René Vega

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Lore & Background

Urtreger was born in Paris on 6 July 1934, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants. He began piano studies at age four, studying privately and then at the Conservatory. He played in a small Parisian club, the Sully d'Auteuil, conducted by Hubert Damisch, with an orchestra including Sacha Distel and Jean-Louis Viale. In 1953, he won first prize in a piano contest for amateurs and decided to become a professional musician. In 1954, he accompanied Don Byas and Buck Clayton in a Parisian concert. After military service from 1955 to 1957, he played at the Club Saint-Germain, collaborating with Miles Davis and Lester Young. He accompanied Young on a short European tour in 1956. In December 1957, he was part of Davis's group that recorded the soundtrack for the film Ascenseur pour l'échafaud. In the late 1950s, he worked with Lionel Hampton, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, and Ben Webster. He later broadened his focus to accompany other genres due to financial necessity. The Academie du Jazz recognized him in 1961 with the Prix Django Reinhardt. He provided soundtracks for films by Claude Berri. In 1977, he reappeared on the Paris jazz scene, performing with Lee Konitz, Aldo Romano, and Barney Wilen. His 1980 performance at the Antibes Jazz Festival was important. He was featured at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles in November 2007. Urtreger died on 16 July 2026, at age 92.

In Their Own Story

Jean Daninos returned from the United States in 1945 to take charge of Facel, bringing experience from Citroën and Bronzavia. He oversaw the production of around 45,000 aluminum alloy bodies for the Panhard Dyna X and collaborated with Pininfarina on the Bentley Cresta. The company's pivot to full automobile manufacturing in 1954 introduced the Vega, a heavy car weighing about 1,800 kg that achieved a top speed of 190 km/h using DeSoto Hemi engines. While 77 percent of production was exported due to French tax laws, the venture faced ruin with the Facellia. The engine's two-bearing camshafts caused excessive flex and timing problems, leading to massive warranty costs. Although André Belin replaced broken units free of charge after Daninos resigned in August 1961, the financial hole was too deep, ending the company's life by October 1964.

Reader's Guide

René Urtreger was a French bebop pianist. He was born in Paris on 6 July 1934 and died on 16 July 2026. He began piano at age four, studied at the Conservatory, and won a piano contest in 1953. He performed with many jazz greats including Miles Davis, Lester Young, and Chet Baker. He recorded the soundtrack for Ascenseur pour l'échafaud with Davis. He received the Prix Django Reinhardt in 1961 and other awards including Grand Prix SACEM (1997), Grand Prix du Disque (2000), Victoire de la Musique for the album HUM (2000), Honorary Victoire de la Musique (2005), and Officer of the Order of Arts and Literature (2006). His discography includes albums as leader and sideman with many artists.

Did You Know?

• Urtreger won first prize in a piano contest for amateurs in 1953.
• He accompanied Miles Davis and Lester Young at the Club Saint-Germain.
• He recorded the soundtrack for the film Ascenseur pour l'échafaud with Miles Davis in December 1957.
• He received the Prix Django Reinhardt in 1961.
• He performed at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles in November 2007.