# Marcel Azzola > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Marcel_Azzola > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Marcel_Azzola.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Azzola > Source revision: 1350305624 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) French accordionist (1927–2019) Marcel Azzola Azzola in 2015 Background information Born (1927-07-10)July 10, 1927 Paris, France Died January 21, 2019(2019-01-21) (aged 91) Villennes-sur-Seine, France Occupation Musician Instrument Accordion Musical artist **Marcel Azzola** (10 July 1927 – 21 January 2019) was a French [accordionist](/source/Accordionist). He performed with [Stan Getz](/source/Stan_Getz) and [Jacques Brel](/source/Jacques_Brel), among others. The famous line "*Chauffe, Marcel!*" ("Heat up, Marcel") in Brel's song "Vesoul" refers to Azzola, who played the accordion during the recording.[1] ## Biography Marcel Azzola was born in Paris in 1927 to Italian parents: his father, Giuseppe (a builder, 1896–1978) and his mother, Angelina (1901–2002) both came from [Bergamo](/source/Bergamo).[2] Marcel had two elder and two younger sisters. His parents had moved to France in 1922.[3] His father had conducted a mandolin orchestra in Italy, and Marcel, like two of his sisters, learned to play the violin. He abandoned the instrument after a year. In 1936, he began playing accordion, after he became familiar with the accordion orchestra of [Pantin](/source/Pantin). Six months later, he started lessons with [Paul Saive](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Saive&action=edit&redlink=1), who had been the music teacher of [Jo Privat](/source/Jo_Privat). Soon after, Azzola started taking lessons from [Attilio Bonhommi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Attilio_Bonhommi&action=edit&redlink=1) instead. He accompanied Bonhommi during [jazz](/source/Jazz) concerts, first as a percussionist, and later as an accordionist.[3] At 11 years old and having just finished his primary education, Azzola became a professional accordionist. At first he played with the Aveugles de Pantin, but soon he switched to the "Orchestre de l'Amicale Accordéoniste de l'Humanité", a politically leftist orchestra. In 1939 he won first prize in the junior category at the Concours de [Suresnes](/source/Suresnes). At the outbreak of the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War), the Azzolas moved with Bonhommi to [Draillant](/source/Draillant) in the [French Alps](/source/French_Alps). Only his father Giuseppe remained in Pantin. After a year the family returned to Paris, and Azzola started taking lessons with [Médard Ferrero](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M%C3%A9dard_Ferrero&action=edit&redlink=1). At the same time, he worked as an in-house accordionist in many bars in Paris. In 1943, he left Ferrero and studied under [Jacques Mendel](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jacques_Mendel&action=edit&redlink=1), until Mendel, who was Jewish, fled Paris in an unsuccessful attempt to hide from the Nazis. Azzola also became friends with [Geo Daly](/source/Geo_Daly), then still an accordionist but later primarily a [vibraphone](/source/Vibraphone) player. Daly introduced him to contemporary American jazz; most of Azzola's education up that point had centered on classical music and French *[musette](/source/Bal-musette)* and *[chanson](/source/Chanson)*.[3] After the liberation in 1944, Azzola continued to work in multiple bars and for organisations including the American headquarters of the [Red Cross](/source/Red_Cross) in France. He taught himself to play the [bandoneon](/source/Bandoneon). In 1946, he travelled through Germany for six months to play for American soldiers.[3] In the 1950s, he recorded his first songs for [Barclay Records](/source/Barclay_Records) and started collaborating with some of the greatest names of the French chanson, including [Jacques Brel](/source/Jacques_Brel), [Barbara](/source/Barbara_(singer)), [Yves Montand](/source/Yves_Montand), [Boris Vian](/source/Boris_Vian), [Edith Piaf](/source/Edith_Piaf), [Gilbert Bécaud](/source/Gilbert_B%C3%A9caud) and [Juliette Gréco](/source/Juliette_Gr%C3%A9co). He also played with European jazz musicians [Stéphane Grappelli](/source/St%C3%A9phane_Grappelli) and [Toots Thielemans](/source/Toots_Thielemans). He played on some soundtracks and his music can be heard in multiple [Jacques Tati](/source/Jacques_Tati) movies including *[Mon Oncle](/source/Mon_Oncle)*.[4] He taught music at the [Ecole de Musique d'Orsay](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ecole_de_Musique_d%27Orsay&action=edit&redlink=1) for more than 20 years.[4] He was made a Commander (the highest rank) in the [Ordre des Arts et des Lettres](/source/Ordre_des_Arts_et_des_Lettres).[5] ## Personal life Azzola married Jacqueline, who died young. They had one daughter.[6] Marcel died in January 2019 in [Villennes-sur-Seine](/source/Villennes-sur-Seine), where he lived with musician [Lina Bossati](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lina_Bossati&action=edit&redlink=1).[4] ## Discography - *Ball Musette* (Polydor, 1959) - *Gipsy Waltz* ([EmArcy](/source/EmArcy_Records), 1989) - *L' Accordeoniste: Homage to Piaf* ([Polygram](/source/Polygram_Records), 1995) - *Et Ca Tournait: Anthologie du Musette* ([Sony](/source/Sony_Music), 2000) - *Jazzola* ([Black & Blue](/source/Black_%26_Blue_Records), 2002) - *Le Meilleurs* (Disky, 2002) - *3 Temps Pour Bien Faire* ([Le Chant du Monde](/source/Le_Chant_du_Monde), 2005) - *Adios Muchachos* ([Intense](/source/Intense_Records), 2006) - *Les Grands Standards, Vol. 1* (Universal, 2006) - *Les Grands Standards, Vol. 2* (Universal, 2006) - *Musique a La Mode* (Universal, 2007) - *Vignola Reunion Trio* (Nel Jazz, 1999) - *Accordeon Seduction* ([Wagram](/source/Wagram_Music), 2010) - *La Cumparsita* (Sound and Vision, 2012) - *Les Archives de l'Accordéon* (Marianne Melodie/Multiwaves, 2010) - *Vive le Musette* ([Parlophone](/source/Parlophone), 2013)[7] **With [Stan Getz](/source/Stan_Getz)** - *[Mort d'un Pourri](/source/Death_of_a_Corrupt_Man#Musical_score_and_soundtrack)* (Melba, 1977) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Marcel Azzola: "Pour Jacques Brel, mon accordéon était essentiel""](https://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/2018/10/09/03006-20181009ARTFIG00016-marcel-azzola-pour-brel-j-allais-a-chaque-seance-meme-quand-je-n-avais-pas-a-jouer.php). *Figaro*. 9 October 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Morandi, Daniela. ["Azzola, il genio della fisarmonica"](https://bergamo.corriere.it/bergamo/notizie/cultura-e-spettacoli/12_dicembre_29/marcel-azzola-fisarmonica-bergamo-concerti-2113337468468.shtml). *bergamo.corriere.it/*. Corriere della Sera. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Lemire_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Lemire_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Lemire_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Lemire_3-3) Lemire, Claude (2017). [*Marcel Azzola: parcours d'un musicien atypique*](https://books.google.com/books?id=RakoDwAAQBAJ&q=%22marcel+azzola%22) (in French). L'Harmattan. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9782343122809](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9782343122809). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Express_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Express_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Express_4-2) ["L'accordéoniste Marcel Azzola est mort à 91 ans"](https://www.lexpress.fr/culture/musique/l-accordeoniste-francais-marcel-azzola-qui-s-etait-illustre-dans-plusieurs-musiques-de-films-de-jacques-tati-ou-encore-dans-vesoul-de-jacques-brel-est-mort-a-91-ans_2058550.html). *L'Express*. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Figaro_5-0)** "Disparition de Marcel Azzola, l'accordéoniste de Fréhel, Piaf, Brel, Gréco, Tati, Mouloudji". *Le Figaro*. AFP. 22 January 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Azzola_6-0)** Azzola, Marcel (2006). [*Chauffe Marcel*](https://books.google.com/books?id=7QM9AAAAQBAJ&q=%22marcel+azzola%22) (in French). Archipel. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9782809813197](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9782809813197). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Marcel Azzola | Album Discography | AllMusic"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/marcel-azzola-mn0000679768). *AllMusic*. Retrieved 15 October 2016. ## External links - [Official website](https://www.marcelazzola.com/) - [Marcel Azzola](http://mediatheque.cite-musique.fr/masc/?INSTANCE=CITEMUSIQUE&URL=/mediacomposite/CMDO/CMDO000020000/CMDO000021000/CMDO000021000_0588/default.htm) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND WorldCat National United States France BnF data Spain Netherlands Latvia Poland Finland Belgium Artists MusicBrainz People Deutsche Biographie Other IdRef SNAC --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Marcel Azzola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Azzola) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Azzola?action=history)). 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