When Bireli Lagrene first emerged in 1980 as a 13-year-old who sounded exactly like Django Reinhardt, he was considered a marvel. Born (like Reinhardt) to a gypsy family, he had been playing guitar since he was four. After a few years and several recordings, Lagrene purposely got away from the Reinhardt influence, playing high-powered rock-oriented fusion and recording with Jaco Pastorius in 1986. He sounded more original but much less interesting during this period. The guitarist has since returned to a quieter form of jazz, playing hard bop versions of standards with hints of his earlier interests in Reinhardt and fusion. Bireli Lagrene has recorded for Antilles, Jazzpoint, Blue Note, and Dreyfus. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide