Born in Paris, François Moutin had an early interest in music, which his parents encouraged. At age 5, he began studying guitar, then piano by age 11. The acoustic bass became his most lasting passion as a teenager. Studying mathematics and physics, Moutin received a college degree in engineering and earned a doctorate in physics at the age of 24. Then he decided to become a professional musician.
Three years later, as a member of the legendary Martial Solal Trio, Moutin was recognized as one of the finest young bass players in Europe. At 29, he began co-leading the Quintet Moutin with his twin brother, Louis, a top echelon jazz drummer. This project evolved into the Moutin Reunion Quartet. With this band, the brothers toured extensively around Europe and the United States. The group's third album, "Something Like Now" (after "Power Tree" and "Red Moon"), was released in September 2005.
When he was still living in Paris, Moutin worked non-stop with the greatest musicians of this age: Martial Solal, Michel Portal, Antoine Herve, Daniel Humair, André Ceccarelli, Eric Lelann, Jean-Michel Pilc and Christian Escoude. He also has performed with Peter Erskine, Randy Brecker, Niels Lan Doky, Mino Cinelu, Dave Liebman, John Abercrombie, Toots Thielemans, Didier Lockwood, Larry Schneider, Aldo Romano, James Moody, Terri Lyne Carrington, Richard Galliano, Bernard Lubat, Aaron Scott, George Brown, Sunny Murray, Michel Legrand, Archie Shepp, Claude Nougaro, Trilok Gurtu, Bob Berg, Birelli Lagrene, Wladimir Kosma, Marius Constant, Markus Stockhausen and Ensemble Intercontemporain. He has performed in every important European jazz festival, and he has toured in over 30 countries around the world.
In November 1997, he moved to New York, where he has found steady work in live performance and studio sessions with the premier artists on the New York Jazz Scene. A partial list of their names reads like the Yellow Pages of Jazz: Franck Wess, Jimmy Heath, Monty Alexander, Benny Powell, Don Alias, Mike Stern, Lew Soloff, Steve Kuhn, Joe Locke, Billy Hart, Jeff Tain Watts, Victor Lewis, Billy Drummond, Richie Beirach, Dave Liebman, Oliver Lake, Harry Belafonte, Odean Pope, James Hurt, Ari Hoenig, Jean-Michel Pilc, Rick Margitza, Franck Kimbrough, Joel Frahm, Greg Tardy, Gene Jackson, Dave Binney, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Vijay Iyer, Adam Rogers, David Gilmore, Ben Monder, John Hart, Billy Drews, Jamie Haddad, Steve Hass and Bob James.
He also has recorded and performed with Arab music star Simon Shaheen. He is a familiar presence on the stages of such establishments as Sweet Rhythm, Jazz Standard, Birdland, Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Knitting Factory, Zinc Bar, Jazz Gallery, Tonic, Smoke, Lincoln Center, Town Hall, New York Symphony Space and the Museum of Modern Art. Moutin also has appeared in major jazz festivals such as the Newport JVC Jazz Festival, Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival in New York, Freihoffer Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, Detroit Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ and Kansas City Jazz Festival.
