Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Léon Clément Doucet was born on April 9, 1895 in Brussels, Belgium. For  a time he studied at the city’s Conservatoire under Arthur De Greef, who had been a pupil of Franz Liszt.

His formal training was classical, though as he traveled to the United States where he gained some influence from jazz. Some of his arrangements are still played today, including Chopinata, a jazz tribute to several works by Frédéric Chopin.

After returning to Europe, Clément became the house pianist at the Parisian cabaret Le Boeuf sur le Toit, succeeding Jean Wiéner. He and Wiéner formed a piano duo that spanned 15 years from 1924 to 1939. They performed over 2000 concerts and made over 100 recordings of jazz, blues, and classical music.

They also made a small number of recordings in which they accompanied French chansonniers. These include ten sides with Maurice Chevalier, Édith Piaf, Yvonne George, Jean Sablon and Germaine Sablon and others.

Pianist Clément Doucet transitioned at the age of 55 on October 15, 1950 in his hometown.

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