire. My instruments include guitars, banjo, pedal steel , oud, dobro, mandolin and a whole bunch of vintage analog synths and other stringed instruments. Some of the hundreds of recordings on which I have appeared include:
- Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)
- Jean Michel Jarre
- Alan Simon (“Gaia” and "Excalibur" projects)
- Lulendo
- Flook
- Manu Dibango
- Midnight Oil
- Zucchero
- Billy Preston
- Anggun
- John Wetton (Asia, King Crimson)
- Jon Anderson (Yes)
- Justin Hayward (of the Moody Blues)
- Jean-Jacques Goldman
- Alain Souchon
- Johnny Hallyday
- And others (these are just a very few)
I arranged a few gold and platinum albums, like
“Il tape sur des bambous” by Philippe Lavil (Also sung by Julio Iglesias), "Kole Sere" , and the album “Scene de vie” by Patricia Kaas.
After my first Koka Media-BMG album "Unplugged Journey", a second one called "Horizons" (Vox Terrae/Naive) will be available on line and in the stores in 2009 featuring fantastic guests musicians from Ireland, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Angola, Sri Lanka, USA, France, Romania, Cape Verde...
2 Movies will also be released in 2009 with scores i composed : "Holy Money" directed by Maxime Alexandre and "The evil inside" (short movie directed by Inigo Placido).
I have had the good fortune of traveling the world to meet and play with great musicians (both famous and unknown).
So altogether, I consider myself to be a musician with a deep curiosity and an endless sense of adventure. I consider myself to be good in a lot of styles but accomplished in none... :-)
But in the end, I'm a very lucky man who knows there is still a lot of territory to explore, and that, "with a little help from my friends" and a little more luck, I just may get there!
All songs feature Claude Samard as a musician, producer or composer.
Hi Claude, Thanks for the connection and your great music. I sure like your voyage in the different musical territories sound scapes. You express it really nice and tasteful! Wishing you an inspiring sunday! Best regards, Kaj
Bonsoir Claude ! Je me permets de déposer cette affiche sur ton espace ! C'est une exposition itinérante qui débute à Istres, puis Nîmes, Aix-en-Provence et enfin Paris ! Je ne manquerais pas de te faire un petit signe à ce moment là ! J'espère que tout va bien ! Plein de couleurs dans votre vie ! Je t'embrasse Arielle
Merci Claude pour ton commentaire, c'est certain que Maxime représente très bien le festival ;)
@+ si tu es en tournée avec Jarre du côté de st romain pendant le festival, fais une pause chez nous, il y a toujours une place pour toi autour de notre table.
A cette gare de Lyon... On en fait de jolies rencontres ! Je suis très heureuse et je compte bien que nous nous revoyons tous les quatre ! Je t'embrasse ! Arielle
