Michel Goldberg

Michel Goldberg, after a solid classical training on the clarinet, learns the saxophone (alto, tenor, soprano) as an autodidact.

He plays (or has played) regularly with Georges Arvanitas Quartet, Peter Ind's Bass Clef International, Dee Dee Brigdgewater big band, Georges Brown, Gérard Badini Super Swing Machine, Michel Legrand Big Band (Carnegie Hall 1996), Milky sax (featuring Arturo Sandoval and Michel Legrand), Michel Zenino sextet.

Michel Goldberg currently leads his quartet Pure Imagination with Dexter Goldberg, Yoni Zelnic and Simon Bernier. He is also the initiator of a duo GOLDBERG(S) with his son Dexter on the piano.

He has played music other than jazz: salsa with Eddie Martinez, Caribbean music with Michel Alibo, African music with Rido Bayonne, klezmer music (KLe-Z band), pop with Magma (Merci record), French song (François Morel), electronic music, etc.

Selective discography as a sideman:   

• Quartet — Georges Arvanitas (CDCarrère)
• Peter Ind’s Bass Clef International « live at the 606 club (Chelsea, London) » (CD Wave 42)
• Klezmer latitudes – Groupe Kle–z (CD Pygmalion records)

In July 2012, he recorded his album Pure Imagination with his quartet (released in 2013). He also records an album with his duo GOLDBERG(S) Family business (released in 2019 on the Ahead/Socadisc label).

Passionate about pedagogy, he founded (in 1983) the ARPEJ jazz school in Paris and now assumes the responsibilities of pedagogical director and teacher (saxophone and improvisation classes). He has - among other pedagogical activities - been responsible for a jazz sector within the Saint-Malo Conservatory.

He is the author of a 2-volume saxophone method (about 20,000 copies sold) and has participated (as a collaborator) in other pedagogical works.

Finally, he has been an initiator of online musical training for more than ten years.

Photo credit: André Arich