| B i o g r a p h y |
Swiss jazz pianist Colin Vallon
(17 November 1980 in Lausanne) makes modern creative jazz with plenty
of atmosphere, a post-bop sense of improvisation, and a completely fresh
take on rhythmic interplay. Born in Lausanne in 1980, Vallon studied
jazz privately before enrolling in the Swiss Jazz School at age 18. By
the late '90s, he was performing regularly with his own trio in
Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe. He released his debut solo album,
Les Ombres, on Unit in 2004. His sophomore effort, Ailleurs, appeared in
2007 on Hatology. As Vallon's profile grew, he garnered several awards
including the Fridl-Wald Foundation Prize, and took third place in the
Montreux International Jazz Piano Solo Competition. In 2008 he received
the Nico Kaufmann Foundation Prize and in 2009 he won the Pro Helvetia
high-priority jazz promotion. When not performing, Vallon teaches at the
Bern University of the Arts.
Rruga
In 2011, Vallon released his fourth studio effort, Rruga, on ECM with
his long-standing trio featuring bassist Patrice Moret and drummer
Samuel Rohrer. In 2012, Rohrer left and was replaced by Julian
Sartorius. The pianist and his trio entered Oslo's Rainbow Studio in
2013 and emerged with Le Vent, released in March of 2014. The group
toured internationally, playing festivals in Europe, Canada, the United
States, Japan, and South Korea. That same year, Vallon composed the
music for choreographer Martin Zimmermann's Hallo, and took part in the
creation of the documentary film Gossenreiter.
Danse
In 2015, Vallon began a residency at Bee-Flat, Bern's premier jazz and
world music club. He presented three new musical projects there: Ocre, a
psychedelic rock quartet with Matthieu Michel on trumpet, Flo Götte on
bass, and Domi Chansorn on drums; Coriolis, a minimal improv quartet
with vocalist Joy Frempong, electronicist Strotter Inst, and clarinetist
Hans Koch; and "Fauna," a composition for cellos, harps, saxophones,
and drums, inspired by the animal world. Vallon's jazz trio entered a
Lugano recording studio in early 2016 with producer Manfred Eicher. A
few months later, the pianist was nominated for a Swiss Music Prize. The
group's sixth album, Danse, was issued by ECM in early 2017.