Daniel Humair, was born on May 23, 1938 in Geneve. He learned music—on clarinet—at an early age. This strong, confident young man from Switzerland had decided to become a professional musician at the age of fifteen. He gave up the clarinet, and moved to the country, to accompany on drums an accordionist and a soprano saxophonist who played popular and folkloric dance tunes. So he had finally settled on drums for good; in 1956 and 1957, he put all his efforts into this instrument, where it’s so easy to be overlooked, and tried his luck at the Zurich Jazz Festival. There, he took home the Best Young Musician award, the first spot in the Modern Drummer category, and one last award in the Traditional Style. These awards were enough to earn him a spot in a touring orchestra.

At twenty, he began traveling through Europe. During his travels he played with Don Byas, Jacques Pelzer, Nico Bunink, Guy Lafitte and others. One November evening in 1958, he was ready to conquer Paris, the only major European city he had left to visit. It was a Saturday. He went to the Club Saint-Germain to listen to Barney Wilen, but ended up jamming with his quintet. The next day, somebody came to tell him that they needed a drummer at the club Chat-qui-pêche, that they wanted to offer him the spot, and that they had been looking for him all over the neighborhood to see if he was available.

Daniel started Sunday night in the company of Lucky Thompson and Michel Hausser. After that day, he left the capital only in rare occasions. After his engagement at Chat-qui-pêche, came the Club Saint-Germain, where Daniel Humair was—just as he still is today—the drummer assigned to the Martial Solal trio. He only left the club once, for a month (to join Don Byas and Oscar Pettiford in a trio).

Soon after that, he met René Urtreger and Pierre Michelot in the same club which had been the setting for his first night in Paris. Highly sought after for his excellent drive, brilliant technique, steady pace, good humor and professional dedication, for the past two years Daniel Humair has been in an astounding number of engagements, concerts and recording sessions.

Alain Drouot -All Music Guide