Olivier Pellan

French jazz drummer, arranger and improviser from Rennes, Brittany. He started playing drums at the age of 20, when he discovered jazz and was inspired by leading be-bop drummers (Elvin Jones, Philly Joe, Tony Williams, etc.).

Although he gained his first experience in collaborative playing in various styles and projects (pop-rock, dance music, theater music, soundpainting), he quickly and exclusively started to focus on jazz and African-American music (soul, funk, rythm’n’blues). Soon, however, it was the language of improvisation that became his main means of expression and he began to play free jazz and improvised music.

He graduated from the Music Conservatory in Rennes (Jazz D.E.M.). He teaches percussion at school and privately. In addition to many collaborations with jazz musicians as a sideman, he is a member of various bands: Aretha’s Jazz Songbook (jazz-blues), Ludjêr (new traditional Breton music), Tribute to Joe Henderson (hard-bop with his own quartet) and The Oz Experience (experimental music ). He has participated in jazz festivals such as Les Rendez-Vous de l’Erdre, Jazz à l’Ouest, La Harpe en Jazz, Jazz à l’Étage and others.