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| Heddy Boubaker. Photo: wikipedia |
By David Cristol
Improviser Heddy Boubaker passed away suddenly on January 19, from the same
issue (aortic dissection) that had forced him to stop playing the saxophone
in 2010 and artistically reinvent himself on electric bass and analog
synthesizer. Boubaker was an unofficial prime mover in the Toulouse area,
not only as a player in the many bands he took part in (let’s mention The
End, Wet and Èch) but also as an organizer, notably via his monthly and
often revelatory house concerts (at his family home dubbed « La Maison
Peinte » aka The Painted House) during a period of ten years starting in
2004. Born in Marseille in 1963, with roots in Tunisia, Boubaker moved to
Paris where he seriously began studying jazz and playing in various bands
and genres before settling in Toulouse, where decisive encounters with
saxophonists Marc Démereau and Michel Doneda led him to free improvisation.
La Maison Peinte has welcomed Michel Doneda, Daunik Lazro, Nuch Werchowska,
Gino Robair, Baloni [Joachim Badenhorst, Frantz Loriot, Pascal
Niggenkemper], Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Anne Choquet, Henry Herteman, Laurent
Avizou, Jack Wright, Hervé Pérez, Birgit Ulher and many others, and created
the best possible atmosphere for audiences to listen… among the visual
creations of Heddy’s wife Zehavite, covering every inch of the house. The
Boubakers also launched the Un Rêve Nu label, whose collectible records
(each cover is unique) combine improvised music with graphic design. As a
musician, Heddy played and/or toured with Tony Marsh, Guillaume Viltard,
Jean-Luc Guionnet, Eddie Prévost, Pascal Battus, Lê Quan Ninh, Mazen Kerbaj,
Steve Beresford, Eugene Chadbourne, Miguel Garcia, Fabien Duscombs…
A deep thinker who put the freedom of sounds before that of the musician, in
2012 Heddy also founded the 50-strong improvised music ensemble F.I.L.
(Fabrique d’Improvisation Libre) with pianist Christine Wodrascka, an
ensemble supported by the music department of Toulouse university which
provided a large rehearsal space and grand pianos, and which included old
improvising hands Dominique Regef and Jean-Yves Evrard as well as young
practitioners of the music.
Close friend and trumpeter Sébastien Cirotteau, states :
« His insatiable appetite, boundless energy, determination and joy in
establishing connections made Heddy an indispensable pillar of the music
community in Toulouse and far beyond. »
Heddy is survived by his life partner Zéhavite, three children (Tommy, Milan
& Ella) and grandchildren. An online fundraising has been set up to help
them deal financially with the situation: