Bireli Lagrene - Gypsy Project - Paris 2005

Bireli Lagrene was born a Sinti Gypsy on September 4th 1966 in the border region between France and Germany known commonly as the Alsace. He still lives in a caravan, unlike many of his contemporaries.

He started playing guitar at the age of four years, even by Gypsy standards this is still early, and was playing jazz by the age of seven.
Even at thirteen when he started recording, his maturity of playing was truly astounding. With a depth and passion of his own compositions only normally found (if your lucky) after many years playing, already coming to the fore.
As the "Django Style" of playing was the mainstream of his family's music, his father was a renowned guitarist in the thirties and his brothers and cousins are all competent self taught musicians, he became a bit of a Django copyist but he very soon moved on to create his own style. This style is very hard to define as he is constantly changing but always staying within the jazz spectrum. Bireli is classed as a guitarists guitarist always surprising and bloody cool with it. He can be found most years playing at Samois sur Seine. Not only on stage but also with Babik on the river front and around the various Gypsy sites.

This concert will bring you purely entertainment. Skillfull display of acoustic, electric guitar and some portions of bass playing. Years ago, he has worked with the Master Genius- bass player - Jaco Pastorius. Bereli Lagrene is a sure winner when it comes to playing the tunes of Django Reinhardt and Jaco Pastorius. 1 and half hours of jazzin....

Larry Carlton - Live at the North Sea Jazz

Larry Carlton (born 2 March 1948) is an American jazz guitarist, dividing his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with more popular bands. Over his career Carlton has won three Grammys for his performances and compositions, including the theme song for the hit television series, Hill Street Blues (1981). It is perhaps Carlton's creative and musical blend of jazz and rock elements that make him such a unique and talented artist.
Appreciated by smooth jazz fans for his subtle, velvety style, and also by jazz and blues guitarists for his tight phrasing and impressive technique, Carlton started learning to play guitar when he was six years old. Taking an interest in jazz whilst at high school, his playing style was most influenced by guitarists Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel, and B.B. King. Saxophonist John Coltrane has also made a notable impression on Carlton, and Carlton's live albums have featured cuts from Miles Davis's hallmark Kind of Blue. This concert is full of detailed and intricate showmanship. Mr. COOL has it all!  

                          

Kurt Elling - Live at the Basement

Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz vocalist.
Elling graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1989. He then enrolled in The University of Chicago's Divinity School and remained a student there until January 1992, when he left school one credit short of graduation.
In the last decade, Elling has released six albums for the Blue Note label. He has also performed and recorded with many musicians, including David Amram, Bob Belden, Joanne Brackeen, Oscar Brown, Jr., Billy Corgan, Orbert Davis, George Freeman, Buddy Guy, Jon Hendricks, Charlie Hunter and Rex Richardson. In this concert he included some of the classic hit songs with his own rendition of style. Very clever performance.

Lee Ritenour - Overdrive 1 & 2 - 2006

Lee Ritenour was born January 11, 1952 in Los Angeles, California. He played his first session when he was 16 with the Mamas and the Papas. Nicknamed "Captain Fingers", he (along with Larry Carlton) was a sought-after session guitarist by the mid-1970s. He is noted for playing his red Gibson ES-335 and his Gibson L5 guitars. One of his most notable influences is the pioneering jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. In 1976, he released his first solo album, First Course. This was followed up by his fusion work Captain Fingers in 1976. Since First Course he has released over 30 albums — the 30th being Rit's House in 2002. One of his most notable works is his pop album (featuring vocalist Eric Tagg) 1981 Rit, which contained chart hits "Is It You," and "Mr. Briefcase." In the 90s, he was one of the founding members of smooth jazz group Fourplay. Witness to watch this wonderful concert playing along with some of his favorite musicians. Dave Grusin,Patrice Rushen, Anthony Jackson and Dave Mason.

Michael Buble - Live

Michael Bublé (born 9 September 1975 in Burnaby, British Columbia) is a Canadian crooner, big band singer and actor. While achieving modest chart success in the United States, his 2003 self-titled album has reached the top ten in Canada, the UK and Australia. In 2004, a live album and video Come Fly With Me (2004) was listed on the Billboard music video charts and reached Australia's top 40 album charts. He reached commercial success in the U.S. with It's Time.

Steely Dan - Live at NISSAN Pavillion , Stone Ridge with guest star - Wayne Kruntz

Steely Dan is an American rock band centered around the core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. The band's peak of popularity was in the 1970s, when it released six albums that blended together elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Their music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies, literate lyrics and adroit musicianship.
Fagen and Becker named the band for a steam-powered dildo in the William Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. The group toured from 1972 to 1974, but from 1975 to 1980 the group became purely a studio-based act. The band was known for using session players such as Michael McDonald on their recordings. Steely Dan was inactive from 1981 through 1992, after Becker and Fagen parted ways but they have since reunited, returning with the 2000 release Two Against Nature. This concert is full of Steely Dan's greatest hits. Full Band members complete with voluptous back-up singers. Wayne Krantz performing second lead guitar. Showed very powerful blendings and carefully catching to every tune Donald Fagan performs. You won't regret viewing this video and for sure you'll be glued with the familiar tunes of Steely Dan.

Spyro Gyra - Live at The North Sea Jazz

Spyro Gyra is an American jazz fusion band that was originally formed in the early 1970s. With over 20 albums released and 10 million copies sold, they are among the most prolific as well as commercially successful groups of the scene. Among their most successful hit singles are "Shaker Song" and "Morning Dance".
Their music, which has been influential in the development of smooth jazz, combines jazz with elements of R&B, funk and pop music. Although generally considered to be more "jazz" than "smooth", Spyro Gyra's music has been criticized for being light-weight and for emphasizing melody over improvisation. They have nevertheless been praised as skilled instrumentalists and for their live performances.
With the exception of alto saxophonist, songwriter and founding bandleader Jay Beckenstein, the personnel has changed somewhat over time as well as between the studio and the live stage.