Biréli Lagrène (born 1966) is a French guitarist and bassist. A "guitar phenomenon", according to John McLaughlin,[citation needed] he came to prominence in the 1980s via his manouche (django-like) style. He often performs within the swing, jazz fusion and post bop mediums.

Biography

Biréli Lagrène was born on September 4, 1966, in Soufflenheim, (Bas-Rhin) in a traditional manouche-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 "zigan". His father Fisso (a very gifted violinist), his mother Berga and his brother Gaiti where probably 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 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, Benny Carter, etc. 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 Dimeola.

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) & Hono Winterstein(rhythm guitar), the latter session featured Henri Salvador and Thomas Dutronc, son of legendary French pop pair - Francoise Hardy & Jacques Dutronc

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