John Jorgenson
Composer and Guitar

Grammy award winning guitarist and multi-instrumentalist
John Jorgenson is known for his blistering guitar and mandolin
licks and mastery of a broad musical palette. His reputation
as a world-class musician has been accomplished through his
frequent collaborations with artists such Elton John, Tommy
Emmanuel, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash,
Barbra Streisand, and Luciano Pavarotti.
Jorgenson continues to expand his dynamic range of musical
offerings, exploring new elements of world music, bluegrass,
rock and classical.

First coming to national attention in the mid ‘80s as co-founder
of successful country-rock act The Desert Rose Band, an eclectic
array of artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger and Barbra were
drawn to add Jorgenson’s artistry to their own recordings. While
a member of the Desert Rose Band, Jorgenson won the Academy
of Country Music’s “Guitarist of the Year” award two consecutive
years.

In the ‘90s The Hellecasters gave audiences a chance to
experience John’s fretboard fireworks in an unrestrained
venue and the trio’s three original albums remain favourites
of guitarists everywhere. Having been a fan of the Desert Rose
Band, Elton John invited Jorgenson to join his band in 1994 for
an 18 month tour that stretched into a six-year stint of touring,
recording and TV appearances with the British superstar, in
addition to collaborations with other artists including Sting and
Billy Joel.

Jorgenson is a leading exponent of the great gypsy guitarist
Django Reinhardt and since 1979, has become “the US
Ambassador of Gypsy Jazz” which is quite an honour given the
distinctly European slant of the music’s heritage. Over the years
Jorgenson has continued to honour the legacy of Reinhardt by
bringing his unique brand of Gypsy Jazz to the masses with his
John Jorgenson Quintet.

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As a composer Jorgenson was honored when Tommy and Phil Emmanuel chose his song “Back On Terra Firma” not only as the title cut of their album, but also to perform it at the closing ceremonies of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. His 2010 “Concerto Glasso” for gypsy jazz guitar and orchestra was recorded by Orchestra Nashville, and Jorgenson’s compositions have appeared on Peter Frampton’s Grammy-Winning “Fingerprints” album and albums by Rodney Crowell, The Desert Rose Band and many others. 

Fronting 3 different touring ensembles (The John Jorgenson Quintet, Bluegrass Band, and Electric Band) keeps Jorgenson quite busy dazzling audiences all around the world. While not on the road, Jorgenson can be found in the recording studio, producing, and collaborating with artists in all genres.