Simon Goubert DRUMS
Virginie Crouail
career
Born in Rennes, France, in 1960, Simon Goubert began to learn piano at age 3. He discovered the drums on the occasion of a performance by Kenny Clarke in his native town on February 4th, 1970.
But above all, he spent his nights in jazz clubs, where he jammed daily thanks to the kindness of the great drummers who were regulars there: Aldo Romano, George Brown, Jacques Thollot, Bernard Lubat, Oliver Johnson, and Christian Vander.
In 1981, after playing for two years in guitarist Philippe Petit's quartet, Simon Goubert founded the band "Spiral," which played in the purest Coltranian tradition. At the same time, from 1982 until 1987, he performed on keyboards in Christian Vander's band Offering, which he joined from 1992 to 1997 as part of Les Voix de Magma and then Magma. Between 1992 and 1998, he regularly appeared in groups led by Joachim Kühn, in trios or quartets, alongside Jean-François Jenny-Clark, Michel Benita, Dominique Pifarély, Louis Sclavis and Christof Lauer.
Since then, in addition to recording more than 90 albums - including 9 under his own name - Simon Goubert has been called upon to play with, among others: Steve Grossman, Sonny Fortune, René Urtreger, Éric Barret, Alain Jean-Marie, Christian Escoudé, Jacques Vidal, Jacky Terrasson, Bireli Lagrène, Michèle Hendricks, Riccardo Del Fra, Philip Catherine, Siegfried Kessler, Dave Liebman, Eric Le Lann, Jean-François Jenny- Clark, Patrick Molard, Kim Parker, Steve Potts, Babik Reinhardt, David Patrois, Mal Waldron, Laurent De Wilde, Didier Levallet, Michel Edelin, George Mraz, Andy Emler, Eddie Henderson, Gordon Beck, François Jeanneau, John Hicks, Manuel Rocheman, James Carter, Eric Watson, Gary Brunton, Louis Sclavis, Lee Konitz, Martial Solal, Chuk Israëls, Joëlle Léandre, François Corneloup, Tony Hymas...
As for his main groups, from 1987 to 1997, he performed in a trio with Michel Graillier and Alby Cullaz and in 1994, he founded the group “Welcome” with Christian Vander. In 2004, it was the turn of “Soft Bounds” in collaboration with Sophia Domancich, Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean. During that same year, the duo he formed with S.Domancich and the trio “DAG” were created, with the pianist and double bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel. From 2001 to 2012, with Emmanuel Bex and Glenn Ferris, S. Goubert also formed the BFG trio, which won the most prestigious awards (Victoires du Jazz and Great Prize de l'Académie Charles Cros 2001), while also leading a now legendary quartet with Boris Blanchet, Michel Zenino, and S. Domancich.
Between 2010 and 2013, he recorded three albums in trio with the great Japanese pianist Manabu Ohishi with whom he came to play for the first time in Japan.
Since 2009, he’s leading "African Jazz Roots" with korist Ablaye Cissoko (along with S. Domancich, Jean-Philippe Viret, and Ibou Ndir). Their third album, "Seetu," was voted "favorite" by the Académie Charles Cros in 2023.
Aside from his solo album "Le matin des ombres" (released in 2022) and the duo formed with Sophia Domancich (whose second album, "Twofold head," was released in 2021) Simon has been performing in the world's most prestigious venues with the group Magma since 2020 (still as a pianist) with which he came for a tour in japan in 2022.
Finally, he regularly composes for the stage (dance, shows) and for radio (poetry and drama programs produced by France Culture) and participates in the artistic direction of the PeeWee! label.
Simon Goubert was the first drummer to receive the Django Reinhardt Award from the Académie du Jazz in 1996, and won the Great Prize from the Académie Charles Cros in 2020 for his album, "nous verrons...".
But above all, he spent his nights in jazz clubs, where he jammed daily thanks to the kindness of the great drummers who were regulars there: Aldo Romano, George Brown, Jacques Thollot, Bernard Lubat, Oliver Johnson, and Christian Vander.
In 1981, after playing for two years in guitarist Philippe Petit's quartet, Simon Goubert founded the band "Spiral," which played in the purest Coltranian tradition. At the same time, from 1982 until 1987, he performed on keyboards in Christian Vander's band Offering, which he joined from 1992 to 1997 as part of Les Voix de Magma and then Magma. Between 1992 and 1998, he regularly appeared in groups led by Joachim Kühn, in trios or quartets, alongside Jean-François Jenny-Clark, Michel Benita, Dominique Pifarély, Louis Sclavis and Christof Lauer.
Since then, in addition to recording more than 90 albums - including 9 under his own name - Simon Goubert has been called upon to play with, among others: Steve Grossman, Sonny Fortune, René Urtreger, Éric Barret, Alain Jean-Marie, Christian Escoudé, Jacques Vidal, Jacky Terrasson, Bireli Lagrène, Michèle Hendricks, Riccardo Del Fra, Philip Catherine, Siegfried Kessler, Dave Liebman, Eric Le Lann, Jean-François Jenny- Clark, Patrick Molard, Kim Parker, Steve Potts, Babik Reinhardt, David Patrois, Mal Waldron, Laurent De Wilde, Didier Levallet, Michel Edelin, George Mraz, Andy Emler, Eddie Henderson, Gordon Beck, François Jeanneau, John Hicks, Manuel Rocheman, James Carter, Eric Watson, Gary Brunton, Louis Sclavis, Lee Konitz, Martial Solal, Chuk Israëls, Joëlle Léandre, François Corneloup, Tony Hymas...
As for his main groups, from 1987 to 1997, he performed in a trio with Michel Graillier and Alby Cullaz and in 1994, he founded the group “Welcome” with Christian Vander. In 2004, it was the turn of “Soft Bounds” in collaboration with Sophia Domancich, Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean. During that same year, the duo he formed with S.Domancich and the trio “DAG” were created, with the pianist and double bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel. From 2001 to 2012, with Emmanuel Bex and Glenn Ferris, S. Goubert also formed the BFG trio, which won the most prestigious awards (Victoires du Jazz and Great Prize de l'Académie Charles Cros 2001), while also leading a now legendary quartet with Boris Blanchet, Michel Zenino, and S. Domancich.
Between 2010 and 2013, he recorded three albums in trio with the great Japanese pianist Manabu Ohishi with whom he came to play for the first time in Japan.
Since 2009, he’s leading "African Jazz Roots" with korist Ablaye Cissoko (along with S. Domancich, Jean-Philippe Viret, and Ibou Ndir). Their third album, "Seetu," was voted "favorite" by the Académie Charles Cros in 2023.
Aside from his solo album "Le matin des ombres" (released in 2022) and the duo formed with Sophia Domancich (whose second album, "Twofold head," was released in 2021) Simon has been performing in the world's most prestigious venues with the group Magma since 2020 (still as a pianist) with which he came for a tour in japan in 2022.
Finally, he regularly composes for the stage (dance, shows) and for radio (poetry and drama programs produced by France Culture) and participates in the artistic direction of the PeeWee! label.
Simon Goubert was the first drummer to receive the Django Reinhardt Award from the Académie du Jazz in 1996, and won the Great Prize from the Académie Charles Cros in 2020 for his album, "nous verrons...".
discographie chez yolk
concerts
It's not an exhaustive list.
november 2025
connections
other worksLeader :
"Haïti" (1991) - "Couleurs de peaux" (1993) - "L'encierro" (1995) - "Des jours difficiles" (compilation Les Allumés du Jazz)
(1997) - "Le phare des Pierres Noires" (1998) - "Désormais,..." (2001) - "et après" (2005) - “Background” (2008) - “nous verrons...” (2019) - “Le matin des ombres” (2022)
Co-Leader:
Steve GROSSMAN / Alby CULLAZ / Simon GOUBERT : "Reflections" (1991)
Simon GOUBERT & Christian VANDER "WELCOME" : "Bienvenue" (1995) Michel GRAILLIER / Alby CULLAZ / Simon GOUBERT : "It was a very good night" (1998) Éric BARRET & Simon GOUBERT : "Linkage" (2000)
Emmanuel BEX / Glenn FERRIS / Simon GOUBERT "BFG" : "Here and now" – (2001) M.GRAILLIER / A.CULLAZ / S GOUBERT : "Sweet smile" - (Japon 2004)
"SOFT BOUNDS" (2005)
Sophia DOMANCICH/Jean-Jacques AVENEL/Simon GOUBERT "DAG" (2006) Sophia DOMANCICH & Simon GOUBERT "You don't know what love is" (2007) DAG "Free 4 DAG” (invité: Dave Liebman) (2009)
Simon GOUBERT & Ablaye CISSOKO "African Jazz Roots" (2012)
DAG - “Upcoming summer” (2013)
Emmanuel BEX / Glenn FERRIS / Simon GOUBERT "BFG" : "Now or never" (2013) Simon GOUBERT & Ablaye CISSOKO African Jazz Roots "Au loin" (2017)
Sophia DOMANCICH & Simon GOUBERT “Twofold Head" (2021)
AFRICAN JAZZ ROOTS "Seetu" (2023)
Sideman :
René URTREGER "Serena" (1990) — "The art of romance" (avec M.Graillier et R.Del Fra) (1990) — Arnaud MATTEI
"Kamala" (1990) — Stéphane PERSIANI "Le cinquième" (1990) — Stephanie CRAWFORD / Michel GRAILLIER "A time for love" (1991) — Babik REINHARDT "Nuances" (1992) — Didier LEVALLET "Générations" (1992) — Babik REIN- HARDT "Les enfants de Django" (1993) — Gilles NATUREL "Naturel" (1994) — Jeff GARDNER / Rick MARGITZA "Se- cond home" — (1994) — Patrick CASTILLE "Espace vital" (1994) — Jacques VIDAL "News of Bop" (1995) — Pierre-Mi- chel SIVADIER "D'amour fou d'amour" (1995) — Manuel ROCHEMAN "Tropic City" (1995) — Xavier RICHARDEAU "Aube brune" (1995) — Michel EDELIN "Déblocage d'émergence" (1995) — Jacques VIDAL "Traverses" (1996) — Riccar- do DEL FRA / Bob REVEL "Insieme" (1996) — Jacques VIDAL "Ramblin" (1999) — Manuel ROCHEMAN "I'm old fa- shioned" (1999) — Florin NICULESCU "Gipsy ballad" (1999) — Eric BARRET "New shapes" (1999) — Jacques VIDAL "Saïda" (2000) — Sophia DOMANCICH"Pentacle" (2003) — "Jazz live in Samois" (compilation) (2003) — Eddie HEN- DERSON "Echoes" (2004) — Jacques VIDAL "Sans issue" (2005) — Jacques VIDAL "Mingus spirit" (2007) — Sophia DO- MANCICH Pentacle "Triana moods" (2007) — Emmanuel BEX “Open gate” (2009) — François CORNELOUP “Noir lu- mière” (2010) — Manabu OHISHI “Wish” (2010) — Sophia DOMANCICH “Snakes and ladders” (2010) — Patrick DEFOS- SEZ/Anne-Gabriel DEBAEKER “Pourquoi tant de...” (2011) — Emmanuel BEX “feat Béla Bartók” (2011) — Manabu OHI- SHI “Ku” (2012) — Michel MARRE “I remember Clifford” (2013) — Manabu OHISHI “Gift” (2013) — Michel EDELIN "Résurgences" (2013) — Jack WILKINS "I was born in love with you" (2015) — CEOL MOR “Lights and shades” (2016) — Em- manuel BEX & David LESCOT "La chose Commune" (2017) — Sophia DOMANCICH "en hiver comme au
printemps" (2017) — "Thollot in extenso" (2017) — René URTREGER & Agnès DESARTHES "Premier rendez-
vous" (2017) — Michel EDELIN "Echoes of Henry Cow" (2019) — Gary BRUNTON “Night bus” (2019) — François RI- POCHE "Happy moods" (2019) — Jean-Jacques ÉLANGUÉ "Shades of Ouidah" (2020) — Gary BRUNTON Night bus “Se- cond trip” (2021) — MENUAU, MEREL, RIPOCHE “3 ténors pour Bex & Goubert” (2022) — Phil REPTIL
“Eponyme” (2023) — Christian ESCOUDÉ “Ancrage” (2024) — Emmanuel BEX “Eddy m’a dit...” (2025) — Hélène LA- BARRIÈRE “Puzzle” (2025) — Gary BRUNTON “Spacecraft” (2025)
Au piano :
MAGMA : "Merci" (1982), "Les Voix" (1992), "Zëss" (2019), “Eskähl” (2021), “Kartëhl” (2022), “Une histoire de
Mekanik” (2023) — OFFERING : "Part 1&2" (1984), ”Part 3&4" (1987), ”Concert au théâtre Dejazet" (1987) — STELLA "Le cœur allant vers" (2004) — Christian VANDER “John Coltrane, l’homme suprême” (2011)
Directeur artistique :
ONJ Didier LEVALLET "Deep feeling" (2000) — Sophia DOMANCICH “le grand jour” (2021) Gautier GARRIGUE “La traversée” (2024)