Composer Profiles

Jacques Bailhé

Jacques Bailhé

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Jacques Bailhé

Listen to Jacque's music on MP3.com
Hear Jacque's musical commentary Adoration (2:59) in RealAudio 3 or RA2/14.4
Hear Adoration in TrueSpeech.
Hear Shiva Inflagrante (3:00) in RealAudio 2.
Hear Shiva Inflagrante in TrueSpeech.
Hear Shiva Inflagrante in MPEG-2 (download).
Read the composer's essay, Process Compositional

Jacques Bailhé

Born Connecticut 1952. Raised in Wilton until fourteen when family moved to Thailand. Attended International School there, started playing in bands as drummer. Parents soundly discouraged pursuing music though my grandfather had made a career of it. Took up electric bass. Played parties, clubs, backed up a fire-breathing stripper in a roller skating rink. Followed Beatles, Hendrix, Traffic, then dove into jazz: Mingus, Brubeck, Getz, Monk, then became a monk.

Ordained as a Buddhist priest, spent three months (a Thai custom) in the Patriarch's temple and a temple from the 1200's in Chiengmai. Chanting prayers is an intriguing way to experience the overtone series. Took a few sitar lessons in Katmandu and Benares, India. Left Bangkok for Pomfret School in Connecticut. Took up with Big Lost, a band of acoustic guitars, cello, flute, vocals, and me on bass and chief mechanic for broken down tour bus. Starved, made a record in our basement, all the usual.

Decided music was not my career based on utterly wrong belief that musicians were either rock stars or spent miserable lives playing bars. Graduated Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, Magna Cum Laude with degree in film. Went on to career in documentaries and commercials and found myself producing tons of music in every conceivable style. Became fascinated with orchestral music. Bought myself a grand piano though I had no inkling of how to play. Simply loved the sound. Began playing more and more for relaxation which soon turned to bliss.

Next thing I knew, I had closed my film production company, bought a rack of synthesizer gear, and moved to San Francisco to compose. No formal training, but others tell me I should count my blessings. Not sure about that, so I read everything I can. Most of it's totally beyond me. Doesn't match up with the way I go about composing, but maybe I'll learn. Love music of any kind, especially: orchestral, choral, jazz, and cartoon music. Of all the wonders of this world, music is about the only thing that really makes sense to me.

Representative musical compositions:

The Dragon In Love, 60 minutes, for orchestra and chorus.
Music for ballet in fourteen scenes that follows the story of a Dragon who has the great misfortune to fall in love.
String Trio No. 1, 10 minutes.
Presto, Larghissimo, Allegretto, ranging in style from classical to blue grass.
Under My Bed, 2:08
Orchestra, electric guitar and bass, percussion, synths
Shiva Inflagrante, 3:00
Sitar, Shanai, tabla, percussion, woodwinds, band
Wild, 1:21
Woodwinds, Synths, percussion
Ludwig Likes Babes, 3:08
Big band orchestra
Mike's Seersucker, 3:16
Jazz band, with solos for trumpet, electric piano and tenor sax
Backside, 2:48
Jazz band with solos for piano, clarinet, muted trumpet
Gimme That, 4:13
Big band orchestra
Domini Dominate Us, 6:03
Orchestra, jazz band, and synths

To reach the composer:
email: bailhe@concentric.net
physical mail: 10950 Chalon Road, Los Angeles, CA 90077
telephone: 310-476-6957
fax: 310-476-9237