His father and uncles fought in France alongside the Americans in WWII, and Gerard Alcantara grew up immersed in the American jazz sounds of Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. He instinctively recreated the sounds of the large instrumental ensembles with his voice, not realizing that what he was doing was called, “scat singing”.

He’s been doing it ever since, and his phrasing today illuminates his country’s rich culture and the times of his upbringing and natural learning.

In the 60s and 70s he worked in the radio and recording studios of Paris and the South of France with most of the stars of the day.

And now, Gerard stirs things up with 21 tracks from his two albums, “Jazz In Marseille” and “American Life”.

On October 15 and 16, 2010, Gerard Alcantara and AlcantaraJazzline appear at Les Dauphins in Marseille, France.