Julien Labro Quartet
Julien Labro Quartet is one of Labro’s first independent musical projects as a bandleader and features his original music. Inspired by his travels around the world, Labro’s compositions intricately weave together the voices, rhythms and melodies from different regions and cultures using a modern jazz format. Link to video.
The Chanson Experiment
The Chanson Experiment is Labro’s most recent jazz project, where he explores his French roots and the beauty and lyricism of the sounds of his childhood. Inspired by the music of Piaf, Brel, Aznavour, etc., Labro composes and arranges traditional French Chansons with a modern perspective. The accordion, the cornerstone of the French chanson, shines at the forefront of this program and sparkles in Labro’s capable hands with jaw-dropping virtuosity. Labro brings a modern harmonic sophistication to heart-on-your-sleeve themes, without losing the original intentions. The program follows Labro into an adventurous new territory filled with twists and turns that simultaneously embraces, challenges and reimagines classics for the contemporary audience. Link to video.
The Julien Labro and Olli Soikelli Quartet
After meeting at The Cutting Room, a jazz club in New York City, French accordionist, Julien Labro and Finnish guitarist, Olli Soikkeli, embarked on a collaboration that uses an updated instrumentation of accordion, guitar, contrabass and drums to reinterpret music inspired by Django Reinhardt. A staple of some of the biggest Reinhardt festivals, they have toured throughout the United States and Europe, performing music from their latest album Rise & Grind. Link to video and full album.
