What happens when a musical tradition crosses an ocean and finds a new home?
In this Thursday’s edition of The Geography of Sound (6/11 @ noon), host Federico Pacheco explores the remarkable story of French jazz, a story of cultural exchange, artistic freedom, and continual reinvention.
Jazz arrived in France during the early twentieth century, carried across the Atlantic by recordings, touring musicians, and the growing influence of African American culture. For many Black American artists confronting segregation at home, France offered enthusiastic audiences and new opportunities to perform, create, and thrive. Their presence helped establish France as one of the most important centers of jazz outside the United States.
From the pioneering work of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli to the modern innovations of Martial Solal, Michel Portal, Henri Texier, Jean-Luc Ponty, Vincent Peirani, Émile Parisien, and Ibrahim Maalouf, French musicians embraced jazz, transformed it, and ultimately made it their own.
Through music and storytelling, we’ll follow the evolution of French jazz from the cafés and concert halls of Paris to a contemporary scene shaped by influences from Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and beyond.
Join us as we trace a century-long journey of creativity and exchange—and discover how France made jazz its own.
Thursday, June 11, 2026 • Noon
Hosted by Federico Pacheco