Complete Bolling - Chimera: David Oliver - flute, Helen Porter - keyboard Brian Shiels - double bassRobin Payne - drums As a pianist, composer, arranger and orchestra conductor, Claude Bolling is presently without a doubt one of the most reputed French musicians in the world in different fields from jazz to variety and music for films. It was after his first piano lessons that he found in music his life passion, an ideal universe where his artistic sensitivity was free to be creative. Even though Claude Bolling was born in Cannes (France) on the 10th of April 1930, he has always lived in Paris. During the German Occupation he stayed in Nice where he received precious lessons from the drummer, pianist and trumpetist Marie-Louise "Bob" Colin, who played in one of these Damen Orchester in vogue between the two wars period. Through a school friend, he discovered the magic world of jazz and at an early age became interested in Thomas "Fats" Waller, whose music never failed in attracting his attention. He was still a teenager when in 1945 he won the amateur contest organized by Jazz Hot and the Hot Club de France in Paris. ...(continued in right-hand panel)				Track List 1] Baroque and Blues [5.46] 2] Sentimentale [8.28] 3] Javanaise [5.20] 4] Fugace [4.25] 5] Irlandaise [3.09] 6] Versatile [5.52] 7] Veloce [4.10] His interest grew rapidly to other masters of the piano: Willie "The Lion" Smith, Earl "Fatha" Hines and Erroll Garner whose disciple he was. At 16 he created his first group of young talented musicians and made his first recording at 18. Professional life gave him the desire to acquire an authentic musical education. Germaine Mounier (classical piano), Léo Chauliac (jazz piano), Maurice Duruflé (harmony), André Hodeir (counterpoint, orchestration and jazz composition) were to be his masters. After the army where he was part of the military band of the "Premier Train des Equipages" playing the trombone and percussion, Claude Bolling entered the profession through the porthole of jazz by playing in all of the "à la mode" ...(see 'more info')