Jacques Schwarz-Bart was born of mixed races....

Jacques Schwarz-Bart was born of mixed races. His early experience as a man taught him that one can be a harmonious receptacle for several cultures, as long as each one is given its value and importance. Much later in life, Jacques quit his career as a French government official to embrace music and study at Berklee College in Boston.

He then understood that the identity of a man can evolve based his choices. In fact, after living in NY for 21 years now, Jacques has also become a New Yorker… In the wake of this unique and evolving musical identity, all of Jacques’ Projects can be situated at the crossroad of jazz, soul, and afro-Caribbean music. In 1997, Jacques collaborates with trumpeter Roy Hargrove for the first time as part of the band called Crisol.

Among numerous collaborations, he also worked with d'Angelo, Erykah Badu… Jacques left Roy’s band in 2004 to create his Gwoka Jazz Project and recorded two albums for Universal, Soné Ka La and Abyss, which have built his current career as an internationally acclaimed jazz band leader. After the birth of his son, he listened to the songs that were dedicated to his mother years ago and found they still sounded fresh. That is how he decided to finally complete this project today, and give those songs a chance to be documented and heard in the album « Rise Above », with the participation of the woman in his life, the great singer Stephanie McKay. Site da Banda http://www.brotherjacques.com/

Band Members of Lionel Loueke (guitar),
Milan Milanovic (keys),
Mark Kelley (bass),
Sonny Troupé (markè drum),
Olivier Juste (boula drum).