Armand Sabal-Lecco

Armand Sabal-Lecco
Armand Sabal-Lecco
Origin Cameroon Occupations Musician Instruments Bass Guitar

Armand Sabal-Lecco is a bass-guitarist from Cameroon who has played with many leading jazz players, and recorded on many albums, since getting his break playing with Paul Simon in 1989. He is one of the world's leading session artists. He is the brother of the drummer Flix Sabal Lecco.

Early years
Armand Sabal-Lecco was born in Cameroon.[1] Armand Sabal-Lecco's father, Flix Sabal Lecco, was a minister in the government of Ahmadou Ahidjo, and was later appointed ambassador to Italy and France.[2] His father played the guitar as a young man, and two of his brothers are also musicians: Flix is a drummer and Roger is a bass player. Armand began playing the guitar when he was six, then took up drumming, and eventually settled on the bass, although he is not limited to that instrument.[1] According to Armand, his older brother Roger would often be late for rehearsals and shows, and Armand began standing in for him as bass player. He decided the bass was more convenient than drums, easier to pack up, so he had more chance of picking up girls before they left after the show.[3] When he was fifteen, his father sent him to Paris to live with one of his sisters.[4]

Career
In Cameroon, Armand Sabal-Lecco had played funk, rock and straight-ahead jazz. It was only after moving to Europe that he started introducing African elements to his music.[4] In the early 1980s he co-founded the Ogogoro Gang, an Afro Funk band, and began playing clubs on Europe. After a year the group was voted the number one "Jeune espoir francais". He also developed his skills as a composer during this period. Armand and his brother Flix formed the African fusion band Xamahal, performing together at the 1986 European Jazz Festival. Later he joined the Manu Dibango Band, led by Cameroonian saxophone and vibraphone player Manu Dibango. He toured with this band around the world and played on several of their albums.[5] In 1989 Armand Sabal-Lecco was invited to New York by Paul Simon to play bass on Simon's eighth studio album album, The Rhythm of the Saints, released in 1990. His brother, Flix, plays drums on this album. This was followed by a 14-month world tour.[5][6] On 15 August 1991 he performed with Paul Simon to an audience of over 750,000 people in New York's Central Park.[7] In 1993 he was invited to Washington D.C. to play with Paul Simon at President Bill Clinton's inauguration festivities.[5] Sabal-Lecco played on Stanley Clarke's 1993 album East River Drive, and often played with Clarke in the years that followed. He became an official member of the Stanley Clarke band in 2002. In 2004 he played at the Bahamas Jazz Festival as a member of this band.[1] A sample of other artists with whom he has played includes Vanessa Williams, Maxi Priest, the Brecker Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Manu Dibango, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Jonathan Butler, Sting and Ray Charles.[1] He is also known for composing, singing, arranging and producing.[8] He composed two songs and co-authored the cover song for John Patitucci's 1993 Another World, later nominated for a Grammy Award.[5] As a composer he has written for Carole King, Jeff Beck, Robin Thicke, Stewart Copeland, John Patitucci and Don Grusin.[8] His album Positive Army, which also features his brother Felix, was due to be released in June 2012. He plays a range of instruments on this album.[9]

Armand Sabal-Lecco

Discography
Albums on which Armand Sabal-Lecco has performed include:[10]
Date Album Format CD CD Main artists Paul Simon Paul Simon Brecker Brothers Stanley Clarke John Patitucci Don Grusin John Patitucci Jon Strider Don Grusin Marc Antoine Brecker Brothers Manu Dibango Michael English Henri Dikongu Mass Mental Steve Stevens Ringo Starr Jordan Knight Brecker Brothers Chris Botti Carole King Robin DiMaggio Alejandro Sanz Maia Sharp Paul Simon Marc Antoine Stanley Clarke Robert Downey, Jr. Scott Kinsey Stewart Copeland Stanley Clarke

1990 The Rhythm of the Saints 1991 Concert in the Park

1992 Return of the Brecker Brothers CD 1993 East River Drive 1993 Another World 1993 Native Land 1994 Mistura Fina 1994 Kindred Way 1994 Banana Fish 1994 Classical Soul 1994 Out of the Loop 1994 Wakafrika 1996 Freedom 1998 C'est La Vie 1998 How To Write Love Songs 1999 Flamenco A Go-Go 1999 I Wanna Be Santa Claus 1999 Jordan Knight 1999 Priceless Jazz 1999 Slowing Down the World 2001 Love Makes the World 2001 Blue Planet 2001 MTV Unplugged 2002 Maia Sharp 2002 The Paul Simon Anthology 2003 Very Best of Marc Antoine 2003 1, 2, to the Bass 2004 The Futurist 2006 Kinesthetics 2007 Stewart Copeland Collection 2010 Stanley Clarke Band CD CD CD CD 2 CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CD 2 CD CD CD CD CD CD CD

Armand Sabal-Lecco

References
[1] Mary Bentley (July 2005). "Armand Sabal Lecco" (http:/ / www. smoothviews. com/ archives/ ontheside/ onthesideJan04. htm). Smooth Views. . Retrieved 2012-07-31. [2] Mouandjo, Pierre-Patrick (24 October 2010). "Flix Sabal Lecco est mort" (http:/ / www. camerounactu. net/ fr/ politique/ gouvernement/ 1694-felix-sabal-lecco-est-mort). Cameroun Actu. . Retrieved 2012-07-31. [3] "Armand Sabal-Lecco" (http:/ / electricbassland. com/ interviews/ written/ armand-sabal-lecco/ ). Electric Bassland. Nov 8th 2005. . Retrieved 2012-07-31. [4] ZAN STEWART (March 04, 1994). "Out of Africa : Bassist Armand Sabal-Lecco's star has been rising since leaving Cameroon. He's worked with Paul Simon, among others." (http:/ / articles. latimes. com/ 1994-03-04/ news/ va-29885_1_paul-simon). Los Angeles Times. . Retrieved 2012-07-31. [5] "Armand Sabal-Lecco" (http:/ / www. neuserbasses. com/ sabal. html). Neuser Basses. . Retrieved 2012-07-31. [6] "Paul Simon The Rhythm Of The Saints" (http:/ / www. discogs. com/ Paul-Simon-The-Rhythm-Of-The-Saints/ release/ 2191600). Discogs. . Retrieved 2012-07-31. [7] "Armand Sabal-Lecco Proof w. Paul Simon 1991" (http:/ / www. johnnycopland. com/ style-file-no-14-armand-sabal-lecco-proof-w-paul-simon-1991/ ). Johnny Copland. . Retrieved 2012-07-31. [8] "Armand Sabal-Lecco Info" (http:/ / www. jimdunlop. com/ artist/ armand-sabal-lecco). Dunlop Manufacturing. . Retrieved 2012-07-31. [9] Jean-Jacques Dikongu (1/6/2012). "Le nouvel Armand Sabal Lecco est l" (http:/ / www. tribune2lartiste. com/ actualite/ le-nouvel-armand-sabal-lecco-est-la_281. html). Tribune2. . Retrieved 2012-07-31. [10] "Armand Sabal-Lecco Discography of CDs" (http:/ / www. cduniverse. com/ search/ xx/ music/ artist/ Armand+ Sabal-Lecco/ a/ albums. htm). CD Universe. . Retrieved 2012-07-31.

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Armand Sabal-Lecco Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=510540164 Contributors: Aymatth2, VampireKilla

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