Je m'apelle Samuel Lerner et suis pianiste sur la scene parisienne et New Yorkaise depuis plus de 15 ans. J' ai enregistré deux disques trio en leader en 2012 et 2018 à NYC sur les labels Black and Blue and Gut String Record https://samuellerner.bandcamp.com https://youtu.be/C4DKnfg4r3Q et récemment en sideman avec le légendaire batteur Jimmy Cobb. https://felixlemerle.bandcamp.com/releases Je me produis aussi beaucoup avec différentes formations dans les plus grands hôtels parisiens (Ritz, Shangri La, Westminster, Hôtel du Collectionneur) et j ai l habitude de travailler dans des corporate events ( Bateaux de Croisière, Cocktails d 'entreprise, Mariages, Fêtes privées etc..) https://youtu.be/vGraBjHjVKM Voici ma Bio: I was born in Paris on March 23rd, 1983. In 1986, my father accepted tenure as a math researcher at Purdue University and my family moved to the United States, settling in West Lafayette, Indiana. I was enrolled in a local kindergarten program and quickly developed a profound interest in playing the piano around the age of five. My father had been an amateur piano player for several years and he taught me an early appreciation of jazz and European classical music. I started playing the piano alongside of him, performing classic songs from The Great American Songbookas well as other jazz and blues tunes. My parents returned to France in 1990, but this time they chose to settle outside of the city in a midsize town located in the West, known as Rennes. Despite the relocation, I maintained my interest in piano and soon began private lessons with Mrs. Cohen the headmaster of the Conservatory. She was very impressed by my youthful talent, steadfast commitment to the instrument, and overall sensitivity to music. It wasn't until my adolescent years, when I first discovered the music of American jazz pianist and composer, Thelonious Monk, that I knew piano was his ultimate passion and career destiny. It was during these early years of my adult life that I was afforded the unique opportunity to study the jazz piano with a prominent local pianist named Pascal Salmon (backing Maria de Medeiros, Pierrick Pedron, Sylvain Boeuf) the cheerleader of the Jazz department at the University who immediately took me under his wing and introduced me to the best local and Parisians players. By 16 years old, I found myself already breaking into the music scene by performing at little clubs and bars and hanging out in local jam sessions where I was able to meet a lot of experienced musicians. All of them were highly impressed by my abilities and my potential and were encouraging me to become a professional musician. Constituting this network of fellow musicians provided me the ability to play even more local rehearsals and gigs, and allowed me to diversify my knowledge of jazz music. I began to feel a special affinity for bebop, and particularly for the New Yorkers piano players. When I turned 18 my love for jazz grew so strong that I decided to dedicate my life to it. I passed the entrance exam of the Conservatoire of Cergy Pontoise in Paris, where I studied jazz piano, drums, musical analysis, harmony, ensemble playing, music history, and arrangement for small combos and big bands. I graduated with a "gold medal" in piano (first mention with special mentions of the jury) and acquired a second Degree (DEM) in Jazz & ImprovisedMusic both incredibly prestigious honors. During that time, I was performing in Paris, France, and Europe in notable clubs (Sunset, Sunside, Baiser Salé, Duc des Lombards, 38 Riv', Autour de Midi, La Bellevilloise and festivals (Jazz in Marciac, Solidays, Gomene Jazz festival, Paris Jazz festival ), this time also as a leader or co-leader of several bands - the Samuel Lerner Trio with Manu Grimonprez on bass & Francois Ricard on drums, the Samuel Lerner quartet with Olivier Temime on tenor sax, the Mingus Band with Geraud Portal, the Art Blakey Tribute Band with Mathieu Tarot, the legendary reggae ska ensemble Jim Murple Memorial, the gipsy jazz bands of Aurelien Trigo and Rodolphe Raffali. I also share the stage in various musical settings, from duo to big band, with people such as John Betch, Serge Merlaud, Gilles Naturel, Stephane Guery, Jean Paul Adam, Jeff Boudreaux, Mathieu Tarot, Francois Ricard, Fabien Mary, Gael Horellou, Esaie Cid, ,Felix Lemerle, Melina Tobiana, Ricardo Izquierdo, Antoine Paganotti, Nicolas Dary, Dave Blenkhorn, André Villéger, Rodolphe Raffalli, Viktorija Gečytė, Florence Toni, Elizabeth Keledjian, Eric Willoth, Fred Sayag, Mario Ponce-Enrile, Gilles Bordier, Mathias Allamane,, Jean-Paul Adam, etc. I also did participate to multiple projects: recorded a tribute to Georges Brassens with the gypsy guitarist Rodolphe Raffali on the label Fremeaux, composed music for a short film of Francois Grivelet, did collaborate with several theater and music companies with Emanuelle Krivine, Eric Garmirian, Gabriel Ledoze. I then did my first trip to NYC in 2012 to record his first album "Zombiebop" with the legendary drummer Leroy Williams (played with Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Johnny Griffin, Barry Harris, Jackie Mc Lean) and released it on the very prestigious Black and Blue label (which has produced albums of the most well-known American jazzmen touring in Europe as Hank Jones, Ray Bryant, Stephane Grapelli, Earl Hines, Major Holley). I performed this music with some minded musicians in several clubs in Paris (i.e.Sunset/Sunside, 38 Riv', Duc des lombards) and in various festivals in France (Jazz in Marciac, "Transat en Ville", Paris Jazz festival). I received several laudatory reviews in major jazz publications such as Jazz Hot, Jazz Magazine/Jazzman, Jazz News. My highly original voice was acknowledged and highly praised by Jazz legendary masters such as Bertha Hope, Rodney Kendrick, Sacha Perry, Ari Roland, Saul Rubin and I was establishing myself as one of the leading piano players in France and Europe backing numerous singers (Fred Tuxx, Melina Tobiana, Viktoria Gecyte, Corinne Sahraoui, Julie Ericksen, Mario Ponce Enrile, Florence Toni) and multiple high class musicians (John Betch, Joe Cohn, Felix Lemerle, Geraud Portal, Cesar Poirier, Quentin Ghomary, Jef Sicard, Stephane Guery, Rodolphe Raffali, In 2018 I was hired for a gig on a transatlantic cruise ship on the MSC compagny. I toured 3 months in the West Indies with the great singer Frederik Tuxx. Then I did head to NYC to record a second trio album with the bassist Ben Meigners and the great drummer Clifford Barbaro (played with Lionel Hampton, Sun RA arkestra, Betty Carter, John Hicks, Charles Tolliver, Jon Hendricks) called "Fall's Start" and released on the both very prestigious American and French label Gut String Records (produced the albums of Ehud Asherie, Pasquale Grasso, Steve Ash, Michael Kanan) and Black and Blue. I recorded an another album in December 2018 as a sideman with the great french guitarist Felix Lemerle, the bassist Ari Roland and the legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb. One of my compositions is featuring on the album which is not released yet. "His playing fascinated my imagination, I had never heard such sensivity and creativity as he was exhibiting" -Rodney Kendrick (pianist and producer) "Other esteemed jazz musicians and peers have all praised his remarkable compilations and commented on his undeniable talent" Rhonda Ross (Singer and daughter of Diana Ross) "His acute musical sensitivity, intuitive mastery of his instrument and creative ingenuity are all grand qualities that set Mr Samuel Lerner apart the rest" -Saul Rubin (sideman of Sonny Rollins) "Zombiebop is a hard swinging album. It illustrates the richness of civilization music of bebop in general, Monk in particular(…)this opus shows the polymorphic nature that can have a clever review of a fine culture legacy" Felix Sportis Jazz Hot (about Zombiebop)