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Biréli Lagrène

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Biréli Lagrène is a French jazz guitarist, born on 4 September 1966 in Soufflenheim in Alsace. He comes from a Sinti family and grew up in the tradition of Gypsy guitar: his father and grandfather were guitarists. He began playing at four or five and at seven was already improvising jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt, whom his father admired and whom he wanted his sons to follow. In 1980, as a teenager, he recorded his first album, Routes to Django: Live at the Krokodil, which was released in 1981 on Jazzpoint.

Music and breakthrough

In the years that followed he toured with guitarists such as Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucía and John McLaughlin, and played with Benny Carter, Benny Goodman and Stéphane Grappelli. In 1984 he performed in New York with Larry Coryell and Vic Juris, at a tribute to Reinhardt. Later he also worked with Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, the Gil Evans Orchestra and Charlie Haden, and in 1989 in a duo with Stanley Jordan. His albums range from Inferno in 1987 and Foreign Affairs in 1988 to Standards in 1992 and My Favorite Django in 1995. He plays swing, jazz fusion and post-bop, and according to the Dutch Wikipedia also masters bass, violin and piano.

Influence

Lagrène received, among other honours, three Django d'Or awards, in 1993, 2002 and 2007, and in 2012 the French distinction Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. He keeps the Sinti swing of Django Reinhardt alive, but with his fast, clear playing also moves towards fusion and other styles.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a recording of My Favorite Django from 1995 and notice the speed of his guitar. Hear how he plays many notes in a short time and yet lets a melody come through.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists