John Jorgenson is one of those musicians that other musicians love to hear. A multi-instrumentalist, it doesn’t really matter what instrument he’s playing, it’s going to be worth hearing.
Jorgenson is gearing up for a busy year in 2010. In recent years his involvement in bluegrass music has been directly related to one of his lifetime heros, Earl Scruggs. His involvement with Scruggs garnered him a Grammie nomination (he won one in 2009 with Brad Paisley, for “best country instrumental”).
[The] nomination was for best bluegrass album (for a live album with the venerable Earl Scruggs-I never thought I would play with him, much less sing the theme to the Beverly Hillbillies with him!).
Heading into 2010, Jorgenson’s focus seems to be his passion for the gypsy guitar style of Django Reinhardt. Reinhardt’s 100th birthday would have been January 23rd of this year, and Jorgenson is celebrating by releasing two gypsy jazz albums in 2010.
One Stolen Night features Jorgenson’s regular touring Quintet. The CD was recorded “live in the studio” with minimal production and overdubs.
The second CD is Istaqbal Gathering. The mention of this CD brings a smile to John’s face.
[Istaqbal Gathering] fulfills a longtime dream of my father’s – a collection of music specifically composed for gypsy guitar and full orchestra!
The CD is a collaboration between Jorgenson and Paul Gambill, who conducts the Orchestra Nashville. Some of the tracks feature the full orchestra, while others feature various ensemble performances by sections of the orchestra. All tracks, of course, have Jorgenson’s gypsy guitar front and center.
I look forward to hearing both these recordings and if you like good guitar playing, I’m sure you’ll enjoy them as well.
Both CDs are currently available directly from John on his website at JohnJorgenson.com.
