Biréli Lagrène at Flato Markham Theatre

Biréli; Django: two names, a vision of the guitar to celebrate in an imaginary head-to- head, past the ropes “French” has never been so much future, says François Lacharme. Among guitarists who can claim the legacy of Django Reinhardt, Biréli Lagrène is one of the few. He understood and perpetuated the timbre particular, guitaristic slashes, and swing furnace that characterized the poetry of his illustrious elder. But in Biréli, there is a way to overcome the pure virtuosity to achieve a higher order of quality: to the point that his game can make us doubt that Django had really existed before him. Only European jazz genius fully recognized in the United States, Biréli Lagrène chose to greet his master by sharing this music full of sap traveling.

Biréli Lagrène performed at the Flato Markham Theatre on Thursday, October 1st, 2015

Photos of Biréli Lagrène by Atael Weissman (click on images to enlarge)