Raymond Boni has been on the jazz scene since he was 21, similarly for the improvised music scene. His main instrument is the guitar. He is an outstanding musician, and has appeared in combinations ranging from solo to big band throughout Europe, in Japan, the United States, Canada, Madagascar, Taiwan and Armenia. His partners come from all sorts of different artistic backgrounds. He is also a composer and has written the music for documentary films, choreographies and stage pieces, fairy tales and readings. He has taken part in numerous first performances of new pieces. His career is mapped out on the fifty or so records he has made. Boni’s guitar, whether electric or acoustic, sends out echoes of flamenco, rumba, traditional “gypsy” music from Central Europe and the Balkans; there are bits of songs, jazz standards, little turns of phrase that we can immediately recognise as the signature of some of the great improvisers… There are also some quite unpredictable phrases that seem like calls from the future. None of this happens according to a previously established programme or from the desire to present an encyclopaedic overview, any more than it comes from the wish to appear original at any price – no, it’s because this music goes right to its own heart (we might say it “lets itself go”), to the innermost core of everything. Boni reveals his connection to a specific community by his totally personal way of expressing himself. That’s why over and beyond the notes, improvisation makes way for impressionistic sounds that we hear like so many echoes “of life itself”. Patrick Williams
Currently appears in the following groups :
• In solo, called Les chants de tendresse (“Songs of love and tenderness”)
• In duet with Joe McPhee, Claude Tchamitchian, Daunik Lazro, Gérald Zbinden, Luc Bouquet, Teppo Hauta-Aho, Hamid Drake, Emilie Lesbros, Alex Grillo, Violeta Ferrer
• In trio with Catherine Jauniaux and Alex Grillo in “Il dit”, show around Jean-Claude Izzo’s poetry
• In quartet with Daunik Lazro, Joe McPhee and Claude Tchamitchian (“Next to you”), “Les Producteurs” with B. Boni, J. Bourdellon and A. Grillo, “Mamabaray” with B. Boni, M. Sato and M. Nakano
• With OLAS (Over Land And Sea), quintet with Bastien Boni, Lionel Garcin, Hamid Drake and Michael Zerang
• With le New Lousadzak and l’Acoustic Lousadzak of C. Tchamitchian
Selective discography from the most recent years :
2008 : Family reunion, with M. Petrov, G. Berisha, B. Boni & A. Petrov (chicken madness)
2007 : Enishi, Mamabaray (ohrai records, orcd-3003)
2006 : The Listener Writer, in duet with Luc Bouquet (Improjazz, prlb 002)
2006 : Human songs, with Le New Lousadzak (emouvance, emv 1025)
2006 : Port of Saints, quartet with J. McPhee, M. Bisio & D. Duval (CJR 6)
2006 : Next to you, quartet with J. McPhee, D. Lazro & C. Tchamitchian (emv 1023)
2005 : Remembrance, quartet with J. McPhee, M. Bisio & Paul Harding (CJR 5)
2004 : Terronès, suite andalouse, Fortuna 21 octet (Blue Marge BM 1007)
2002 : Reissue of L’Oiseau, l’Arbre, le Béton, his first solo release of 1971 (Futura-Son 01 label)
2001 : Voices and Dreams, duet with Joe McPhee (émouvance, emv 1016)
2001 : Wanted Mr $ for Good, solo at home with his family (Art-Maniac 21, 001)
2001 : Chants chauds, trio with Sophie Delizée and Gérard Fabbiani (Horlieu)
2001 : The Visit, duet with Jérôme Bourdellon (Label Usine, 1004)
1999 : Two Angels for Cecil, a tribute to Cecil Taylor, duet with Eric Echampard (emv 1009)
1997 : After the Rap, by Boni’s Family with Geneviève Sorin, Bastien Boni (emv 1005)
1995 : Ké Gats, acoustic duet with Claude Tchamitchian (émouvance, emv 1002)
1994 : Le trajet ou le peuple témoin, Balanescu Quartet, comp. by R. Boni (Stupeur & Trompette, st 1002)
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