Born August 22, 1975 in Caen, France, Gael Horellou is a saxophonist with a classical and jazz background, his career started in 1992. From 1994 to 1997, he is a member of the Collectif Mu and helps founding the Crescent Jazz Club where he shared the stage with experimented guests (Charles Bellonzi, Luigi Trussardi, Clovis Nicolas, Wayne Dockery, Eric Lelann, Steve Grossman, Peter King, Ricardo del Fra). In 1996, together with KPT’N PLANET (Philippe Garcia on drums) he founded the group Cosmik Connection, an electro-drum’n’jazz fusion laboratory quickly joined by Jérémie Picard (aka Jahbass).

In 2000, he joined Laurent de Wilde sextet and followed him on tour and in the studio for the Time for Change and Stories albums. He also continues to put his sax on electronic music recordings (UHT, DJ Volta, DJ Ben…) and starts to produce his own solo performance with a live electro-drum’n’bass show that he plays under the pseudonym Dual Snake.

In 2002 he founded the group NHX, a new electro-instrumental laboratory with Yoann Serra on drums and 3 musicians who played in Magma: Philippe Bussonnet (bass), Emmanuel Borghi (fender rhodes) and James MacGaw (guitar).

In 2004 he collaborated with Laurent de Wilde on the Organics album composition. An electro-jazz quintet with Yoann Sera and Philippe Bussonet. He presently plays with Yoann Serra and François Gallix inside Jean Sébastien Simonoviez’s Transition Sextet.

His first drum’n’ bass album came out in 2005 (Dual Snake), and an electro-acoustic one in 2006 (Explorations); both on DTC Records the label that will release the new Cosmik Connection album: “Grand Panache!” in September 2006.

In 2003 Gaël Horellou meets Barry Harris during an internship at The Royal Conservatory of the Hague. He’s been since studying regularly with the master of bebop in Europe or in the United States.

In 2007, he produced a beautiful nu-jazz album halfway between acoustic and computer composition “ Explorations ” also on DTC Records.

In 2008 Gael Horellou builds a quartet with Jean-Sebastien Simonoviez, Francois Gallix and the American drummer Ari Hoenig. The band recorded a double live album at the Sunside in Paris “Pour la Terre ” (DTC Records). Following a tour in 2009 and 2010 (Night of Jazz à Caen, Lyon Hot Club, Sunside in Paris, PocoLoco in Clermont-Ferrand, Tabor Park in Rennes etc). The group participates at the “Chambers Music America” and gives a concert at the Jazz Gallery in New York City in May 2010.

Since 2002, Gael Horellou has been performing regularly in trio sax/bass/drums with Geraud Portal and Antoine Paganotti or Philippe Soirat. Lots of concerts in small venues in Paris and the provinces and also festivals (Cervione 2010, Jazz under the apple trees in 2010, etc …) Three trio albums to date on the small label (Bas-Normand Label) “Live 2008”, “Segment”, “Plo”.

Between 2006 and 2011, he plays with the transition band of the pianist composer Jean-Sebastien Simonoviez. Album “A different Way” (2007), “Transition Cosmic Power” (2012). In 2010 he produced a solo album between repetitive music and jazz “Travels”, released in 2011 always on the small label.

March 2011 he recorded a live album in sextet at the Sunside in the jazz tradition of the sixties with David Sauzay (tenor sax), Michael Joussein (trombone), Etienne Deconfin (piano), Geraud Portal (bass) and Philippe Soirat (battery). Album released in December 2011 (DTC records). The official release of the album was in Paris in May 2012 at the New Morning.

Between 2010 and 2013, he’s been co-organizing a pedagogical internship followed by a jazz festival at L’Aude in Fontiers-Cabardes in July: Jazz at Frontiers. Since 2010 Gael Horellou regularly gives Jazz master classes and improvisation (Caen CNR and Annecy, Chamalières, CNR de Paris, ARPEJ in Paris, etc. Since August 2012, He’s referent for the Jazz Internship at the Festival of Brass of the Monastier in Gazeille. Since 2008 he acts as a trainer at Cifap through the formation created by Dume Poutet 'Merging electro on Ableton Live.'

June 2011, recording of a new album for Fresh Sound New Talent “Time After Time” with Perico Sambeat on alto saxophone, Albert Sanz (piano), Nicolas Moreaux (bass) and Antoine Paganotti (drums). Released in june 2013. April 2012 he's recording at la Rodia (Besançon) the electrojazz album “Synthesis” with David Patrois (vibes), Geraud Portal (bass) and Antoine Paganotti (drums). Released (DTC records) in june 2015, concerts at Le Triton (Les Lilas), and at the New Morning (Paris) june 4th.

Since 2012 Gael Horellou host every month the «After-hours sessions» of the Duc des Lombards (Paris). In this context, he has the opportunity to meet and play with international musicians such as Jeremy Pelt, Marcus Miller, Roxy Coss, Rodney Green, Jonhatan Barber, Jaleel Shaw, Eric Alexander, etc.

January 2013: Live recording at the Duc des Lombards in Paris a new quartet album with Etienne Déconfin (piano), Viktor Nyberg (bass), Antoine Paganotti (drums) featuring the American saxophonist Abraham Burton. Release of the album “Legacy” in february 2014. Tour in France: New Morning, Radio-France, Poco-Loco (Clermont-Ferrand), Champs Libres (Rennes), Theatre de Lisieux,Comedie de Ferney-Voltaire, Conservatoire de Caen, Sunset (Girona/Spain). June 2013  recording session in New-York of a new quartet album for the spanish label Fresh Sound New Talent. The album “BrOoklyn” released in november 2014 with Ari Hoenig (drums), Etienne Déconfin (piano) and Viktor Nyberg (contrebasse). Tour in France and Spain in november 2014.

May 2014 residency and recording at l’Arrosoir (Chalons-sur-Saone) of the album “ROY” with Fredéric Nardin (Hammond B3) and Antoine Paganotti (drums). Released in septembre 2014 on Petit Label. Numerous shows in France in 2014/2015/2016. June 2014 recording in New-York of the project 'Nasty Factorz' electronic duo with Ari Hoenig. Concert at Nublu (Manhattan). December 2014 New York – quartet concert at Something Jazz for the release of the album “BrOoklyn”. Show at Nublu of the electronic duo with Ari Hoenig 'Nasty Factorz' and concert of the solo projet 'Travels' at Shape Shifter’s Lab (Brooklyn).

January 2015 Bogota (Colombie) –  concert of 'Travels' solo project at Matik Matik. March 2015 Reunion Island – residency/concerts/recording of the projet 'Identité', fusion of jazz and maloya, La Reunion traditionnal music with Florent Gac (Hammond B3) and 4 local musicians: Vincent Philéas, Emmanuel Félicité, Jerome Calciné (percussion/vocal) and Nicolas Beaulieu (guitar). Masterclass at the Conservatory of St Pierre.

June 2016 Tour (Carcassonne, Lyon, Geneve, Marseille) and recording of the organ trio with Nardin and Paganotti for the Petit Label. Release january 2017. July 2016 Paris: 2 concerts and studio recording in quintet with special guest Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Etienne Déconfin (piano), Viktor Nyberg (bass), Antoine Paganotti (drums) for the label Fresh Sound New Talent. Release end of 2017.

http://www.gaelhorellou.com