A leading figure in jazz, he has been hailed by critics as Sidney Bechet’s finest disciple. In 1997, he received the Hot Club de France’s French Musician Award for his live album *Swing Folies*. Olivier Franc offers a fresh and personal musical style, while remaining faithful to the spirit and style of Sidney Bechet. Since 2006, he has had the privilege of playing the saxophone that once belonged to Sidney Bechet.

In addition to jazz clubs, concert halls, and jazz festivals across Europe (Jazz in Marciac 2009 with the Wynton Marsalis and Bob Wilber sextet), the Olivier Franc Tribute To Bechet Band has also had the opportunity to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Center and Symphony Space in New York, as well as at the opera houses in Frankfurt and Dresden, where their performance was met with standing ovations!