Despite a difficult economic context, the programmers of the COGNAC BLUES PASSIONS are not short of ideas to motivate spectators and adapt their thirty-year-old festival. To this end, the piano is in the spotlight in the "Remy Martin" house for an exercise called "The Road to Soul".
Two musicians performed for this 2025 edition, Julien Brunetaud et Rémi Panossian. The latter, who has performed with his trio RP3 in Tokyo, Montreal, Rio de Janeiro and all over the world, accepted the interview offered by Luxe Infinity. With more than 4 years of experience, this fan of Asia received the prestigious title of "Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres" from the French Ministry of Culture and was the winner of the Maison Villevert prize received in 15 during the Piano en Valois festival. This jazz enthusiast is from Montpellier and has released a dozen albums with his trio or in collaboration with Julien Duthu, Nicolas Gardel as well as for the film “Les Ogres” by Léa Fehner released in 2016.
RÉMI PANOSSIAN – INTERVIEW
Diego : This is your first time attending Cognac Blues Passions. How do you feel about being featured at the festival, knowing that you've performed in many places around the world?
Rémi : Yesterday we had a great time at home Remy MartinThe piano was incredible and the audience very motivated, an intense moment.
Diego : By the way, what do you think of the organizers' desire to diversify the musical offering by highlighting one instrument per year?
Rémi : Playing solo piano at a blues festival is quite rare, even though the instrument is very present in the style. This was an opportunity to focus on this single piano for an hour in an unusual setting, and I think it was an excellent idea.
Diego : Do you become a pianist young or is it an instrument that you can start to master late?
Rémi : Personally, I started at 7 years old and I think it's difficult to get into it "late" even if nothing is impossible. At 20, I was a professional and I had already released my first album! I think other instruments like drums and guitar are more accessible.
Diego : Last night, did you start your set with a Radiohead song where my information is wrong?
Rémi : That's not true! (laughs) I listened to Radiohead a lot when I was younger, and some of my chords are reminiscent of that musical style. A few similar notes then lead to music that is unique to me...
Diego : What piano training did you have? French, Russian...
Rémi : Classical “in plaster”! I started with classical and then quickly moved on to jazz at the age of 10.
Diego : I understand that you often play in Asia and that you love this region of the world. Do you have any special memories to share?
Rémi : Obviously. One of the first concerts we performed with RP3 as a trio, we arrived in Taiwan for the Taichung Jazz Festival expecting to play on a small local stage. We performed in front of 12 spectators! The trio was very young and it left a lasting impression on us. In the same spirit, a memory in Japan where we played in a traditional house with doors made of rice paper. There were only 000 people and it was magical. A great contrast between these two performances, so close in time. Two exceptional moments.
Diego : Do you speak Japanese?
Rémi : I can order beers in every language possible! (laughs)
Diego : The famous international language, in gesture! Musically, what are your pop-rock influences?
Rémi : I listened a lot to the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead as mentioned above.
Diego : And would you like to collaborate with some of your influences?
Rémi : If Thom Yorke wants to come and sing on one or two songs, I'm all for it!
Diego : Damon Albarn too… Fatoumata Diawara recently told me about him!
Rémi : Everything he touches turns to gold!
Diego : Do you have a ritual before going on stage, like drinking a glass of sake? (laughs)
Rémi : No sake, but I drink one or two small glasses. Just enough to relax and release the pressure. On the other hand, for the Cognac Blues Passions, I admit that the after-show was rather sporty...
Diego : I know… you have to face it!
Rémi : What is this city? The volunteers at the artist village gave us a very warm welcome! I'm originally from Montpellier, I live in Toulouse, and I discovered Cognac-Schweppes last night...
Diego : Do you still play regularly in a small bar in Toulouse?
Rémi : Not anymore. I did it for 12 years every Tuesday evening in a restaurant where my piano was permanently installed. I once played in Asia in front of 5000 people and, as soon as I arrived in Toulouse at 18 p.m., headed to the club where I played in front of 6 people. I loved it!
Diego : Tough question, what are your 5 best artistic minutes?
Rémi : I love the last 5 minutes of my concerts. People are with us, and the feeling of the last chord before standing up and being applauded reflects a rewarding enthusiasm.
Diego : Do you only perform original songs solo?
Rémi : No, I include a few covers like "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones and "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" by Ryuichi Sakamoto from the movie "Furyo" with David Bowie. Also a few jazz standards rearranged in my own way.
Diego : Speaking of sauce, if you could have dinner with any celebrity, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you talk about?
Rémi : Albert Einstein. We would talk about reality TV… (laughs)
Diego : From cell phones and Facebook!
Rémi : More seriously, let him explain his vision of the universe to me. Also the physicist Stephen Hawking. These people fascinate me and I am passionate about astronomy.
Diego : During your 20-year career, have you had a more difficult moment than another?
Rémi : The Covid period. Our album "In Odd We Trust" came out 15 days before and we had 70 concerts scheduled in about fifteen different countries. Unable to play anymore, I helped a friend in the kitchen who had opened a restaurant on the Ile de Ré. I kept busy. The place is in Rivedoux and is called "L'Ane Qui Tangue". I worked 12 hours a day without air conditioning but it was great. We were among friends.
Diego : Where are you with your 8th album?
Rémi : It was released at the end of August with a few singles already available like “Spam” and “The Girl From Lamma”. We shot the music video for “Bimbimbop” in Korea.
Diego : Finally, what are your best concerts experienced as a spectator?
Rémi : That of the South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim in Marciac in the early 2000s. He is ultra-minimalist and it is magnificent, I cried. The monumental slap. Also Michel Petrucciani whom I saw at the age of 10 and who was like a trigger for jazz. Seeing this disabled man who was my height (because I was a child) play like a madman, motivated me.
My parents were amazing because they introduced me to so many different cultural facets. Dance, music, theater, jazz… and they supported me in my choices. Finally, a Joe Cocker concert with my father and a Keith Jarrett trio concert in Marciac. I'm a fan.
Diego : Thank you Rémi, have a great start to this new Asian tour!
Rémi : See you soon.
Concert photos : David Parenteau for Cognac Blues Passions 2025
