Les Notes d’un Voyageur
Franck Monbaylet Trio
“These notes were born along the way, during my travels across the five continents, on the corner of a restaurant table, on the piano of a concert hall or a hotel, inspired by the magic of places, images, scents and encounters. Over time, they became compositions. They have travelled in turn… Today, they come together in this trio, which offers a constant dialogue between writing and improvisation.”
Franck Monbaylet
The concert
An original creation for trio
With this trio, founded in 2024, Franck Monbaylet wanted to revisit some of these works in a stripped-down form. From the meeting of the three musicians, a true trio sound was born. From the power of their playing comes a shared energy in which intensity, virtuosity and lyricism come together and answer one another.
The lyricism draws on the imprint of early 20th-century classical music, which has nourished his path ever since his classical training on the violin. He shares this sensibility with Michel Altier, who also comes from a classical background. With Dawoud Bounabi, he shares the same love of virtuosic, rhythmic playing, which lets them give free rein to their common quest for freedom.
“Piedra de Marzo” · live session
Live at Espace Georges-Brun, Saint-Privat-des-Vieux · excerpt
The musicians
Three paths, one trio sound
Franck Monbaylet
Piano · composition
Pianist, composer, arranger and orchestrator, from jazz to world music, from chanson to film. Composer of the score for Sylvain Chomet’s Attila Marcel, Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros with La Nuit Obscure.
Michel Altier
Double bass
A double bassist with a playing style both sensitive and assertive, between jazz, classical and improvised music. A graduate of the Nîmes Conservatoire (médaille de vermeil) and former double bassist with the Nîmes Opera Orchestra, he has played and recorded with Christian Escoudé, John Abercrombie, François Chassagnite, Georges Arvanitas, Philip Catherine, André Villéger and Marc Fosset, and has performed in duo with Paolo Fresu.
Dawoud Bounabi
Drums · percussion
A graduate of the CNCM in Nancy, he asserts a style in which the percussive gesture becomes language. His knowledge of percussion and Oriental music (darbouka, bendir, karkabous, cajón) feeds his work around the “bernaire”, a rhythmic placement from the Gnawa tradition. He has collaborated with Jean-Marc Padovani, Michel Marre, Rainer Pusch, Muyiwa Kunnuji, the Alain Bruel Quartet, Rosebud Trio and Le Diwan de Mona.
The album · early 2027
Les Notes d’un Voyageur
Growing out of the meeting of the three musicians, this album gathers new compositions inspired by the trio’s dynamic, in constant dialogue between writing and improvisation.
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Press
“La prestation du Trio Monbaylet très applaudie”
Midi Libre · Espace Georges-Brun, Saint-Privat-des-Vieux · December 2025
Promoters
Bring the trio to your venue or festival
Booking pack and technical rider on request. Next date at the Seven Jazz Club, Chandolas, 28 November at 9 pm.
Follow the journey
Concert dates, behind the scenes and the album release; get the news first.