Jesse Cook

Cook’s live shows, which are performed regularly throughout his native Canada, the U.S., Asia, and points beyond are notorious for drawing throngs of fans who sing and dance along during the entire performance. Those in attendance who may not yet be as familiar with his intoxicating rumba flamenco are quickly placed under the spell of passionate guitar work, Moorish rhythms, and Cook’s smoldering on-stage charisma. Multiple encores are the rule and audiences find it difficult to let it all end. In fact, his performances often bring out the wilder side of the audience. Women have even been known to throw their bras onto the stage, Tom Jones style.

This world-renowned artist has toured the globe on the strength of his ever-evolving discography, remarkable repertoire that began with TEMPEST in 1995 and continued with GRAVITY in 1996, VERTIGO in 1998, FREE FALL in 2000, NOMAD in 2003, MONTREAL in 2005, and ONE NIGHT AT THE MOTROPOLIS and FRONTIERS in 2007. In fact, Cook’s wanderlust might well date back to his European origins: born in Paris to Canadian parents, Cook moved to Canada with his mother and sister when he was three-and-a-half years old. His father remained in Europe, and Cook’s subsequent visits there were marked by a series of musical excursions during which Cook was introduced to a wide array of world musicians, including, during one formative early-eighties trip, a fledgling band called the Gipsy Kings. "That’s when I got hooked on that percussive approach to playing guitar," he says, summing up the origins of his captivating signature style.

In the midst of these sporadic visits to Europe, Cook enjoyed a sheltered but cosmopolitan upbringing in the burgeoning multi-cultural city of Toronto. An interest in his mother’s flamenco records and an accompanying "starter" guitar (given to him at age three) eventually led to formal studies at the esteemed Eli Kassner Academy, the Royal Conservatory of Canada, and York University a course of study that climaxed at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music.

Soon after the independent release of TEMPEST in 1995, the ink was drying on his recording contract with Narada Records. Since that time, Cook has sold over a million CDs worldwide, and earned one platinum and four gold record awards in Canada for each of his albums.