Balthazar NATUREL

Who is Balthazar ?

Born into a family of artists in June 1992, Balthazar Naturel began studying music at the age of five with piano, before turning to classical oboe studies at the age of ten at the Montgeron Conservatory, in the class of Thierry Gaiffe.

The double bass was the instrument through which he first approached jazz, learning standards with his father, a saxophonist. After obtaining his classical oboe diploma, he then picked up the saxophone to take part in a music workshop (Les Enfants du Jazz in Barcelonnette). This marked the beginning of a long musical journey, pursued alongside his studies in high school and later in Biology at the Jussieu University in Paris.

At the age of nineteen, through concerts with Ernesto Tito Puentes’ Big Band during a month-long tour of the United States, frequent participation in jam sessions in Paris and New York, and occasional lessons with renowned saxophonists (Walt Weiskopf, Irving Acao, Luigi Grasso, Guillaume Naturel, among others), his musical commitment continued to grow. The acquisition of an English horn (the larger member of the oboe family) ultimately set him firmly on the path of a professional musical career.

In 2014, he entered the Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP – Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris). One of the most active and sought-after musicians of his generation on the Paris jazz scene, he leads and participates in numerous projects across the many instruments he plays: all saxophones, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinets, and double bass.

In 2024, he was awarded “Revelation of the Year” at the Victoires du Jazz in France with the group Monsieur Mâlâ.

More informations : https://monsieurmala.com/

“Philippe took all the measurements of my usual mouthpiece, an Otto Link Early Babbitt STM, to build a custom Florida mouthpiece (Les Becs d’Autan) for me. Using the setup of my usual Otto Link as a working base, he improved everything that could be improved to give me more punch, precision, and comfort on my new Florida 9.
What I can say is that the Florida is a mouthpiece made in France and beautifully finished.
From our very first meeting, the connection with Philippe was excellent. There is a very pleasant human relationship, and he truly listens to the musician.

With my new gold-plated Florida 9 mouthpiece, I really have the ability to shape my own sound myself.
In terms of comfort, I truly feel like I’m playing my Otto Link Early Babbitt STM, but with better response, greater dynamic range, more comfort, better flexibility… I feel that I can go further in nuances and expression. After a few weeks of playing, I can say that this is truly the sound I have in my head that I’m now able to produce with this mouthpiece.

I now play this mouthpiece everywhere, both in the studio and live.
I highly recommend the Florida mouthpiece to all saxophonists who want an Otto Link — but better!
Don’t hesitate, it’s a fantastic mouthpiece to play.”

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