John Jorgenson Quintet

John Jorgenson

John Jorgenson performing with the John Jorgenson Quintet.(Sept. 2009)
Background information
Born California
Origin California
Genres gypsy jazz
Occupation(s) guitarist orchestral composer
Website johnjorgenson.com

The John Jorgenson Quintet is an American gypsy jazz band featuring guitarist John Jorgenson, a pioneer of the American gypsy jazz movement.[1] The ensemble was originally formed in 2004 for the release of "Franco-American Swing".[2]

The current band members playing along with John Jorgenson are jazz violinist Jason Anick, rhythm guitarist Doug Martin, bassist Simon Planting, and percussionist Rick Reed.[3][4] The quintet tours worldwide playing gypsy jazz.

Gypsy jazz

The John Jorgenson Quintet performs gypsy jazz, a style of music made famous by French guitarist Django Reinhardt.[5] The quintet recreates the music of Reinhardt for the films Gattaca and Head in the Clouds. In Head in the Clouds, John Jorgenson portrays Reinhardt on camera.[6]

Jorgenson has recorded five albums of Gypsy Jazz and related music: "After You've Gone" (Curb Records, 1988), "Franco-American Swing" (2004, Pharaoh Records), "Ultraspontane" (2007, Pharaoh Records/J2 Records), "One Stolen Night" (2010, Pharaoh Records/J2 Records) and "Istiqbal Gathering" (2010, Pharaoh Records/J2 Records).

Current band members

The jazz ensemble members are lead guitarist John Jorgenson; Doug Martin, rhythm guitarist; Jason Anick, a jazz violinist; Simon Planting, a bassist; and Rick Reed, a percussionist.[3]

John Jorgenson, a Grammy award winning guitarist, is the band's lead instrumentalist.[7] Jorgenson plays the guitar and clarinet.

Doug Martin was born in California. He currently resides between San Francisco, California and Shanghai, China. A San Francisco Bay Area native, Doug Martin, has been playing guitar since age 12. Martin studied with guitarist Allen J. Brown, pianist Charles "Gus" Gustavson, jazz guitarist Warren Nunes, and well known classical guitarist Charles Ferguson before he joined the John Jorgenson Quintet in 2009.

Jason Anick is a graduate of University of Hartford in the Hartt School where he studied acoustical engineering and jazz violin.[4][8]

Simon Planting studied jazz and improvised music at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam.[8] In 2009, Planting jointed the John Jorgenson Quintet and is re-united with Kevin Nolan.

Rick Reed, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, plays percussion with the band.[7]

Previous band members

Previously, the band has included Kevin Nolan, Gonzalo Bergara, Stephen Dudash, Cesare Valbusa, and Charlie Chadwick. Guitarist Bergara plays both blues and gypsy jazz. Dudash plays guitar, bass, congas and mandolin in addition to the five-string viola. Valbusa plays drums, and Chadwick plays the upright bass.

References

  1. McClain, Buzz (January 13, 2005). "Jorgenson: Y'all Meets Gaul". Washington Post. pp. C 09. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  2. Bierschenk, Sylvia (August 19, 2008). "John Jorgenson Quintet returns to SFA with gypsy jazz". Stephen F. Austin State University News. Stephen F. Austin State University. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  3. 1 2 Mills, Michelle J. (January 10, 2010). "John Jorgenson and his group carry on the sounds forged by Django Reinhardt". Los Angeles Daily News. Los Angeles, CA: World News Network. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Biography". John Jorgenson Quintet. April 18, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  5. Block, Melissa (January 23, 2008). "John Jorgenson: Preserving Django Reinhardt". NPR. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  6. "John Jorgenson Quintet On Mountain Stage". NPR. September 16, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  7. 1 2 "Grammy winner Jorgenson peforms [sic] with quintet in Lowville Saturday". Rome Sentinel. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
  8. 1 2 ""The Django All-Stars"; Anick, Bergara, Nolan and Planting take the stage!". Whidbey Daily. May 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
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