Trayectoria

MIREN ARANBURU ENSEMBLE
Musicians

Miren Aranburu (singer)
Miren Aranburu brought out her first album as a singer-songwriter at the end of the 1970s. From the 80s onwards, she worked as a film and television actress, particularly in the field of dubbing. She has participated in a number of different projects including electro-acoustic works: ‘Diztira’; poetry and literature: ‘alguien sabe qué hora es?’ with Jabier Muguruza at the Plaza festival; ‘Bloomsday’ readings from James Joyce; poetry and music: ‘Jarioak’ by JL Hargous with lyrics by Juan Kruz Igerabide and Leo Ferré; and Hosto gorri, osto berde (feuille rouge, feuille verte) a show combining poetry, song, dancing and painting, etc. In 1995, she created the Miren Aranburu Ensemble alongside Jean Louis Hargous, with the aim of singing jazz in Basque, including improvisation in concerts, original tracks and the poems and music of JL Hargous. She has since brought out four albums (the first with the now extinct IZ label, the second on the Internet and the last two under the Errabal-Gaztelupeko Hotsak label).

Jean Louis Hargous (saxes, clarinet)
After forming part of the saxophone quartet Fractal during the 1980s and accompanying diverse Basque singer-songwriters, Hargous created the Jazz Ensemble alongside Miren Aranburu, acting as both musician and composer. The group published its third album Gorri Isila last December. Hargous’ musical career has been very varied: he is an enthusiast of improvisation (performing on stage alongside musicians such as John Tchicai, as well as various painters, dancers and poets), and has taught music and composed both jazz and electro-acoustic tracks (winning the SGAE award in 2002). His most recent works include: Blu Blow Bat in which he worked alongside musicians such as David Xirgu, Pedro Estevan and Isabelle Cirla (Jazzle). He has participated in all the recordings of the Miren Aranburu Ensemble.

Jean Paul Gilles (double bass)
Born in Paris, Jean Paul Gilles showed a predilection for electric bass and pop from a very young age. After studying bass technique with Guy Rossfeld, during the 1970s he played with a variety of different groups (Catharsis, Julie + transit ). In 1997, he visited Bayonne and, after meeting Mitxel Ducau, joined the group Errobi, with which he toured all the venues in the Basque Country and recorded the album Ametsaren bidea. When the group split up, he created the experimental group Xango with Mixel Ducau and Beñat Amorenarekin. At the same time he played live with Beñat Achiary’s group Urria. From the 1990s onwards he focused his attention on jazz, playing with a number of groups alongside Jacky Berekoetxea (from trios to big bands), working with musicians such as Maxime Saury, Daniel Huck and Guy Laffite and forming part of the Miren Aramburu Ensemble. For the last five years he has been head of programming at the Jazz club le Soko in Hendaye Casino, which organises many extremely interesting jazz encounters.

Vincente Thomas (drums)
A 28-year-old self-taught drummer who began playing at the age of 15. Vincente Thomas took three courses with Dominique Marseille at the Dante Agostini School in Bordeaux. In recent years, he combines his work as a music teacher with his activities in different bands: UNEAT (hip-hop), YASSA (reggae), DOKTOR DESLAY(reggae), PESSI-GROUP(Brazilian music), HATSA-SOUL (funk), TTAKUN, among others. He currently plays both live and in recordings with the MIREN ARANBURU ENSEMBLE. He is a student of Musikene, in Donostia, where he plays with a number of different groups.

Arnaud Labastie (piano)
A musician with an extensive background in classical music, who has adapted his technique to the world of jazz as both a pianist and organist, demonstrating enormous talent in both swing and improvisation. His references range from Oscar Peterson and Monty Alexander on the piano to Wild Bill Davis and Jimmy McGriff on the organ. He currently teaches piano at the Tarnos School of Music and jazz at the Bayonne Conservatory. He has played with the Miren Aranburu Ensemble since the group’s fourth album ‘Lorategi hibridoa’.