From his eclectic training at the Sorbonne and the Conservatory, as well as his wanderings alongside some of the most rigorous and inventive musicians of recent decades—Bobby Few, Jean-Loup Lognon, and Jobic Lemasson, to name a few—Benoist Raffin has retained the understanding that drumming is first and foremost a matter of nuance. His poetic art, nourished by the teachings of Sidney Catlet, Cozy Col, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Billy Higgins, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, and Roy Haynes, is characterized by finesse, phrasing, and swing. There is no sentimentality in the way he sculpts each stroke of the stick. Rather, there is an innate understanding of rhythmic patterns and an almost choreographic sense of pulse.

Since 1996, when he won the La Défense National Jazz Competition with the Philippe Mira Quartet, this open and sensitive musician has seen his circle of followers gradually grow. His name, regardless of the ensemble he performs with, is now synonymous with the finest jazz. His albums as a trio or quartet, as well as his forays into French chanson, contemporary operetta, and the music hall-style concerts of the Shirley & Dino duo, mark an authentic career characterized by a love of collaboration and an untiring curiosity. At Fabrica’Son, a collective that has become a breeding ground for talent dedicated to promoting jazz and improvised music, he has been involved in numerous initiatives since 2000, including composition, training, and educational and social outreach. Yet another facet of an artist as talented as he is generous, waiting to be discovered.