What I find most inspirational about Biréli Lagrène is that for someone as accomplished and masterful at his instrument and art as he is, that he seems to never be “content” with what he’s achieved thus far, and is always striving to learn more, play better, do something new and different (for him), and just be continuously open to pushing himself. He could have been the “poster child superstar” of Manouche guitar style and that would have been amazing enough. Yet, he didn’t choose to rest on those laurels and challenges himself with other guitar styles and ideas. He may not have gained the notoriety as a “stand out” in those other styles, but the fact that he commands as much as he does with those other styles, and does so at a superior level, puts him in a special and limited definition of “guitar god” in my book.
I know im randomly asking but does anyone know of a method to get back into an instagram account? I was stupid lost the account password. I love any help you can give me.
@Ira Gary i really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
There are a hundred players worth the world's recognition. Some are gone, and some are still here. If people like Tal Farlow, Jonnie Smith, Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts and Wes Montgomery were able to come back from the here-after, they'd want to listen to Bireli -- he's that remarkable. When you speak of musical vocabulary and confidence, there are only a few players ever with his kind of inspired output. As an American on the left coast, I hope to find him some day in the future, where ever the venue takes me.
j'ai vu jouer bireli lagrene y a longtemps ! il avait 14 ans ! dans un bar ou j'habite , enfin pas loin ! j'en avais 19 , ok il etait dejà bon , il jouait django et des compos ! il jouait aussi de la basse , contrebasse à l'epoque , j'ai toujours eté surpris par le fait que je n'ai jamais eté fan , ok il joue tres bien , mais je ne sais pas il lui manque un truc , outre la grandre technique etc il est je trouve , tres froid ! j'ai decouvert un autre guitariste manouche depuis , sebastien felix qui lui a tout ce que j'aime dans la guitare de ce style ! perso je suis aussi guitariste et dans le jazz depuis 10 ans , et oui je suis toujours etonné du jeu de bireli , tres ou trop technique ! il y a un aspect qui ne me parle jamais ! donc ...evidemment c'est un avis perso ! je vous prie de le comprendre ! merci !
He's played many times in the states. I recorded him at a club in Boston around forty years ago. (One of these days I'm gonna get around to digitizing that tape.)