THANK YOU
Commitment, loyalty and transmission
Thank you all for your support and your involvement.
This text is a bit long, but I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read it to the end.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU TO OUR MASTERS
Thank you to our Masters for their commitment, their humility, and their immense talent.
They allow us to live a true waking dream.
By their side, music once again becomes a living, sincere and deeply human language.
With remarkable kindness and availability, they give without counting.
At every Grande Masterclass, they share far more than their knowledge : a vision, a standard of excellence, and a deep love for music done right… and for others, quite simply.
It is this rare generosity that makes each Masterclass an intense, formative and unforgettable experience.
Thank you — and thank you again
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE IMMENSE RICHARD BONA ...
A true gentleman : Richard Bona.
During the very first Masterclass, in the middle of Hurricane Sandy in New York, Richard did not sleep for three days while trying to find a flight to France.
With no fuel, no taxis, no luggage, he walked to JFK Airport to put his name on an almost hopeless waiting list.
After hours of waiting, Lufthansa asked for a volunteer to replace a passenger — someone with no luggage.
That someone was Richard. New York → Cincinnati → Venice → Frankfurt → Paris → Nice.
Two full days of travel. And yet, he was there.
Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m., at the Masterclass.
All your students and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this extraordinary commitment.
THEY WERE THERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING... A tribute to those we have lost
SYLVAIN LUC — what can be said about our beloved Sylvain ?
Over the years, he became much more than a Master: he became a close friend. We shared ideas and concepts for hours.
I followed him to countless concerts. Sometimes we found ourselves alone in a dressing room, eating a cold meal…
and I was happy to share those strange, simple and deeply enriching moments by his side.
All these Masterclasses were illuminated by his presence, his love for others, his staggering technique, his musicality, and his incredible power of improvisation.
Pat Metheny himself once told me that, in his eyes, Sylvain was the greatest guitarist on the planet.
He left us brutally, leaving us all devastated.
I will probably never recover from it.
I saw a star shine, a galaxy… and it left us.
RIP, my Sylvain.
Our friend Alex
Alex was there from the very first Masterclass.
Without him, the concept would probably never have come to life — or only with great difficulty.
He gave everything: his skills, his availability, his equipment — without ever counting.
He became an absolute partner, then an unbreakable friend.
Committed. Entirely volunteer.
I say was because Alex left us in October 2018.
Alex, you will remain forever in our hearts.
RIP my friend.
There was also Jacques…
For 40 years, we walked this path together. We began by studying the solos of Mike Stern, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, and so many others.
We did everything together to make the second edition of the Masterclass a true success.
And it took a lot of work and perseverance, didn’t it, my friend ?…
Illness took you from us as well, tearing you away from our affection. You too will remain forever in our hearts.
RIP my friend.
THANK YOU TO THE STUDENTS !
Thank you to all the students who followed us...
... and who continue to follow us in this adventure.
Without you, this dream would never have existed.
Thank you for your kindness, your enthusiasm, and for the blind trust you placed in us.
Thank you to all those who helped us with strength, courage and loyalty.
THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE...
A very special thank you to our friend Roger Valéroti
Roger is one of the most faithful among the faithful. His constant involvement and exceptional skills make every Grande Masterclass a technical and human success. Always on deck, always improving what already exists… He comes very close to perfection as a stage manager and sound engineer. And on top of that, he is an outstanding bassist and musician! 
Thank you dear Roger
Thank you to Sébastien and Emma for their unwavering support during the very first Grande Masterclass.
Thank you to Dimitri for his kindness and unique expertise.
Thank you to Pierre Ferrandez, our legendary Panic Boy.
Thank you to our loyal journalists and photographers.
Thank you to Jazz News magazine for its constant support..
Thank you to Matthieu / DUSHOW for all the equipment provided during the Masterclass and the concerts.
Thank you to the sidemen and translators of the Masterclass.
AND FINALLY…
Thank you to my life partner Stella — By Starlight, of course…
For her strength and unwavering support year after year.
A huge thank you to our daughter Manon, who, thanks to her skills as a producer, has always supported us and delivered truly outstanding professional work.
Thank you for your unwavering support day after day, for your love, your strength, for the daily logistics, commitment and energy that made this dream a reality...
And what a reality it is !
Thank you, thank you to both of you.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.
YOU ARE GREAT !
