Just the Way You Are

Product Description

On his latest release, Bireli Lagrene proves again why peers, critics and fans consider him to be the world's most versatile jazz guitarist. Just The Way You Are, Dreyfus Jazz (DRY-CD-36908), teams Lagrene for the fourth time with his world-renowned Gipsy Project band to create a stunning fusion of musical styles encompassing jazz fusion and contemporary jazz guitar, the Gypsy swing style created by Django Reinhardt and other musical influences ranging from rock, pop and country.

Utilizing material from Elvis Presley, George Benson, Billy Joel and a variety of jazz and swing standards, Lagrene forges a unique, compellingly individual sound on both electric and acoustic guitar that effortlessly crosses musical boundaries. Backed by such brilliant supporting musicians as Hono Winterstein on rhythm guitar, Diego Imbert on double bass and Andre Ceccarelli on drums, Lagrene trades solos with saxophone virtuoso Franck Wolf and pianist Roberto Jermaine Landsberger in a daring and unpredictable musical style that defies easy categorization. Never sounding forced or out of place, Lagrene's mastery of multiple jazz guitar styles has propelled his to the forefront of the international jazz scene.

On Just the Way You Are, Lagrene shows again that he is a master of all guitar styles and a slave to none. From the Gypsy jazz-inspired lilt of Lolita and Lune De Miel to the classic vocal stylings of "All of Me," Bireli Lagrene has crafted a modern masterpiece in jazz that will appeal to audiences around the world.

About the Artist

Born in the Alsace region of France in 1966, Lagrene virtually single-handedly revived the "Hot Club" style of jazz created by legendary Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt in the 1930's and '40s with his debut CD, Routes to Django, which created an international sensation when it was released when Lagrene was just 13.

But after touring the world playing Reinhardt's music for five years, by age 18 he created another musical sensation by turning away from traditional acoustic jazz guitar to modern electric sounds. He teamed with legendary Weather Report electric bassist Jaco Pastorius to put his own stamp on the burgeoning jazz fusion sound, and found contemporaries on guitar among such luminaries as Larry Coryell, John McLaughlin and others.

Then in 2002, he again stunned and thrilled the jazz guitar community when he returned to his traditional routes with the release of his first Gipsy Project recording. His fiery, arpeggio-laced fretwork helped spark a worldwide revival in Hot Club style jazz, inspiring musicians from Tokyo to London to form their own groups and perform the classic original material and Swing Era tunes popularized by Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli.