Pierre Favre
No other European Country has produced as many good drummers as Switzerland. Indeed, Switzerland was definitely the first European Country whose drummers could be named in the same breathe with the great American drum stars. Pierre Favre descended from this tradition. He is considered to be one of the world’s best percussionists, a passionate lyric poet who creates sound-colour-poems, a musician of highest sensibility and feeling.

Pierre Favre was born in Le Locle, Switzerland. He started playing drums as an autodidact at the age of fifteen and turned professional two years later. He played swing music for many years in the big bands. He played Dixieland, swing and be-bop before he discovered the new jazz. Out of this background he developed into a musician of the highest sensitivity and diversification, a master of empty spaces and pauses. Seldom has anyone in jazz played drums so quietly. Favre is a poet of the drums.

Pierre Favre is one of the musicians who helped put European jazz on a new track, emancipating the percussion from its conventional rhythm role and allowing it to become an allround vehicle of rhythm and melody.

His set of instruments forms a unique and independent sound-world from which he lures orchestral dimensions in his solo performances. He studied composition, has worked with choreographers and has written music for plays and films.

As a solo percussionist, he toured all round the world. He has worked with African, Indian, Brazilian, Chinese and Korean percussionists. Still Favre feels very much related the European music tradition.

Pierre’s vision is one of percussion as a melodic voice, rather than just rhythmic variations.

He’s been described in the European press as a poet, painter, and sculptor. His work has been called lyrical, passionate, and mysterious. Pretty remarkable, considering Pierre Favre is a drummer. But Pierre’s not just any drummer. He’s one of the most respected percussionists working in Europe today.

Despite all the accolades he’s received, Pierre remains a very soft-spoken man with a great sense of humour. (Michael Bettine, The Modern Drummer)