Jacques Chanier – 1952 – 2009

Jacques Chanier was a highly innovative jazz pianist on the Boston scene. He died on October 18, 2009.

Jacques Chanier, a jazz pianist with an innovative sound, both exciting and emotive, died peacefully at his home early this morning, October 18, 2009, surrounded by loved ones. Jacques was my brother-in-law, and the love of my sister Ruth’s life.
 
Jacques was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, CNS lymphoma, more than 4 years ago, and, amazingly, it didn’t stop him, until very recently, from living an incredibly full and joyous life.
 
Jacques was born in Paris in 1952. In 1979, he came to the United States, speaking almost no English, to study at Berklee College of Music, where he spent four years studying jazz, classical composing, and arranging. He went on to study jazz improvisation with Charlie Banacos and was an active member of the Boston jazz scene.

In 1995, he recorded with the Henry Cook Band featuring drummer Bobby Ward; the CD, “Dimensional Odyssey” (Accurate Records) won the Boston Music Awards for that year’s Best Jazz Recording. In 1998, he recorded with the same band live at the Ford Montreux Detroit Jazz Festival. In August 1999, he produced his first CD “Kite Flight” (LaRondeMusic 001), which received high praise from Down Beat, Cadence and many other publications. In 2002, Jacques played on Brooke Sofferman’s CD “The Green Between” featuring Jerry Bergonzi. Soon after, Accurate Records released Jacques’s second CD, “Quilt” (AC-5051). In February 2007, Jacques self produced “Access Renewed.” This double CD set was recorded in front of a live audience as a duo: Jeff Galindo on trombone and Jacques on piano. Read a review of the CD.

Jacques was funny and kind and incredibly modest. He was simply a joy to be around. He and my sister became a couple, and then married, later in life; he in his 50s and Ruth in her 40s. They traveled in the same circles and knew each other as acquaintances for many years before discovering each other as soulmates.
 
Jacques was a loving partner and then husband, and to Ruth’s delight, he loved to cook and clean! This was an ongoing joke with them; the Unitarian Universalist minister that married them even mentioned it at their wedding – to great laughter. The minister asked each of them to talk about the other before the ceremony, and Ruth had mentioned these wonderful traits of Jacques.

Anyone who phoned my sister between the hours of 7 pm and 9 pm would hear what delightful concoction was cooking on the stove, or what was currently being consumed. Ruth took care of Jacques during his illness, but Jacques also took care of Ruth in profound ways.
 
Jacques was an artist in every sense of the word: true to himself, uncompromising about his art, directed by an inner force to create, and happiest when indulging in the smallest of life’s pleasures: finding a U.S.-made croissant as good as the ones in Paris; taking a walk with Ruth in the woods near their home; traveling; photographing beauty; and watching DVDs with Ruth when he felt too sick to go out.
 
Listen to some clips of Jacques’s music on this page and watch Jacques perform at  the 1998 Montreux Detroit Jazz Festival with the Henry Cook Band. (His playing is highlighted about 6 minutes and 45 seconds into this video.)