Country
France
He lives in Paris and also in Lormes, in the Morvan region of Burgundy. A region that looks a bit like the Appalachians Mountains.
He trained as an artistic cartographer and worked as an art director in communications and visual identity with his own agency, then for the American communications agency Omnicom in artistic creation. Now retired, he is involved in a number of associations: President of a Jazz Club in Burgundy for 8 years, President of JAM-HALL, President of La Plaque des Goûts, a cultural association which organises a wine club and musical events. A fan of bluegrass music since his teens, he was influenced by Pete Seeger and the Weavers, The Country Gentlemen, Country cooking, the French guitarist Marcel Dadi.
He started playing banjo and bluegrass guitar thanks to lessons at the American Centre in Paris. It was a time when French folk and traditional music blended well with bluegrass music. Five years ago, he and his friend Ti’Pierre set up the JAM-HALL, whose main aim is to pass on musical knowledge about Oldtime and Bluegrass music to young people and adults.We organise a number of courses (banjo, vocal harmonies, gospel singing, and recently double bass, etc.). The Jam-Hall website is packed with information for all bluegrass fans. We created and developed Kids On Bluegrass Europe 4 years ago in partnership with Bluegrass in La Roche. We’ve been organising « Bluegrass en Morvan » for the last 5 years, a major national gathering of 70 musicians in the Morvan. 3 days of jam sessions, workshops and concerts. The region’s geographical location makes it easy for musicians from all over France to attend.
Philippe created the visual identity of Bluegrass In La Roche, its logotype and the Festival poster over the last 4 years, with the renewed confidence of Christopher Howard William. He collaborated with Czech luthier Rosta Capek to create the Allegoria 1 and 2 designs for banjos, inspired by the Art Deco designer Alphonse Mucha. Seduced by this design, the artist Herb Petersen has just acquired one of these banjos.
Philippe said:
« It’s a great satisfaction to be able to combine my passion for design with my passion for bluegrass music.I love community life, which gives us a great deal of flexibility, and I’m interested in its European dimension. We absolutely must encourage young people to learn from our musical experiences.
We need to promote the practice and development of bluegrass music, both amateur and professional ».