Michel de Villers

French jazz saxophonist (alto & baritone) player.

Born : July 13, 1926 in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France.
Died : October 25, 1992 in Rouen, France.

Michel de Villers was one of the most influential French reed players in modern jazz, known by most of his fellow musicians by his nickname: “Low reed.” From a very young age, de Villers excelled on alto sax and clarinet. After gaining the attention of fans and musicians as an amateur, he was hired by Django in 1946. Shortly afterwards he began recording as a leader, improvising with cohesive drive and swinging passion (...). Looking to achieve a more modern sound, he adopted the baritone as his main instrument in 1949 (...). His skill as a soloist and improviser put him among the best European baritonists when Jazz-Hot awarded him from 1950 onwards first place in their annual readers’ poll. This in turn, led to calls from American jazzmen who were on their way through Paris, such as Buck Clayton, Jonah Jones, Bill Coleman, Lucky Thompson, and even vocalist Jimmie Davis. His fame spread to the United States when in 1956 he was voted one of the best new baritone players by the Down Beat international critics’ poll. In the spring of 1957, without abandoning the baritone, he took his alto saxophone again, to play in the boppish style of Parker-Sonny Stitt (...).
In addition to his work as a musician, Michel de Villers was also a savy reviewer and longtime collaborator of Jazz Hot, writing answers for the section “Courrier des lecteurs.” In the late 1950s, he began a new career as a disc jockey with two radio shows.