An intimate night with Swiss jazz pianist Claude Diallo

Jazz pianist Claude Diallo

Swiss jazz pianist Claude Diallo is no stranger to the Philippine jazz scene. He has made it a point to drop by country and have a concert or two whenever he happens to be in the Asia Pacific region that I've already stopped counting how many times I've seen him perform in here.

Claude's latest stop included an intimate concert presented by the Embassy of Switzerland and the Alliance Francaise de Manille. This evening was among the last events hosted by outgoing Ambassador Andrea Reichlin before she finished her tour of duty here in the Philippines.

The hour long showcase had Claude on the piano performing jazz arrangements of familiar tunes like Overjoyed with a delightful 7/4 time signature, as well as his own compositions that he has dedicated to key people in his life, like Cameroonian jazz bassist Richard Bona, and his son Leo Matthieu.

The evening was capped by a cocktail reception wherein guests were able to meet and get to know Claude over drinks. It was a great pleasure knowing that a huge chunk of the audience have not seen Claude perform before until that night.

Here is a sample of Claude Diallo's discography to enjoy until the next time he drops by the country.