A native of Paris, his father was François Combelle, who played classical saxophone with the Band of the Republican Guard.
He was a member of a bands led by Gregor (Krikor Kelekian), Arthur Briggs, Michel Warlop, Guy Paquinet, and Ray Ventura.
He worked with visiting American musicians such as Benny Carter, Adelaide Hall, Coleman Hawkins, Freddy Johnson, and Danny Polo.
He was a member of Bill Coleman's band when it included Argentinian swing guitarist Oscar Aleman.
He performed with French singers such as Charles Trenet and Jean Sablon and recorded with Philippe Brun.