GUILHEM FLOUZAT
DRUMMER - COMPOSER - SONGWRITER
BIO

Drummer, composer and songwriter Guilhem Flouzat has more than one trick up his sleeve. He produced an album of standards with pianist Sullivan Fortner another one of songs for which he wrote music and lyrics, sung by Isabel Sorling. His drumming, honed with teachers like Eric Harland, Dan Weiss, Mark Guiliana and John Riley, always serves his compositional approach.
He perfected his beat and shaped his musical identity during the 7 years he spent in New York, where he collaborated with the likes of Lionel Loueke, Becca Stevens, Steve Wilson, Dave Liebman, Linda Oh and Gilad Hekselman. The grandson of pianist and organist Henriette Puig-Roget, he grew up under the spell of Ravel and Poulenc. Literary studies gave him the taste for seizing experience with words. These are the sources of a musical universe both narrative and profound.
For ten years now, he has been following his own compass on the european and American scene, being a sideman for Youn Sun Nah, Camila Meza and Seamus Blake among others. His debut album, “One Way…Or Another”, hailed as “the best thing to happen to French Jazz in a long time” by journalist Vincent Bessières, saw him play duo with Tigran Hamasyan. He joined the Sunnyside label for his sophomore effort “Portraits”, a series of musical depictions of the eight musicians on the album, amongst whom Becca Stevens and Ben Wendel. “A Thing Called Joe”, a trio offering delving into tin pan alley repertoire was praised as a “classic” by French and American reviews, and followed by several tours with Sullivan Fortner. The same year the collaborative effort “Constant Stranger” was released on Fresh Sound/New Talent featuring Richard Sears on piano and Martin Nevin on bass, reminiscent of Ellington and Scriabine.
His first full album as a songwriter featuring Isabel Sorling, “Turn The Sun To Green” will be released on Shed Music on 02.21.2021, a series of tunes imagined late at night on his neighbor’s piano in Washington Heights, just before returning to Paris.
Drummer, composer and songwriter Guilhem Flouzat has more than one trick up his sleeve. He produced an album of standards with pianist Sullivan Fortner another one of songs for which he wrote music and lyrics, sung by Isabel Sorling. His drumming, honed with teachers like Eric Harland, Dan Weiss, Mark Guiliana and John Riley, always serves his compositional approach.
He perfected his beat and shaped his musical identity during the 7 years he spent in New York, where he collaborated with the likes of Lionel Loueke, Becca Stevens, Steve Wilson, Dave Liebman, Linda Oh and Gilad Hekselman. The grandson of pianist and organist Henriette Puig-Roget, he grew up under the spell of Ravel and Poulenc. Literary studies gave him the taste for seizing experience with words. These are the sources of a musical universe both narrative and profound.
For ten years now, he has been following his own compass on the european and American scene, being a sideman for Youn Sun Nah, Camila Meza and Seamus Blake among others. His debut album, “One Way…Or Another”, hailed as “the best thing to happen to French Jazz in a long time” by journalist Vincent Bessières, saw him play duo with Tigran Hamasyan. He joined the Sunnyside label for his sophomore effort “Portraits”, a series of musical depictions of the eight musicians on the album, amongst whom Becca Stevens and Ben Wendel. “A Thing Called Joe”, a trio offering delving into tin pan alley repertoire was praised as a “classic” by French and American reviews, and followed by several tours with Sullivan Fortner. The same year the collaborative effort “Constant Stranger” was released on Fresh Sound/New Talent featuring Richard Sears on piano and Martin Nevin on bass, reminiscent of Ellington and Scriabine.
His first full album as a songwriter featuring Isabel Sorling, “Turn The Sun To Green” will be released on Shed Music on 02.21.2021, a series of tunes imagined late at night on his neighbor’s piano in Washington Heights, just before returning to Paris.

PROJECTS
Projects
TURN THE SUN TO GREEN
A songwriting project conceived in New York, perfected in Paris on adulthood, dreams and creation, sung by Isabel Sorling.
CONSTANT STRANGER
Constant Stranger is a trio of composers, open and equalitarian in writing and improvisation. Recorded on two balmy days in Echo Park, Los Angeles, an arresting daydream steeped in ancestral grooves ft Dayna Stephens and Sam Gendel
A THING CALLED JOE
“With its classic feel, the astute selection of tunes, the adept sequencing, and the superb playing all around, A Thing Called Joe is one of those feelgood jazz discs that stays in the stack next to the stereo, always somewhere near the top.” Dan Mc Clelaghan, All About Jazz (New York)
PORTRAITS
A gallery of musical portraits inspired by his sidemen and women, Borrowing from their musical universe and their personalities. Featuring Ben Wendel and Becca Stevens.
Collaborations
AJOYO
Guilhem participe à l’élaboration du premier disque de ce groupe mêlangeant et grooves d’Afrique de l’Ouest, comme le Makossa ou le Bikutsi.
Camila Meza
Une songwriteuse unique entre le Chili et les Etats-Unis, qui participe plusieurs fois au projet de Guilhem (voir bootlegs) et fait plusieurs fois appel à lui pour ses tournées.
Bootlegs
A handpick of my favorite Bootlegs from tours featuring Sullivan Fortner, Ben Wendel, Chris Cheek, Camila Meza, Becca Stevens, Joe Sanders and others…
PRESS
“Mr. Flouzat is an agile young drummer originally from Paris, and now part of peer group in New York, which informed his smart recent album, “Portraits.”
-Nate Chinen, New York Times
“The best thing to happen to French Jazz in a long time”
-Vincent Bessières, curator of the exhibition “We Want Miles”
“Guilhem Flouzat’s compositions and drumming are adventurous and mature. His unique amalgamation of tradition and current trends is very refined and a joy to listen to.”
-John Riley, drummer and educator
“Guilhem Flouzat is one of the most exciting young drummers I’ve heard in a while. On top of having a fine understanding of the art of jazz drumming, with a particularly strong feel for form, he his an accomplished composer with an original and fresh conception of development within a piece. I look forward to hearing much more music from Guilhem.”
-Dan Tepfer, pianist and composer
“Guilhem is one of the most talented young drummers i have met. He has a sincere dedication to his craft and he possesses an immense focus. He has a very bright future ahead of him and he is capable of many things.”
-Dan Weiss, drummer and composer
On Flouzat’s third record, “A Thing Called Joe” (Sunnyside Records)
With its classic feel, the astute selection of tunes, the adept sequencing, and the superb playing all around, A Thing Called Joe is one of those feelgood jazz discs that stays in the stack next to the stereo, always somewhere near the top.
Dan Mc Clelaghan, All About Jazz
Everybody plays standards, but to make them your own with grace, elegance and taste isn’t for everyone. Guilhem Flouzat aces it.
Jean-Charles Doukhan, TSF Radio
A Thing Called Joe is one of those albums that you can listen to from beginning to end. Thereʼs not a bad track in the mix.
Tom Schnabel, KCRW (Jazz favorites of 2017)
An ongoing love story with the American Songbook. The delight is in the details.
JohnEphland, Downbeat
Soon as you delve into this beautiful collection of standards, the refinment and subtlety come to light. A simple and very beautiful jazz record.
David Koperhant, INDISPENSABLE JazzNews
You can’t miss this.
Michel Contat, Telerama
An informal standards sessions with a timeless charm, celebrating the great tradition of the trio with subtlety and intelligence.
Pascal Rozat, CHOC Jazz Magazine
Guilhem Flouzat, 32, is a different drummer. His third album as a leader is a radical move. He plays songs you know. He leads this piano trio from behind. He has a subtle touch but always imprints himself on the music, sometimes subliminally.
Thomas Conrad, JazzTimes
“An absolute gem.”
Michel Denis, Qobuz
On Flouzat’s second record, “Portraits” (Sunnyside Records)
“Even at its most creatively untamed, this album exudes the sense of, here, these are the perfect words spoken at the perfect time and we used only as many as we absolutely needed and not one word more. Just go buy this thing; no way you’re gonna be disappointed.”
-Dave Sumner, Bird Is The Worm blog
“Guilhem Flouzat, a Parisian now based in New York, is a drummer who operates within an ensemble like a sophisticated composer, because he is one. His songs are clean, stark, asymmetrical forms, activated by his diverse, intelligent drum energy.”
-Thomas Conrad, Jazztimes
“Flouzat makes a distinct if airily abstract impression with Portraits, his second album and Sunnyside debut. Besides writing all the music plus lyrics for two tracks, Flouzat produced the program to showcase eight collaborative friends.”
-Howard Mandel, DownBeat
“Portraits is the most agreeable of musical conversations, luring the listener to pay attention to every theme, every solo, every emotion, every arranging idea. A most sensuous recording”
-Noadya Arnoux, Jazz Magazine (France)
“Drummer Flouzat creates the kind of sophisticated jazz that can’t be defined easily, combining influences as vast as chamber music and funk into a smart and cohesive modern vision. This is a fine example of where jazz should be going”
-Kyle O’Brien, JazzScene
“What makes Portraits such a gem of an album is that drummer Guilhem Flouzat and his excellent band take an approach both elemental and exploratory, resulting in what could be described as cerebral groove. Flouzat’s composing has an open- spaced framework providing ample room for solo and group expression.”
-Terell Holmes, New York City Jazz Record
Discography
Leader
Co-leader
Drummer
«Dreaam / Escaape / Mind Traavel» – Dalvaard – Shed Music – 2020
«Process» – Roberto Nieva – Fresh Sound New Talent – 2019
«Animi» – Shauli Einav Quintet – Berthold Records – 2019
«Five Hours» – Age – Lundgren Music – 2018
«Ajoyo» – Ajoyo – RopeADope – 2015
«Visions» – Kavita Shah – Inner Circle – 2014
«Things» – Basak Yavuz – Z Music – 2014
«Simple Beauty» – Adam Larson – Autoproduit 2013
«Remnants» – Steve Newcombe Orchestra – Listen Hear Collective – 2013
«Blue Shadows» – Nerissa Campbell – Autoproduit – 2013
«Travelers» – Matteo Bortone – Zone di Musica – 2013
«Parallel Worlds» – Tony Tixier – Unsigned – 2010
«Symbols» – Nicola Sergio Trio – Challenge Records – 2010
«Pulsar» – Nicola Andrioli Paris Quartet – Dodicilune – 2009
SOCIAL MEDIA
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