Stéphane Belmondo

Born in 1967 in Hyères (Var), Stéphane Belmondo is considered one of the finest trumpeters of his generation. Alone or with his brother Lionel Belmondo on saxophone, he has played with some of the biggest names in jazz and pop (Chet Baker, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Yusef Lateef, Milton Nascimento...), and released albums as part of a quintet. In 2003, he paid a heartfelt tribute to Stevie Wonder on his solo album Wonderland, then invited Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento to join him on a six-handed album with his brother in 2008. Three years later, The Same As It Never Was Before established the style of this inveterate blower who, in 2013, featured the late Donny Hathaway on Ever After, on which Gregory Porter and Sandra Nkaké sing. After a detour concocted with family, materialized by the album Mediterranean Sounds (2013), comes a recording dedicated to Chet Baker, Love for Chet (2015). The following year, he reunited with pianist Jacky Terrasson for the duo album Mother. Stéphane Belmondo has won three Victoires du jazz awards, in 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as the Django Reinhardt Prize for the album For All Friends (1994).