Over a career spanning seven decades, jazz pianist René Urtreger (born in Paris on July 6, 1934) rubbed shoulders with and performed alongside some of the biggest names in jazz, including Kenny Clarke, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Lester Young, and Dizzy Gillespie. A follower of Bud Powell, he caused a sensation with the HUM trio, founded in 1960 with Daniel Humair and Pierre Michelot, then accompanied French pop singers, notably Claude François, before returning to jazz with the album Récidive (1978). Subsequently, between reunions of his trio (in 1979 and 1999), René Urtreger continued to tour and record with musicians of the new generations. Winner of a Victoire du Jazz award (2000) and a Victoire de la Musique award for his lifetime achievement (2005), the pianist and composer was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 2010. In the 2000s, he recorded the albums Onirica (2001) and Tentatives (2006) as bandleader. He also collaborated with Jean-Pierre Cassel, as well as the singers Isabelle Georges (Something to Live For) and Agnès Desarthe (Premier Rendez-Vous), with whom he co-authored his autobiography, published in 2016, Le Roi René. René Urtreger died in Mortagne-au-Perche (Orne) on July 16, 2026, at the age of 92.
