Jesse Cook "Tempest"

Jesse Cook's charismatic stage presence, unrivaled virtuosity, and soulful artistry have made him one of the most highly sought-after artists in contemporary music. With his debut CD "Tempest", Cook erases the boundaries between flamenco, Afro-Cuban rumba, hip-hop, and world music. RPM wrote, "He conjures up an unusual mystique of rumba flamenco with incredible fingering strength that virtually rips across the strings..." Born in Paris to Canadian parents, Cook spent his early years in southern southern France and Spain. At 3, he began strumming along with his mother's Manita de Platas records on a toy guitar. At 6, when his family had returned to Canada, he began training at Toronto's prestigious Eli Kassner Guitar Academy. Five music schools, nine private teachers, and 16 years later, Cook returned to France and Spain in search of the mystic flamenco music of his childhood, seeking the guitar masters of Andalusia, Cordoba, Seville, Granada, and Madrid. As a composer, producer, and performer, Cook has been heard in over 20 countries and in every medium from film, television, and dance theater to multimedia presentations.