Biography
A thoughtful, forward-thinking improviser, saxophonist Michaël Attias has earned international recognition for his harmonically nuanced contributions to avant-garde jazz. Born in Haifa, Israel, in 1968 to a family of Moroccan heritage, he spent his early childhood in Paris before the family relocated to Minneapolis when he was nine. There he took up the saxophone and first encountered jazz. Drawn initially to the free jazz of Ornette Coleman, he progressed rapidly and had become a skilled performer by his teenage years. He later sought instruction from Anthony Braxton, studying with the composer and multi-instrumentalist for several years at Wesleyan University.
Full-time relocation to New York City came in 1994, where Attias performed regularly with Braxton and established himself within the avant-garde circles that gathered at the Knitting Factory. He collaborated with pianist Anthony Coleman on the Self Haters album, sharing the sessions with John Zorn, Marc Ribot, and Elliott Sharp. Additional recordings from this era paired him with Edward Ratliff, Bruce Eisenbeil, Walter Thompson, and other artists.
His first album as a leader appeared in 2005 with Credo, featuring bassist Chris Lightcap, trombonist Reut Regev, violinist Sam Bardfeld, and French horn player Mark Taylor. The same year saw the release of Renku, the debut recording of his pianoless trio of the same name, completed by bassist John Herbert and drummer Satoshi Takeishi. Further projects with Coleman followed, alongside sessions alongside drummer Paul Motian and bassist Ken Filiano.
Attias resumed his work as a leader in 2010 with Twines of Colesion, which expanded the Renku trio to include saxophonist Tony Malaby and pianist Russ Lossing. Two years afterward he teamed with bassist Sean Conly for the albums Spun Tree and Think Shadow. The Owls Are Not What They Seem arrived in 2016, followed by the quartet recording Nerve Dance, again with bassist Herbert plus pianist Aruan Ortiz and drummer Nasheet Waits.
Full-time relocation to New York City came in 1994, where Attias performed regularly with Braxton and established himself within the avant-garde circles that gathered at the Knitting Factory. He collaborated with pianist Anthony Coleman on the Self Haters album, sharing the sessions with John Zorn, Marc Ribot, and Elliott Sharp. Additional recordings from this era paired him with Edward Ratliff, Bruce Eisenbeil, Walter Thompson, and other artists.
His first album as a leader appeared in 2005 with Credo, featuring bassist Chris Lightcap, trombonist Reut Regev, violinist Sam Bardfeld, and French horn player Mark Taylor. The same year saw the release of Renku, the debut recording of his pianoless trio of the same name, completed by bassist John Herbert and drummer Satoshi Takeishi. Further projects with Coleman followed, alongside sessions alongside drummer Paul Motian and bassist Ken Filiano.
Attias resumed his work as a leader in 2010 with Twines of Colesion, which expanded the Renku trio to include saxophonist Tony Malaby and pianist Russ Lossing. Two years afterward he teamed with bassist Sean Conly for the albums Spun Tree and Think Shadow. The Owls Are Not What They Seem arrived in 2016, followed by the quartet recording Nerve Dance, again with bassist Herbert plus pianist Aruan Ortiz and drummer Nasheet Waits.
Albums
