Jazz, fusion and rock guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 23, 1960. His musical journey began as a child when he sang at the Lyric Opera at the age of 10. He then studied piano, guitar, and drums. Initially interested in the acoustic guitar, he switched to electric after hearing Jimi Hendrix. He relocated to New York City in 1979, and by the following year, he was entrenched in the music scene. Over the next few years, he worked with David Torn, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Marc Ribot, Elliott Sharp, Pahroah Sanders and others. He produced and played on a series of albums by Cassandra Williams released between 1986 and 1995. His solo career began in 1987 with the release of the album Jungle Cowboy. Over the next three decades, he released a series of solo albums including Blackadelic-Blu (1994), Rock the Cathartic Spirits (1996), Vibe Music (1999), and Kiss the Sky (2018). He moved to Europe in the 1990s and founded his own label. In between his own projects, he acted as a session player for a variety of artists including Bell Biv DeVoe, Elvin Jones & Mccoy Tyner, DJ Jazz & The Fresh Prince, Pee Wee Ellis, and many others.
