The Guitar Player's Resource
A professor of jazz at Plymouth State College, and guitarist, leader, and principle composer for the Paul Bourgelais Jazz Trio, Paul Bourgelais is an extremely talented musician who pours his emotion and considerable technique into the music on John's Vacation. Featuring eleven tunes reminiscent of Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny and John Abercrombie, the CD has a laid-back, flowing mood, a number of expressive guitar and bass solos (John Hunter), and the dead-on drumming and percussion of Tim Gilmore. Highlights on the album include "New Tango", with its engaging samba feel, "John's Vacation", "July 12, 1997", and "Double Aught", with its lyrical and swinging solo conception. At least nine of the eleven cuts are real gems, while several confront and challenge the listener's concepts of harmony (nothing wrong with that). Fans of jazz fusion who want to pick up a CD which can introduce them to more of what jazz is all about are urged to check out John's Vacation for a chance to surround themselves with the real deal. Paul Bourgelais was originally profiled in the April-May, 2002 edition of The Undiscovered.
Paul has been involved with music for a long time and has a resume the size of a phone book. He has taught at a number of schools (including the University of New Hampshire and Notre Dame College), and currently maintains a performance and touring schedule of 150-200 dates a year. Paul gives biweekly classical guitar recitals at the Currier Gallery of Art in New Hampshire, featuring selections by Bach, Villa Lobos, Tarraga, Sor and Dowland, among others. He has been a member of the orchestra in many stage and theatre presentations, including Godspell, Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar, Man Of La Mancha, Chicago, Sound Of Music and Bye Bye Birdie. Paul has published two beginning guitar methods ("Guitar One" and "Guitar Two") and has presented several workshops on public school guitar education.
Bourgelais has a new CD of original jazz to be released in the summer of 2002, and plans to continue to develop as a guitar teacher at New Hampshire's Plymouth State College. He also hopes to put together his own private recording studio.
Paul Bourgelais
United States