Claude Bolling, pianist, composer, arranger and conductor, was born in Cannes (France) on 10 April 1930, where he has lived ever since except during the German occupation. Precocious musician, first studied classical music and in 1944 won the "Tournoi des Amateurs. He studied under Marie Louise''Bob''Colin, and discovered jazz through a classmate. In 1945 he won the amateur contest organized by the Hot Jazz and Hot Club of France in Paris. He created his first band at 16, and made his recording debut at 18. In 1945 he formed a group with Claude Luter Claude Abadie and would be one of the first serious attempts to traditional jazz in France after World War II. During the Great

Jazz Week 1948 in Paris, accompanied the great blues singer, Bertha Hill, and later played alongside major American musicians of the time. In 1955 he formed his first orchestra, although after the postwar economic difficulties made it impossible to keep it active. After military service he worked in all the trendiest clubs and recording sessions and concerts, becoming one of the most prominent and respected musicians of the moment. He worked with Duke Ellington and others, (his decisive influence jazz), Count Basie, Jimmy Lunceford and Glenn Miller. He is the author of a unique style that fuses classical music and jazz (his Suite for flute and jazz piano was 530 weeks in the charts in the U.S.). In the seventies organized a major Big Band, (which still remains active) and besides being the leading arranger of French singers, has composed music for more than a hundred films, including "Borsalino", "Louisiane", " Flic Story "or" The Awakening ". In November 2001, he toured Spain and performed among other places, at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, giving a spectacular concert on film music and jazz, which Apoloybaco, was lucky to hear live.