Biréli Lagrène
Encyclopedia
Biréli Lagrène is a French
guitarist
and bassist
. He came to prominence in the 1980s for his Django Reinhardt
-influenced style on the classical guitar
, as well as for being a jazz fusion
virtuoso
on the electric guitar
. He often performs within the swing, jazz fusion
and post bop mediums.
, Bas-Rhin
Alsace
, France
, in a traditional Manouche-Romani people (Gypsy) family and community. He started playing the guitar at the age of four. He grew up in the loving but tough environment of the "tzigane". His father Fisso (a very gifted violinist), his mother Berga and his brother Gaiti were his biggest influences. When, at the age of eight, he covered Django Reinhardt
’s repertoire, his relatives were already calling him a child prodigy
. Winning a Romani music festival in Strasbourg
at the age of twelve gave him the opportunity to tour in Germany and, later, to record his performance on the LP Routes To Django - live At The Krokodil.
Offered a chance to leave for the United States
, Lagrène met some of the most distinguished jazz musicians on the international scene, such as Stéphane Grappelli
, Benny Goodman
, and Benny Carter
. In 1984, he met Larry Coryell
in New York. Later, he was introduced to bassist Jaco Pastorius
and ventured with him into jazz fusion
. Together, they toured Europe, which contributed a great deal to Lagrène’s musical emancipation. Lagrène has also performed live with guitar
ist Al Di Meola
.
Back to a more traditional style, Lagrène recorded Gipsy Project and Gipsy Project and Friends in 2002. Along with his usual cohorts Diego Imbert (double bass) and Hono Winterstein (rhythm guitar), the latter session featured Henri Salvador
and Thomas Dutronc (son of legendary French pop pair Françoise Hardy
and Jacques Dutronc
).
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
. He came to prominence in the 1980s for his Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
-influenced style on the classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
, as well as for being a jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
on the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. He often performs within the swing, jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
and post bop mediums.
Biography
Biréli Lagrène was born on September 4, 1966, in SoufflenheimSoufflenheim
Soufflenheim, is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It is also known for its pottery an is also known as Cité des Potiers-History:...
, Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in a traditional Manouche-Romani people (Gypsy) family and community. He started playing the guitar at the age of four. He grew up in the loving but tough environment of the "tzigane". His father Fisso (a very gifted violinist), his mother Berga and his brother Gaiti were his biggest influences. When, at the age of eight, he covered Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
’s repertoire, his relatives were already calling him a child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
. Winning a Romani music festival in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
at the age of twelve gave him the opportunity to tour in Germany and, later, to record his performance on the LP Routes To Django - live At The Krokodil.
Offered a chance to leave for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Lagrène met some of the most distinguished jazz musicians on the international scene, such as Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
, Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
, and Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
. In 1984, he met Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
in New York. Later, he was introduced to bassist Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony Pastorius III , known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged as a virtuoso electric bass player....
and ventured with him into jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
. Together, they toured Europe, which contributed a great deal to Lagrène’s musical emancipation. Lagrène has also performed live with guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola is an acclaimed American jazz fusion and Latin guitarist, composer, and record producer of Italian origin. With a musical career that has spanned more than three decades, he has become respected as one of the most influential guitarists in jazz to date...
.
Back to a more traditional style, Lagrène recorded Gipsy Project and Gipsy Project and Friends in 2002. Along with his usual cohorts Diego Imbert (double bass) and Hono Winterstein (rhythm guitar), the latter session featured Henri Salvador
Henri Salvador
Henri Salvador was a French Caribbean singer.-Biography:Salvador was born in Cayenne, French Guiana. His father, Clovis, and his mother, Antonine Paterne, daughter of a native Indian from the Caribbean, were both from Guadeloupe, French West Indies...
and Thomas Dutronc (son of legendary French pop pair Françoise Hardy
Françoise Hardy
Françoise Madeleine Hardy is a French singer, actress and astrologer. Hardy is an iconic figure in fashion, music and style. She is married to the singer and movie actor Jacques Dutronc.-Biography:...
and Jacques Dutronc
Jacques Dutronc
Jacques Dutronc is a French singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer, and actor. He has been married to singer Françoise Hardy since 30 March 1981 and the two have a son . He also has been a longtime songwriting collaborator with Jacques Lanzmann...
).
Discography
- 1980 Routes To Django - live At The Krokodil (jazzpoint)
- 1981 Biréli Swing ‘81
- 1981 Down in Town
- 1982 Fifteen (Antilles)
- 1984 Live at the Canergie Hall relica
- 1985 A tribute to Django Reinhardt (Live at the Carnegie Hall & Freiburg Jazz Festival) 2 cd
- 1985 Live with Vic Juris Inakustik
- 1986 Stuttgart Aria
- 1986 Heavy'n Jazz (Jaco PastoriusJaco PastoriusJohn Francis Anthony Pastorius III , known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged as a virtuoso electric bass player....
) - 1986 Special Guests (Larry CoryellLarry CoryellLarry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
, Miroslav VitousMiroslav VitoušMiroslav Ladislav Vitouš , is a Czech jazz bassist.-Biography:Born in Prague, he began the violin at age six, and started playing the piano at age ten, and bass at fourteen. As a young man in Europe, Vitouš was a competitive swimmer. One of his early music groups was the Junior Trio with his...
) - 1988 Acoustic Moments Blue Note1986 : Lagrene and Guests
- 1987 Inferno
- 1988 Foreign Affairs
- 1989 Highlights
- 1983 Down In Town
- 1990 91 Acoustic moments
- 1994 Live in Marciac
- 1994 The Music of Django Reinhardt IMPORT Bob Wilber Randy Sandke Mike Peters Bireli Lagrene
- 1992 Standards Capitol
- 1995 My favorite Django
- 1998 The One And Only, together with Jimmy RosenbergJimmy RosenbergJoseph Rosenberg is a Sinto-Romani guitarist from Netherlands, known for his virtuoso playing of Gypsy jazz and other related styles....
and Angelo DebarreAngelo DebarreAngelo Debarre is a Romani guitarist in the manouche jazz style.He began playing at age 8 and in 1984 started his first group, the Angelo Debarre Quintet...
(Hot Club RecordsHot Club RecordsHot Club Records is a Record company established 1982, by guitar player Jon Larsen. More than 350 released CDs, DVDs and books, mostly jazz related.Some artists on Hot Club Records: Chet Baker, Philip Catherine, Warne Marsh, and the poet Jan Erik Vold....
) - 1998 Mike Reinhardt Choukar
- 1998 Blue Eyes
- 1999 Duet, together with Sylvain LucSylvain LucSylvain Luc is a French jazz guitarist. His musicality, his great sense of improvisation and his virtuosity, and unique, technical abilities with the guitar have earned him high praises from all around the world, including from many musicians he has played with...
- 2000 A Tribute to Django Reinhardt: at the Carnegie H.and the Freiburg Jazz Fest. reedition
- 2000 Frontpage with Dennis Chambers Dominique Di Piazza
- 2001 Gipsy Project
- 2004 Move
- 2004 Bireli Lagrene & Friends Live Jazz à Vienne (DVD). L’intégrale en 32 morceaux du concert donné en 2002 par Biréli Lagrène et les meilleurs Jazzmen manouche.
- 2005 Bireli Lagrene & Gypsy Project Live in Paris DVD
- 2006 Djangology avec Big Band WDR de Cologne + solo To Bi or not to Bi
- 2007 Just the way you are
- 2008 Electric side
- 2009 Summertime, together with Sylvain Luc
- 2009 Gipsy Trio
- 2010 Djangologists with The Rosenberg Trio
Filmography
- 2004 Live Jazz À Vienne (Dreyfus)
- 2005 Django: A Jazz Tribute
- 2006 Live in Paris (Dreyfus)
- 2009 Monaco Dreyfus Night (Dreyfus)[ AMG]