About the artist:
Yves Francois was born in 1960 to immigrant parents. His mother, of French descent, was a Prima Ballerina before emigrating to the United States from Tunisia. His father was a music aficionado, and played clarinet. Yves first became enthralled with jazz upon hearing Louis Armstrong play the trumpet when he was 3 years old. The music spoke to his soul, and after Louis Armstrong died, he begged his parents for a trumpet and after two years they finally relented.
He honed his skills on the south side of Chicago, by playing alongside jazz legends such as Paul Bascomb, Odie Payne Jr, Eddie Johnson and his mentor Franz Jackson. In in 1981 he convinced the Chicago legends to record together. Between 1981 and 1986 he held several recording sessions. Some of the recordings were released on Franz Jackson’s label.