Throughout his career Jesse Cook has evolved not only as a composer, guitar player, and performer but in the way he engages his global fanbase. “When I made my first record, I didn’t have a record deal. Nobody was interested in signing a guy who played Spanish guitar, so I’ve always had to figure out ways of doing things that didn’t quite fit how things were normally done. Otherwise, doors would be closed to me.”
Released in 1995, his debut album Tempest, with its familiar yet fresh blend of genres and styles, took on a life of its own internationally, establishing Cook’s reputation as a virtuosic guitarist. “Pop music can be very ephemeral,” Cook says, “whereas the popularity of music like Flamenco goes in waves, so there’s something about it that continues to touch people. "
In addition to recording 10 Gold and/or Platinum Certified studio records prior to his latest studio album Libre, Cook has released 5 PBS TV specials, toured extensively internationally growing not only his reputation as an artist but his musical palette – exploring a variety of world music traditions and developing a unique hybrid of styles that, like Cook himself as a multi-disciplinary creative force, is constantly evolving. In the next year, Jesse will exceed 80 million views of videos on YouTube and 500 million streams of his songs worldwide.
In his latest recording, Libre, Cook provides a melding of disparate styles, influences, and inspirations that’s impossible to categorize, but implicitly invites listeners to come together and celebrate their differences and similarities in equal measure.
