Jazz au Mézenc - Raymond Fol Festival

A Jazz Festival at the Summit of Haute-Loire

In the heart of the Mézenc massif, at over 1,300 meters above sea level, the hamlet of Matagot in the commune of Chaudeyrolles hosts a unique jazz festival each summer. The Jazz au Mézenc - Raymond Fol Festival was born from the passion of Jean-Paul and Chloé Valois, who wished to keep the memory of pianist Raymond Fol alive in this austere and magnificent mountain setting, just a stone's throw from the summit of Mont Mézenc (1,753 m), the highest point in Haute-Loire and Ardèche.

Raymond Fol, an Exceptional Pianist

Raymond Fol (1928-1979) is one of the great French jazz pianists. Born in Paris, he began playing the piano at the age of five and quickly established himself on the post-war jazz scene. With his brother Hubert Fol (saxophonist), he formed the Be Bop Minstrels after playing in Claude Abadie's orchestra alongside Boris Vian. His career led him to collaborate with the biggest names in jazz: Django Reinhardt, Sidney Bechet, Chet Baker, Dizzy Gillespie (European tour in 1952), Claude Luter, Guy Lafitte, and Stéphane Grappelli. A regular pianist at the Club Saint-Germain in Paris in the 1950s, he was invited as a soloist by Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1969 and 1974. He is notably known for recording a jazz version of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.

A Week of Jazz and Blues at Altitude

The festival takes place every year during the third week of August and offers a two-part program. The jazz workshop, open to all amateur and professional musicians, runs for several days and allows participants to work alongside renowned professional musicians. The workshop welcomes all instruments: saxophone, trumpet, bass, piano, percussion, drums, and vocals. The concerts, scheduled for the end of the week, bring together guest artists and musicians from the French and international jazz scene in the warm atmosphere of the Ferme de Matagot.

An Exceptional Natural Setting

The festival is held in a remarkable natural setting, on the northern slope of Mont Mézenc. This volcanic peak, which culminates at 1,753 meters, offers a 360-degree panorama of the Ardèche mountains, the Velay, the Cévennes, and, on clear days, as far as the Alps and Mont Blanc. The village of Chaudeyrolles, at an altitude of 1,300 meters, is known for being one of the coldest villages in France and for its tradition of Fin Gras du Mézenc, a protected designation of origin beef raised on high-altitude meadows. This alliance of quality jazz and wild mountain scenery gives the festival a unique atmosphere, conducive to exchange and conviviality.

Renowned Artists in a Mountain Setting

Over the years, the festival has hosted leading musicians from the French and international jazz scene, including Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu and Guadeloupean pianist Alain Jean-Marie, a major figure in Caribbean jazz and biguine jazz. The programming prioritizes artistic quality and proximity between musicians and the audience, in the spirit of a human-scale festival where music is shared with simplicity.