David Paquette

David Paquette (born 1950) is an American jazz pianist. He has recorded more than 53 albums. Highlights of his career include touring the European jazz circuit, establishing and directing a seventeen-year running annual Jazz Festival on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island, and years as the Musical Director for Sydney Australia's Four Seasons Hotel.[1][2][3]

David Paquette

Career

David Paquette was born in 1950 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His parents were very active in the New Orleans revival jazz clubs of the early sixties. Paquette would often enjoy basement rehearsals of jazz greats as they visited Connecticut for concerts, and he heard such wonderful musicians as Billie and Dede Pierce, Louis Nelson, Kid Sheik, Sammy Penn, John Handy and Kid Thomas Valentine. Inspired and surrounded by such great artists, Paquette taught himself the basics of traditional jazz piano.

During his years at Louisiana State University Paquette learned entertainment and vocal skills performing at Pat O’Brien’s in the French Quarter. After a year of playing ski resorts and a Chinese restaurant in Aspin, Paquette moved to San Francisco. Here, after playing music on the streets with local buskers, he landed a job as house pianist at the Boarding House and performed as opening act for such budding pop artists as Bette Midler, Taj Mahal, The Pointer Sisters, Doctor John and comic Steve Martin.

On vacation in 1973 Paquette discovered the Pioneer Inn on the island of Maui and performed at this hotel for the next 12 years. Here his first album was produced by John McVie of Fleetwood Mac. In Hawaii Paquette was joined by such diverse musicians as Amos Garrett, Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Loggins, Turk Murphy and Trummy Young.

In 1983, Paquette began to tour extensively in Europe with Sammy Rimington, Lillian Bouette and other exponents of the New Orleans jazz style. He has been featured at most of the important jazz festivals in Europe, New Zealand and Australia and has performed at several of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festivals.

In 1984, Paquette was appointed musical director of a tour with Spike Milligan for three months in Australia.

Paquette has completed a series of television commercials in New Zealand and has been traveling extensively in Indonesia, Mauritius, Greece, Scandinavia, Bulgaria and the South Pacific. He bought a home on Waiheke Island where he founded the now famous Waiheke Jazz Festival and has also performed with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra.

Paquette now resides in Wairoa, Northern Hawkes Bay as is Patron of the Poverty Bay Blues Club, Gisborne. He continues to devote much of his time to The Paquette Jazz Foundation, a trust to support future jazz musicians around the globe.

Paquette has recorded with Bring It On Records based in Auckland, New Zealand, Art by Heart, Germany, GHB Records, New Orleans.

References
  1. Reid, Graham (30 June 2000). "David Paquette - The sultan of swing". Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  2. "Waiheke Gulf News". Waihekegulfnews.co.nz. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  3. "David Paquette: Jazzman for all seasons". Nzherald.co.nz. 6 April 2001. Retrieved 6 March 2019.


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