The Left-Handed Guitar Players That Changed Music By John Engel
PATRICK SAUSSOIS


guitar
Plays Guitar Left Handed Upside/Down.


PATRICK SAUSSOIS
Patrick Saussois is an eclectic and highly emotive jazz guitarist. In jazz, be-bop, swing, blues, and other styles, he has played with a long list of both venerable and young players, among them alto saxmen Richie Cole and Benny Waters, guitarists Bucky and John Pizzarelli, pioneering drummer Kenny Clarke, pianist Junior Mance, and French guitarists Didi Duprat and Marc Fosset.

But, besides his diverse jazz performances and recordings – he has appeared on well over 50 albums – Saussois has gained his international reputation as one of the keenest and most refined gypsy-jazz guitarists around. In that capacity, he has released many albums and given thousands of concerts, with his own formations, which include the prolific sextet Alma Sinti, as well as alongside other renowned gypsy-jazz players, such as Jimmy and Stochelo Rosenberg, Bireli Lagrène, Matelo Ferret, Christian Escoudé, Babik Reinhardt, and Dorado Schmidt.

An expert at melodic improvisation, Saussois is fond of varying the tenor and tone of his lead work, switching between the plectrum and fingers to pick the strings. He plays with the amplitude of his strokes, picking near or over the fretboard to coax smooth, nylon-like tones, or back near the bridge to produce a brasher, more vivacious attack. Both his sound and technique are always relaxed and unreservedly tuneful.

Patrick Saussois' laidback, jovial style encompasses 80 years of musical heritage and distills disparate modes into a magically coherent and vibrant music for all ages.

© LFV / John Engel all rights reserved.

Read all about Patrick Saussois's life and thrilling music in John Engel's Uncommon Sound book.