Biréli Lagrène

Jazz guitarist Biréli Lagrène was born in Soufflenhem, France on September 4, 1966, to a Romani family and his ethnic heritage has come to define his playing style. He is undeniably influenced by the late Django Reinhardt, something the artist makes no attempt to hide, and this is borne out by the title of his debut album Routes to Django (1980). Upon its release, the album immediately signaled that Biréli Lagrène was a guitarist of outstanding ability. The album was followed two years later by Fifteen (1982) and Biréli Lagrène began to tour with artists of the caliber of Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucía, and John McLaughlin, building an audience for his own work. During this period, he also worked as a sideman for jazz greats such as Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, and Stéphane Grappellii and his position as one of the most exciting talents to emerge during the 1980s was firmly established. With more than 25 albums and numerous awards to his credit, Biréli Lagrène has created a body of work which jazz guitarists will draw inspiration from for generations. His catalog includes albums such as My Favorite Django (1995), Gypsy Project (2001), Electric Side (2008), D-Stringz with Stanley Clarke and Jean-Luc Ponty (2015), Storyteller (2018) and Solo Suites (2022).