Laurent Salzard
is touring Europe since 3 years with the great brazilian singer Ed Motta (New Morning All-Stars festival, Jazz in Marciac, Nice Jazz Festival, ELB Jazz Festival, Pori Jazz Festival, Bremen Jazzahead, Vienna Jazzfest...). He has performed or recorded with legendary nigerian drummer Tony Allen (on Flavia Coelho's album "Mundo Meu"), Emmanuel Bex (in "Fleurs Invincibles" a project led by Tristan Macé and Clotilde Rullaud), Women Groove Project (senegalese project initiated by Hervé Samb), Noumoucounda Cissoko, Nourou, Kankele, Claude Diallo, Benjamin Henocq, Laurent Robin, Lulu Gainsbourg, Pep’s, Soe Joe, Licia Chery, Maureen Angot, Caroline Bugala, Diego Lipnisky, Yann Clery... -

Laurent was raised in La Rochelle, on the french atlantic cost, rocked by the sound of waves and classical music played by his father, a gifted amateur pianist and a true music lover. He tries for a time, and without big passion, to play the saxophone, but it is quite later that he is "contaminated" by the virus of music, first when he attends a concert by cameroon saxophonist Manu Dibango, being then seducted by the bass guitar, this discret but essential instrument. Then later again, as a wake-up call, when a friend makes him discover the Who, Cream, the Doors, and all the music from the 70's. He starts to study music and bass self-taught. Like many before him, it is a Miles Davis recording that leads him to Jazz. Then came the discovery of "black american music" from Marvin Gaye to Meshell Ndegeocello and through Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire or D'Angelo. Laurent décides to move to Paris to study at the jazz school "CIM". After one year of intense learning, he wants to put it into practice and starts playing with different people and small bands. A little later, he feels he needs to go back to school for some more studying, goes to Evry Conservatory where he graduates a state diploma with teachers Guillaume Roy and Thierry de Michaux. Encouraged by that teacher, he applies and ains a scholarship for Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he stays for one year, studying with teachers like Matt Garrison, Bruce Gertz, David "Fuze" Fiuczynski, Aruan Ortiz, Eguie Castrillo... Back in Paris, he continues to be a curious sideman, accompanying artits in all kind of styles, from Jazz to Soul, african music, Rock, Pop, latin music... Feeling fortunate to travel the world through music, discovering Europe, America, Asia... Being happy to invest himself into others' musical universe, he still continues to write music on his side to develop his own musical universe, searching for his own identity. In 2017 it is time for Laurent to give life to his compositions and to start his own band, which explores all his influences: Jazz, Groove, Afro, Electro, Rock, inspired by some artists who mix Jazz with all kinds of other styles like Robert Glasper, Tigran Hamasyan, Lionel Loueke, Thundercat, Badbadnotgood, Donny McCaslin, Jamire Williams... He records that same year his first album "Time Keeper" with a cast of young and great french musicians: Anthony Jambon (guitar), Martin Wangermée (drums), Fred Dupont (piano & keyboards) and Christophe Panzani (saxophone). "Time Keeper" will be released in January 2018 for Dreamophone label.