PAUL LAY
« INSTRUMENTAL ARTIST » OF THE YEAR BY VICTOIRES DU JAZZ
CHARLES CROS ACADEMY PRIZE FOR THE BEST INTERNATIONAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR WITH HIS ALBUM MIKADO
« DJANGO REINHARDT » PRIZE FOR THE BEST FRENCH JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR BY THE FRENCH JAZZ ACADEMY
BEST YOUNG FRENCH JAZZ TALENT OF THE YEAR BY A POLL OF CRITICS PRODUCED BY JAZZ MAGAZINE
“Paul Lay is the most brilliant jazz pianist of his generation.”
“Excellent harmonic imagination , diverse playing, most interesting compositions, and obvious knowledge of jazz history as well as a personal voice : Paul Lay has got everything it takes to go right to the top and make a lasting career.
”
After studying at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, Paul Lay releases his first recording in 2010, Unveiling (with Simon Tailleu and Elie Duris) which is highly acclaimed by the critics.
He has won numerous prizes both in national and international competitions : soloist prize at the National Jazz Competition of La Defense, International Piano Jazz Competition of Moscow, Martial Solal International Piano Jazz Competition, Montreux International Piano Jazz Competition, Charles Cros Academy Prize for his second cd release Mikado and Django Reinhardt Prize by the French Jazz Academy.
Paul regularly collaborates with new people to create new and original formats. In 2015 he premieres «Billie Holiday, passionément », a video and musical performance with video maker Olivier Garouste. This performance is given in numerous venues around the globe including Paris Philharmonie, La Roque d’Anthéron Festival and French May Festival in Hong Kong among others.
Paul becomes a sought-after sideman and performs with Riccardo Del Fra, Géraldine Laurent, Eric le Lann and Ping Machine.
In 2017 his double album The Party is released (with Dre Pallemaerts and Clemens Van der Feen) as well as Alcazar Memories (with Isabel Sörling and Simon Tailleu). These very original trios enabled them to perform around the world and give more than 70 concerts.
At the end of 2018, Paul releases « Thanks a Million », a duo with Eric le Lann in a stirring tribute to Louis Armstrong. It is largely acclaimed by the press and the audience.
Regularly invited abroad, Paul Lay performs in New York, Toronto, Berlin, Warsaw. He regularly tours Germany, Russia, Peru, Mexico, Dominican Republic, China and Japan.
Paul also benefits from many sponsorship programs that make him an official representative of French jazz. He performed with Barbara Hendricks at the UNESCO International Jazz Day, during the Marseille European Capital of Culture events in 2013, for The Bridge 2017 with the Mission for the 100th anniversary of WWI. Paul also receives support of the Centre Culturel de Rencontres les Dominicains de Haute-Alsace, where he has regularly been invited as artist in residence since 2015.
Since 2018, BNP Paribas Foundation has been supporting him for his career development.
After 10 years of collaboration with Laborie Jazz label and 4 releases (Unveiling 2010, Mikado 2014, The Party and Alcazar Memories 2017), Deep Rivers was released in 2020 to great critical acclaim. The trio performs about fifty concerts in 2020-2021. « Masterpiece, dazzling suite ». Le Monde; « Definitely a pianist and magician to follow… » France Inter
In June 2021, Paul released his first piano solo album with Gazebo label: "Full Solo", dedicated to original and unique interpretations of Beethoven. The press is enthusiastic and the album reaches the top of Fnac sales in Jazz/Blues category in September 2021.
In September 2022, Paul Lay is appointed professor of jazz piano at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.