"Dominique Pifarély modernized jazz violin, combining extraordinary technical skills with an inclusive idea of music-making. He has been soon very in-demand as a straight jazz player, but was soon in some of the more adventurous groups in Europe, too, including Mike Westbrook's band (On Dukes' Birthday, hatART) and the Vienna Art Orchestra.

In 1979, he began touring with bassist Didier Levallet and guitarist Gérard Marais as a trio. In the 1980s he began leading his own bands, as can be heard on 2 records, Insula Dulcamara (1988) et Oblique (1992).

In 1985, Pifarély started to work with reedist Louis Sclavis and in 1992, they formed the Sclavis/Pifarély Acoustic Quartet, featuring guitarist Marc Ducret and bassist Bruno Chevillon, and recorded for ECM. In the late 1990s, he started a duo work with pianist François Couturier, and they recorded a prominent album (Poros, ECM, 1997).

In the 2000's, Dominique Pifarély leads different personal projects. Impromptu is a development of the collaboration with François Couturier, adding counter tenor Dominique Visse and a work on contemporary poetry. He initiated numerous text/music experiences with french writer François Bon and actors Violaine Schwartz and Pierre Baux. The Dédales Ensemble is a acoustic nine piece band. He founded in 2007 a trio with keyboard player Julien Padovani and drummer Eric Groleau, and the Dédales Ensemble ("Time Geography", Poros éditions, 2013), played in duo with Michele Rabbia or Vincent Courtois,

In his mature style, the classical violin tradition and the swing lessons combine with a contemporary European sonic exploration ; his technical mastery and quick imagination allow him to move seamlessly between these worlds.

Dominique Pifarély created in 2014 a new quartet with Antonin Rayon on piano, Bruno Chevillon on double bass and François Merville on drums ("Tracé provisoire", ECM, 2016), and gives solo recitals. Then he is part, since 2015, of the collaborative trio Sclavis/Pifarély/Courtois ("Asian fields variations", ECM, 2017).

He regularly performs in whole Europe, and has been touring in USA, Canada, Japan, India, Middle East, Latin America or Africa."

"Antonin Rayon (* 1976) is a French jazz musician (piano, Hammond organ, Clavinet).

Rayon had piano lessons from the age of six, first with Victoria Melki in Paris, then to study at the Ecole de Jazz et de Musiques Actuelles in Lausanne and at the Conservatory in Nîmes . He worked from the early 2000s, mainly as a keyboardist and organist u. a. with Marc Ducret, Alexandra Grimal, Sylvaine Hélary (Spring Roll). In 2013, he played in the quartet with Richard Bonnet, Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey in New York City, the album Warrior (margin). As a pianist he played with Marc Ducret (Tower Bridge, 2014) and Dominique Pifarély (Tracé provisoire, ECM 2016). In the field of jazz he was involved between 2003 and 2015 in nine recording sessions, most recently with Dominique Pifarély (Trace Provisoire)."

"Bruno Chevillon (born 23 August 1959) is a French jazz double bassist who is well known in avant-garde jazz as well as in new improvised music.

Born in Valréas Vaucluse, Chevillon followed a double training since he graduated from the Beaux Arts in 1983 where he studied photography, and at the same time followed Joseph Fabre's classical double bass teaching at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional d'Avignon [fr]. He made his debut in jazz by following the class of André Jaume [fr], is a member of the Groupe de recherche et d'improvisation musicales (GRIM), then joined the Lyon collective Association à la Recherche d'un Folklore Imaginaire [fr] where he made a decisive encounter: that of Louis Sclavis. Chevillon was then associated with a large part of the clarinettist's projects.

In addition to his long collaboration with Sclavis, the double bassist plays with the main actors of avant-garde jazz and Free improvisation : Marc Ducret, Claude Barthélemy, Stéphan Oliva, François Corneloup, François Raulin, Joey Baron, Elliott Sharp, Franck Vigroux, Benjamin de la Fuente, Samuel Sighicelli, Laurent Dehors, Gerome Nox etc.

Essentially a sideman, Chevillon also flourishes as a soloist, however, notably in his performance on Pier Paolo Pasolini. Contemporary classical music is also part of his work.

In 2007, he recorded his only solo album Hors-Champ published on the label d'Autres Cordes, which mixes double bass and electronics. In 2014, he joins the [National Jazz Orchestra] as artistic advisor, alongside Olivier Benoit."

"François Merville began playing music at the age of seven. After a prize for excellence in percussion at the CNR in Paris in 1988, he was awarded a unanimous first prize in percussion at the national conservatory of music in Paris, as well as a first prize in chamber music. Quickly, he was called upon in various contexts; in 1991 he took part in a tour of the inter-contemporary ensemble, under the direction of Pierre Boulez. At the same time, he made his jazz debut with Jacky Terrasson in 1984. He was subsequently a member of the Noël Akchote quartet and the Bojan Zulfikarpasic quartet. He has been a partner of Louis Sclavis since 1994, in a trio with Bruno Chevillon. (creation for banlieues bleues at the city of music in 1995; tours in Europe, the Middle East, Russia Mexico... Creation with trombonist Ray Anderson in several festivals in 1996; concerts with guests such as Marc Ducret, Jean Louis Matinier, Dominique Pifarely, Dave Douglas, Django Bates (July 98). In July 1994, he met Michel Portal for a concert given at the Vienne festival (France) with Louis Sclavis, Andy Emler and Bruno Chevillon, and now works occasionally with him. In 1995, he formed a trio with Stéphan Oliva and Bruno Chevillon, around a project in tribute to Bill Evans. He started his own training in 1995 with Sébastien Texier, Guillaume Orti, Vincent Segal and François Thuillier. 1999, he records with Martial Solal's dodecaband. In 2000, he worked and recorded with singer Thomas Fersen. In 2003, he joined the zam (musical company whose members are Olivier Sens and Vincent Courtois). Currently, he plays in the formations of Louis Sclavis, the trio of Danish guitarist Hasse Poulsen, the septet of Laurent Dehors andBat - Jong , duet with juggler Vincent Berhault."