Nelson Rangell & Marc Antoine

Church Street Jazz Series

Nelson Rangell
Rangell began playing the flute when he was 15-years-old. Within six months he was studying both classical and jazz music at The Interlochen Arts Academy, a national camp for gifted music students. He went on to attend The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. As a student Rangell won Down Beat Magazine's prestigious National Student Recording Awards competition twice, both as best jazz and best pop/rock instrumental soloist. After college, he headed to New York in 1984 to pursue his career.

The next four years were spent "paying dues"; sitting in, playing alongside, and gigging with some of the world's greatest contemporary jazz musicians including Eric Marienthal, Hiram Bullock, Eric Gale, Richard Tee, Jaco Pastorius, David Sanborn and many others. He also found occasional employment with the legendary Gil Evans Monday Night Orchestra and worked on many commercial jingle recording sessions. Rangell's 1987 debut album was released on Gaia/Gramavision Records, but soon after he was signed by Larry Rosen and Dave Grusin at GRP Records.

In the 1980s he was a member of Members Only, a jazz ensemble who recorded for Muse Records. A succession of albums followed at GRP where he recorded eight CDs, beginning in 1989. His stated ambition throughout these endeavors has been able "to grow and evolve as a player and artist while making music that people can easily relate to in a form that is substantive." With his musical armory encompassing flute, piccolo, alto, tenor and soprano saxophone as well as whistling, he was well equipped to fulfill this desire.

He has recorded with The Rippingtons, Chuck Loeb, Patti Austin, Tom Browne, and The GRP All-Star Big Band, and is featured on Don Grusin's Grammy nominated CD "The Hang." Though Rangell has mostly recorded with contemporary/pop and smooth jazz formats garnering top radio play and a large audience. In the late 90s, Rangell continued his career with Shanachie Records and has now released 14 CDs nationally and internationally. A night not to be missed, this will be his first full band appearance in Hampton Roads along with Marc Antoine for the 2nd concert in the Church Street Jazz Series, November 18th at the Attucks Theatre.

Marc Antoine
Marc Antoine (born May 28, 1963 in Paris, France) is a jazz fusion guitarist. Marc currently resides in Madrid, Spain, and his guitar style is based on Roma music.

Since emerging as a force in contemporary jazz in the mid-90s, with a trademark sound captured in the title of his debut album Classical Soul, Marc Antoine has shared his joyous musical wanderlust on a discography infused with extraordinary exotic journeys. After living and recording in Madrid – his wife Rebecca’s hometown – for 12 years, the multi-talented acoustic guitarist relocated back to Southern California in 2015.

In the summer of 1981 at the age of 18, his debut was sidelined by an accidental injury to his left hand. While playing with the family dog, Marc unintentionally crashed through a glass door. The surgeon who removed the shards of glass from his hand told him that his chances of playing guitar again were slim to none. Marc's passion for the guitar drove him through a rigorous rehabilitation process for the next three years, and in 1984 he was back on the scene in Paris, performing in clubs and recording for artists such as Philippe Petit, Charlelie Couture, Jill Kaplan, France Gall, and Ray Lema. Marc also revisited his surgeon in 1984 and played a piece for him to demonstrate his full recovery.

In 1988, a 25-year-old Marc moved to London where he joined Basia as part of her recording band and worked with other London-based acts such as The Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, Soul II Soul, Pato Banton, and General Public. Marc also found the time to take part in the budding London Acid Jazz scene. Shortly after, he decided to tour the world for inspiration which led him to spend time in Tokyo where he became an acclaimed session player.

Marc relocated, this time to Los Angeles in the late 1990s. During his 12-year stay, he played backing guitar for marquee artists such as Sting, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Cher, Selena, Queen Latifah, George Benson, Guru's Jazzmatazz project, Take 6, and others. He composed and performed individual songs for six major movie soundtracks: Get Shorty, The Fan, Patch Adams, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Demolition Man, and Celtic Pride. Marc worked with renowned producers Tommy LiPuma, Philippe Saisse, Marcus Miller, Mike Pela, Guy Roche and Stoker during this stint.

He later scored numerous airplay hits from the albums which have established him as a mainstay in the genre: Urban Gypsy (1995), Madrid (1998), Universal Language (2000), Cruisin’ (2001), The Very Best Of Marc Antoine (2002), Mediterraneo (2003) and Modern Times (2005). He has appeared on numerous albums for other artists (Saisse, Braun, Jim Brickman, David Benoit, Dave Koz, Mindi Abair, ) and has been featured in many of the annual Guitars & Saxes all-star tours and jazz cruises. November 18th he comes to Hamptopn Roads along with Nelson Rangell to set the night to music in the 2nd concert of the 2016-2017 Church Street Jazz series season.