Claude Bolling

Claude Bolling (10 April 1930 – 29 December 2020) was a French jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and occasional actor.

Early life and education

He was born in Cannes, France, and studied at the Nice Conservatory, and then in Paris. A child prodigy, by the age of 14 he was playing jazz piano professionally, with Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, and Kenny Clarke.

Discography French Jazz (Bally, 1956) Rolling with Bolling (Omega Disk, 1957) Joue Duke Ellington (Fontana, 1960) Jazzgang Amadeus Mozart (Philips, 1965) Original Ragtime (Philips, 1967) Original Boogie Woogie (Philips, 1968) Original Piano Blues (Philips, 1969) Original Jazz Classics Piano (Philips, 1970) Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio with Jean-Pierre Rampal (Columbia Masterworks, 1975) With the Help of My Friends (Who's Who in Jazz, 1975) Concerto for Classic Guitar and Jazz Piano with Alexander Lagoya (CBS, 1976) Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano (Columbia Masterworks, 1977) Jazz Gala 79 (America, 1979) Concerto for Classic Guitar and Jazz Piano with Angel Romero (Angel, 1980) Picnic Suite (CBS, 1980) Bolling: Toot Suite with Maurice Andre (CBS, 1981) Suite for Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Piano with Jean-Pierre Rampal (CBS, 1983) The Original Bolling Blues (Mercury, 1983) Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio with Yo Yo Ma (CBS Masterworks, 1984) Jazz A La Française (CBS, 1984) Bolling [Band] plays Ellington [Music] (CBS, 1987) Bolling: Suite No. 2 for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio (CBS, 1987) Sonatas for Two Pianists (CBS, 1989) Warm Up the Band (Columbia, 1991) Cross Over U.S.A. (Milan, 1993) Enchanting Versailles: Strictly Classical (Milan, 1995) Suite for Flute and Piano Jazz Trio (Acte Préalable, 1999) Suite for Violin and Piano Jazz Trio (Acte Préalable, 1999) Suite for Cello and Piano Jazz Trio (Acte Préalable, 1999) Bolling Big Band: Gershwin In Swing (CAID, 2003) Bolling: Suite for Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Piano Trio (Mérida, 2011)