Biography
Daniel
Goyone
A composer’s world beyond conventional musical categories.
The journey
Compose.
Explore.
Pass it on.
Since 1982Since the release of his first album in 1982, Daniel Goyone has developed a composer’s world that stands apart from conventional musical categories.
A pianist with roots in jazz, he was later influenced by his experience of Latin American music, particularly Cuban and Brazilian traditions, as well as Indian music through a long collaboration with percussionist Trilok Gurtu.
At the same time, Daniel Goyone became one of the pioneers in extending jazz pedagogy, through books and masterclasses, into the fields of rhythm, the in-depth use of modes and composition.
His music, sometimes carrying echoes of French classical music, reveals writing that is both carefully crafted and refined. It combines a strong melodic sense with an exploration of modes and rhythmic cycles. Improvisation is present not as an end in itself, but as a way of serving the compositions.
The singularity of this approach explains why his music has travelled through such varied worlds: performed by singers such as Claude Nougaro and David Linx, jazz ensembles such as the Orchestre National de Jazz, and chamber ensembles such as the Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux; it has also frequently been used for radio and television themes, film, circus and theatre.
Perspectives on his music
About the albums
“There is a delicious paradox in Daniel Goyone’s art: one finds oneself wanting to hum his melodies despite their genuine complexity.”
Jazz Hot
“He is a musician who fascinates me… There is a spirituality that has always appealed to me. A Guerlain scent of an angel, floating in the air.”
Claude Nougaro
“Dreamlike and nostalgic music, reaching towards a kind of reconciliation: jazz and French classical music, intellectual intensity and romantic innocence, the popular and the elite.”
Le Figaro
“Extreme rigour in conception, combined with complete fluidity in performance.”
Piano Magazine
“With every Daniel Goyone album come surprise and wonder.”
Jazz Magazine
“Daniel Goyone, with an extraordinary sense of rarity, continues to create albums of absolute necessity.”
JazzMan
“He achieves simplicity without ever becoming simplistic; humour often waits around the corner of a musical phrase.”
La Tribune
“Constantly balancing the spirit of finesse with the spirit of geometry.”
Les Inrockuptibles
“His inner worlds exist with an intensity that few forms of music can achieve.”
Le Monde de la Musique
Writing & teaching
About the book Rythmes
“This remarkable volume is for every instrumentalist: how to practise, understand, develop and apply rhythm to any style. With Goyone’s book, there is no need to panic about rhythmic precision: it is all here. Essential for everyone.”
Keyboards
“A bible.”
Guitarist Magazine
“A brilliant introduction to the rhythms used in jazz, rock, Latin American, African and Indian music. A work rich in educational possibilities.”
L’Éducation musicale
“One comes away from this book full of music, with a sharper awareness of the path ahead and the feeling of having ventured further into one of the secret driving forces at the heart of rhythm. A fascinating book.”
Jazzman
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