Pierre Cullaz

{{Short description|French jazz guitarist and cellist}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Pierre Cullaz

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|7|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Paris, France

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2014|01|01|1935|07|21}}

| death_place =

| genre = Jazz

| occupation = Musician, arranger

| instrument = Guitar, cello

| years_active = 1956–1980

| label = Barclay

| past_member_of = Guitars Unlimited

}}

Pierre Cullaz (21 July 1935 – 1 January 2014) was a French jazz guitarist and cellist.{{cite web|title=lundi 6 janvier 2014|url=http://www.tsfjazz.com/tsf-en-bref.php|website=tsfjazz.com|access-date=2016-05-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531225501/http://www.tsfjazz.com/tsf-en-bref.php|archive-date=2016-05-31|url-status=dead}}

Pierre Cullaz was the son of Maurice Cullaz, a jazz writer, and the older brother of Alby Cullaz.{{cite book |last1=Laplace |first1=Michael |editor1-last=Kernfeld |editor1-first=Barry |title=The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz |date=2002 |publisher=Grove's Dictionaries |location=New York |isbn=1-56159-284-6 |page=541 |volume=1 |edition=2nd }} After he learned piano and cello in 1949, he moved to guitar as his main instrument.

In 1955, he started his professional career with Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, and Hal Singer. Two years later he worked with Michel Hausser, then Sarah Vaughan, Claude Bolling and Stéphane Grappelli.{{YouTube|q0fABvhW26k|Stéphane Grappelli 1961 Minor Swing with Pierre Cullaz and Léo Petit Guitars}} After military service, he became a studio musician. He worked with Martial Solal and Eddy Louiss and beginning in 1965 was a member of the band Guitars Unlimited. He formed Guitars Unlimited with Victor Apicella, Raymond Gimenez, Francis Lemaguer, and Tony Rallo.{{cite book |last1=Burden |first1=Chris |editor1-last=Alexander |editor1-first=Charles |title=Masters of Jazz Guitar |date=1999 |publisher=Balafon |isbn=0-87930-592-4 |pages=163– |edition=1st British}} The band recorded for Barclay. Other collaborators included Elvin Jones, Andre Hodeir, Ivan Jullien, Guy Lafitte. Cullaz also taught guitar and wrote a method book.

He accompanied singer Claude Nougaro and was an arranger for Michel Legrand. Besides being a musician, he taught at the CIM in Paris and wrote the textbook Methode de Guitare.