Boulou Ferré

Boulou Ferré (born Jean-Jacques Ferret, 24 April 1951) is a French virtuoso jazz guitarist, composer, arranger, and improviser. He is the brother of Elios Ferré, also a jazz musician, with whom he has recorded widely. His repertoire includes jazz and classical music. He is considered one of the greatest contemporary musicians of the manouche (gypsy jazz) tradition and has contributed to the genre through his knowledge of both jazz and classical music and his interest in the contrapuntal music of J. S. Bach.

Music career Boulou Ferré was born in Paris and came from a family of musicians. His father, Matelo Ferret, and his uncle, Baro Ferret, played with Django Reinhardt in the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. His brother, Elios Ferré, is also a guitarist. By the age of seven, he was playing solos by saxophonist Charlie Parker on guitar. When he was eight, he gave his first concert, and when he was twelve he recorded his debut album.

In 1962 Ferré enrolled at the Conservatoire de Paris, taking classes in piano, classical guitar, and organ, the latter under Olivier Messiaen. Messian was formative in Ferré's approach to classical music, counterpoint, and J. S. Bach, whose music has influenced his approach to composition. After the Conservatore, he became an organist at a Paris cathedral and developed his style of jazz improvisation and composition.

When he was 13, Ferré played with John Coltrane at the Jazz à Juan festival in Antibes.

Discography The 13 Year Old Sensation from France (4 Corners of the World, 1965) Boulou et Les Paris All Stars (Barclay, 1966) Espace with Gunter Hampel (Birth, 1970) Pour Django with Elios Ferré (SteepleChase, 1979) Gypsy Dreams with Elios Ferré (SteepleChase, 1980) Trinity with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Elios Ferre (SteepleChase, 1983) Three of a Kind with Christian Escoude, Babik Reinhardt (JMS, 1985) Nuages with Elios Ferre, Jesper Lundgaard (SteepleChase, 1986) Relax and Enjoy (SteepleChase, 1987) Confirmation (SteepleChase, 1989) Guitar Legacy (SteepleChase, 1991) New York, New York (SteepleChase, 1997) Intersection with Elios Ferré, Alain Jean-Marie (La Lichere, 2002) The Rainbow of Life (Bee Jazz, 2003) Shades of a Dream (Bee Jazz, 2004) Parisian Passion (Bee Jazz, 2005) Live in Montpellier with Elios Ferre (Le Chant Du Monde, 2007) Brothers to Brothers with Elios Ferre (Plus Loin, 2008) Django 100 (JMS, 2009) Solo (JMS, 2013) La Bande Des Trois with Elios Ferre (Label Ouest, 2015)