“Born in Dax (Landes) between the arenas and the rugby field”, he says of him, Alex Dutilh is the producer of “Open jazz”, the daily program which tops the audience of France Musique: 200 000 listeners, every day, from 6 to 7 p.m. His laugh is as famous as it is contagious. His river interviews (Ahmad Jamal, Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett…) have reference value.
The spirit of Alex Dutilh – playfulness mixed with an impregnable culture -, his very “Southwestern” generosity, his slight undulating accent, he offers them as a courtesy to listeners. There is no doubt that he knows his share of bereavements and difficulties, but he has the courtesy to keep them to himself. On a daily basis, he is what is called a “bon vivant”. The most curious thing is the spectrum of his tastes. Nothing but eclecticism, if there were no preferences. The compass and the revealer. For Alex Dutilh? Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett in times of reprobation, Ahmad Jamal, Sonny Rollins, plus, amazingly, Anthony Braxton. Add Charles Lloyd, Sonny Rollins, Henri Texier, Michel Portal, etc.
“The Word of the Musicians”
“Open Jazz” welcomes beginners, emerging talents, established artists, with the same passion, the same quality of listening: “Laurent Goddet, editor-in-chief of Jazz Hot, where I had been a journalist and photographer since 1970, is the first to have drawn my attention to the founding value of the word of musicians. Whether she’s telling the truth or something else…”
In civilian life, Dutilh (Sciences Po, master’s degree in public law) has just joined the customs administration. As elegant as it is relevant, Laurent Goddet was suddenly fired in 1982. The entire editorial team followed him. Goddet is hired at Jeune Afrique on the condition that he stop doing the zouave in the post (the “jazz”, is not it…). Without saying anything about the reason, he entrusts his program devoted to Bill Evans, to Dutilh. Dutilh, record collector, and, how to say, over-attentive “listener”, “listener”, “listener”, sees his replacement confirmed.
He offered “Jazz midi”, then “Jazz de cœur”, “Jazz de pique” (news program with columnists), created “Open Jazz” in 2008, multiplied the activities (National Center for Musical Action from 1984 to 1990 ), directed the Variety Studio (1990-2009), founded the monthly Jazzman (1984-1990), presented programs for Arte, etc.
He gets around on a scooter and loves good food. At France Musique, Marc Voinchet is its 19th director. Does he have a team to prepare for this daily live hour? “No, just a production assistant, Emmanuelle Lacaze, and a studio technician. For the site, we provide a kind of daily newspaper. What about programming? “I’m on my own. It starts in the morning at the mailbox. I listen to everything I receive. I often find pearls. I contact the artists, I prepare ten days in advance to digitize new releases and covers…”
Forty years of radio, still the same momentum… Twenty musicians will celebrate this anniversary live from Studio 104 on Tuesday, April 25 at 8 p.m. Blowing set: from Airelle Besson to Henri Texier, passing by Gautier Garrigue (drummer to follow closely) and Erik Truffaz, Sylvain Luc or Anne Paceo, Pierrick Pedron or Michel Portal, plus Robin Mansanti, phenomenon of times to come.
