Born in 1952 in Paris, France, pianist Jacques Chanier began his career in his early teens as a pop/rock musician. In 1979, he came to the United States where he spent four years studying jazz, classical composing, and arranging at Berklee College of Music. After that he went on to study jazz improvisation with Charlie Banacos. Until his diagnosis in June 2005, Jacques was an active member of the Boston jazz scene.

In 1995, Jacques recorded Dimensional Odyssey with the Henry Cook Band, featuring drummer Bobby Ward. This CD won Best Jazz Recording at the1995 Boston Music Awards. In 1998, the same band recorded Live at Montreux Detroit at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

In 1999, Jacques produced his first CD Kite Flight which received high praises from magazines such as Down Beat, Cadence, and many others. Soon after, in 2002, Accurate Records released Jacques's second CD Quilt, which was nominated for Best Jazz Recording at the 2002 Boston Music Awards.

In 2007, Jacques produced Access Renewed, a double CD set recorded live with Jeff Galindo on trombone and Jacques on piano. The album received a 2007 Honorable Mention from All About Jazz. The same year, Jacques was nominated for Best Outstanding Jazz Act by the Boston Music Awards.

Links for more information about Jacques:

Watch and listen to Jacques perform at the 1998 Montreux Detroit Jazz Festival with the Henry Cook Band. (His playing is highlighted about 6 minutes and 45 seconds into the video.)

Review of Kite Flight from All About Jazz

Review of Kite Flight from Jazz USA

Accurate Records bio for Jacques

Review of Quilt from All About Jazz

Boston Herald article, June 13, 2007

Review of Access Renewed from All About Jazz