Jean-Baptiste Ferré was born in Paris on a 14th of October to a French mother and a Guadeloupean father. At the age of six he began playing the piano at the conservatoire, which he left as he felt it didn’t quite suit himself. He took private jazz lessons, listened again and again to the pianists he admired (Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Brad Meldheau), borrowing things here and there, spicing them up, making them his own. And then, as a teenager, he soon rubbed shoulders with the stage and performed in Parisian clubs and bars. He made a major encounter: that of a musician from Alpha Blondy with whom he went on an international tour for his show “Dieu” in 1994. At the same time, he worked with the band Raï Kum, recorded an album under the St Gorges/Sony label.
In 1996, he joined the Orchestre National de Barbès with which he toured the world, performed on prestigious stages and festivals until 2001 and co-wrote two albums: the live album (gold disc) and Poulina, both on Virgin records.
Since 2001 he has collaborated with many artists such as Sapho, Rido Bayonne and his afro jazz big band, Amina, Naab, Sofiane Saïdi, recording, co-composing and co- producing numerous albums. Between 2005 and 2013 he accompanied Marc Lavoine, Amel Bent and Boulbar on stage.
In 2013, he arranged “Sounds of Freedom”, Ilene Barnes’ opening show for the Rhino Jazz Festival at the Opera of St Etienne. He worked with Ilene for over 10 years. He produced the albums Rumix by Uma Nouba and El Mordjane by Sofiane Saidi in 2010 and has accompanied the promising soul singer Emna on tour and on her album (to be released in early 2018) since 2016.
Jean-Baptiste Ferré is an eccentric and distinguished dandy who cultivates elegance and subtlety. His sensitivity, kept rather hidden until now, is unveiled on his first album MAMBAS (to be released in September 2018 by In Ouïe distribution), where it reveals, asserts and finally accepts itself. The album was recorded at Box’Son and POA studios, mixed and mastered by Philippe Teissier Du Cros.
The word Mambas, imagined by Jean-Baptiste, inspires and invites us to join in a dance felt intuitively, in turn throbbing, percussive and emotional. As we listen, we sway and dance.
MAMBAS, (jazz /world music / hip-hop), blends the oriental talent of oud and qanûn, African polyrhythms, welcomes scat, modern Arabic oud, delivers stories of love, friendship and slices of life. The charismatic front-man Naab from Hip-Hop culture, half a shaman, a showman for sure, brings his unique flow of energy and poetry to Mambas. The modern world meets and enriches tradition. Oriental sounds are married to the vintage vibes of the rodhes, while Moroccan rhythms accentuate jazz harmonies and electro touches accompany the piano.
