Bernard Peiffer

Born in Epinal, France, on 23 October 1922, and deceased in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on 7 September 1976, Peiffer first underwent rigorous classical piano instruction before turning to jazz alongside notable peers. As a young musician he performed with Django Reinhardt, Hubert Rostaing and other European players, as well as with American visitors including Rex Stewart, Don Byas and Sidney Bechet. By the close of the 1940s he had gained substantial recognition throughout France, directing small ensembles while also appearing unaccompanied. After being encouraged to travel to the United States, he relocated there in the mid-1950s and thereafter divided his time between America and Europe. A highly skilled technician, Peiffer produced solo performances that were both lush and at times ornate; his approach remained progressive even though his earliest musical connections carried echoes of the swing period. He created much of the material he performed. In 2006 his son Stephan Jean-Bernard gathered previously unreleased home recordings and issued them as the album Formidable...!