Jazz and traditional French music have always been part of Xavier’s life growing up in Paris. Think of Richard Galliano meeting Miles Davis! His first taste of radio was work experience as a teenager in a major French radio station. Although mainly bringing coffee to star presenters, here he experienced his first musical frisson (thrill) seeing prestigious classical and jazz artists performing live in a small studio.
Settling down under in 2000, he started a broadcast career with SBS Radio. He produced and presented the youth music program (Alchemy) before embarking on producer/ journalist for SBS’s French Program. This included interviewing European jazz, pop and classical artists.
One of Xavier’s great joys in jazz is that it absorbs influences from different musical cultures, including the rich musical legacy of France and USA. Planet Jazz showcases the diversity of modern jazz music that is produced around the world, Australia included.