John Jorgenson in Maryville

John Jorgenson is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1956. He is known as a founding member of the country-rock group the Desert Rose Band, as part of the guitar trio the Hellecasters and for his work in Elton John’s band. His own recordings, including Franco-American Swing and Ultraspontane, center on gypsy jazz while drawing on his background in country and bluegrass. John Jorgenson toured with the Desert Rose Band during the group’s run in the late 1980s and early 1990s, then played guitar on Elton John’s tours from 1994 to 2000. He later took the John Jorgenson Quintet to clubs, theatres and jazz festivals, performing on guitar, clarinet and bouzouki. The quintet has appeared at the Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois-sur-Seine.