Bireli Lagrène

At once dynamic and lyrical, this sparkling musician is without a doubt one of the most prominent musicians of his generation. Born into a traditional manouche gypsy family, Biréli started playing the guitar at the age of four. When, at the age of eight, he covered Django Reinhardt’s repertoire, his relatives were already calling him a child prodigy. Winning a gypsy music festival in Strasbourg at the age of twelve gave him the opportunity to tour in Germany and, later, to record his live performance on the double LP ”Route to Django”. Offered a chance to leave for the United States, Lagrène met the greatest jazz musicians of the international scene such as Stéphane Grappelli, Benny Goodman, and Benny Carter. Biréli Lagrène took the jazz world by storm with his dazzling speed and phenomenal bursts of improvisation. 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 guitarist Al Di Meola.

www.bireli-lagrene.fr