Biréli Lagrène alone with his guitar on his new album « Solo suites »

Bireli Lagrène is above all known for his unwavering devotion to gypsy jazz because of his origins. Born in 1966 in Alsace into a gypsy family, he began playing the guitar at the age of four and became a prodigy at the age of fourteen by winning first prize at the Strasbourg gypsy music festival. Strongly influenced by Django Reinhardt in his early days, he quickly broadened his influences by turning in particular to jazz-fusion. During his already long career, he had the opportunity to play with the greatest: Stéphane Grappelli, Al Di Meola, Jaco Pastorius or more recently Jean-Luc Ponty and Kyle Eastwood. The guitarist answered our questions.

« It was not at all something I expected in my career » explains Biréli Lagrène. « It was the people around me who suggested this idea of ​​a solo record to me. Because basically I’m someone who likes to share with other musicians. So I gamberged, I took a while, and finally I told them: I think I’ll do it (laughs); »

Finding myself alone was still a bit of a challenge.

Biréli Lagrene

about his album « Solo Suites »

It is indeed the first time that we hear Biréli Lagrène play alone on the guitar on an entire disc. And just as the idea of ​​the album was not planned, the songs also gave pride of place to improvisation. A few starting frames only. « It was completely describable » says the guitarist. « I prepared a minimum: the way I wanted my guitar to sound. I wanted to give myself a lot of freedom in recording. »

Jazz is music that must be improvised, but with great respect and rigor.

Biréli Lagrene

The one who has accustomed us to frantic rhythms in the past explores calmer atmospheres here. Two guitars, one electro-acoustic and one electric, for an overall color that is more folk than swing. « I didn’t want to make a ‘here I am here me’ record » admits Biréli Lagrène. « I preferred to play wide open spaces, not to overload the notes. It’s a slightly simpler record compared to the others I’ve made. More accessible. »

At a certain age, we calm down with all these notes that pass.

Biréli Lagrene

the musician plays a lot on silences and breaths. An airy and airy game. And Biréli Lagrène has no equal in conjuring up images with just a few notes. His guitar instantly arouses nostalgia and a benevolent melancholy, as in Memories which opens the album.

Although he defends himself with great humility that his music is not « only blues with a little harmony », Biréli Lagrène explores a very rich palette. The virtuoso guitarist who knows how to be swift does not display his technique here. On the contrary, he subtly distills various ingredients from his many influences. Superb arpeggios shelled in nature boya slightly country-chicken-picking side in To be continuedor even syncopated staccatos in question answer. A piece whose title precisely evokes the original structure of the blues and this way of making the melodic phrases respond to each other.

I’m very drawn to the blues. I always have that in the back of my mind.

Biréli Lagrene

But of course there is also jazz on this record. Mainly through a few covers of standards: the classic caravan by Duke Ellington, My Foolish Heart from the repertoire of Bill Evans, Put Your Dreams Away popularized by Frank Sinatra… « I love playing standards, I’ve played them all my life » confirms Biréli Lagrène. « For this album I rather chose ballads ». And it’s also a cover that closes the album, but in a totally unexpected way.

Indeed, if a piece like To to follow… could almost be the title track for an album named Solo suitesthe term « solo » is contradicted at the last moment by John Prine’s song Angel from Montgomery. Zoé Lagrène, daughter of the guitarist, comes to sing, while her father adds a second guitar and a bass. A real surprise after hearing 16 tracks on guitar alone. « The idea came late » explains Biréli Lagrène. « I wanted to contrast with the rest of the record. I thought it was quite a funny idea. »

On this last title, the bass takes the limelight, « an instrument that I also love and play often, especially recently with the Multiquarium Big Band for the Pastorius project » (Remembering Jacotribute to Jaco Pastorius, where Biréli Lagrène holds the place of bassist – Ed).

Briréli Lagrène thus has a string of projects, from the Multiquarium Big Band to his trio with double bassist William Brunard and saxophonist Franck Wolf on tour in the United States in June, including a few concerts with guitarist Sylvain Luc. But above all, the artist will play his album Solo Suites on stage, starting this Saturday, May 7 at the Salle Gaveau in Paris. His daughter Zoé will join him to interpret Angel from Montgomery. We can assume without taking too much risk that we will hear much more than « blues with a little harmony ».

Biréli Lagrene – Solo Suites – Released May 6 (PEEWEE / SOCASDISC)

The musician will be in concert this Saturday, May 7, Salle Gaveau in Paris

Find all the info on the artist’s Facebook page