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Musicians' Spotlight for October 10, 2007
11:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Today's Highlight: Brian Kopper hosts John Jorgenson Part 1 of a special 2 Part Musician's Spotlight
John Jorgenson is known as one of the pioneers of the American gypsy jazz movement. He has performed as a solo artist as well as collaborated with other musicians all over the world. Growing up in Southern California, John was playing both the piano and the clarinet by age 8. At 12 he got his first guitar and practiced voraciously while continuing to study classical music on woodwinds. By age 14, John was playing professionally. Learning first to play rock guitar, John absorbed other guitar styles as quickly as he discovered them. This broad musical palette has enabled him to play with artists as diverse as Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti, Bonnie Raitt, and Benny Goodman. He is an "A-List" session player working in LA, Nashville and London and has appeared on numerous platinum-selling and Grammy-winning CDs.
In 1994 Elton John called and invited John on an 18-month world tour. The 18 months stretched into a six-year period that included not only sold out world tours, but also recordings, television appearances, and collaborations with many other artists including Sting and Billy Joel. In addition to acoustic and electric guitars, John was also featured on saxophone, pedal steel, mandolin and vocals.
2004 also marked the release of Franco-American Swing on J2/FGM Records. As John Jorgenson's latest creative work, the CD is full of infectious gypsy jazz music. The Nashville Chamber Orchestra joins John in this collection of original compositions and gypsy jazz classics, pushing the boundaries as it adds to the tonal palette of traditional gypsy jazz. Beautiful melodies and soulful virtuosity abound for listeners treated to John Jorgenson's dazzling fretwork and sizzling clarinet playing. Additionally, John released two gypsy jazz guitar instruction books and DVDs, and a third instruction book is due to come out later this year.
Artist website & contact:
http://www.johnjorgenson.com/
Contact information for producers:
Brian Kopper | mspot@kopper.com
John Floridis | jfloridis@aol.com
Shawn Colvin, Patty Larkin, and Leo Kottke have all stopped by the Montana Public Radio studios to play a little and talk with Brian Kopper and John Floridis. Performers talk about the inspiration behind their music and what it's like to both create and perform the music.
Montana artists like Zoe Wood and Wilson & McKee get equal time. Each week, hosts Brian Kopper and John Floridis, composers and performers themselves, give listeners a glimpse into the lives and art of the modern day troubadour.
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