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George Cole Quintet

The George Cole Quintet's superbly crafted and melodically sophisticated original music reminds us of the best of George Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, and Cole Porter. The band's highly stylized approach, technical mastery and fast and furious guitar playing is in the tradition of Django Reinhardt. It includes crooning vocals, a gift for comic gab and romantic duets with vocalist, Molly Mahoney. George's music suggests a hot sultry evening in a Parisian nightclub in the 1940's and the sophistication of master craftsman. The mix of high energy guitar playing, soaring violin flights by Julian Smedley, and propulsive "le pompe" rhythm guitar style creates a dynamic musical experience.

George Cole has just returned from playing and singing duets with Keely Smith at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco. He has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and sold out shows at The Freight & Salvage in Berkeley. He dazzled audiences at a Grammy Artist's Showcase. George Cole is a lead guitarist, vocalist, composer, and band leader. In addition to fronting his own quintet, he was lead guitarist for Bay Area bands Big Blue Hearts (Geffen/Interscope) and Beatnik Beatch (Atlantic). George has toured with Joe Walsh, performed with Warren Zevon and Buster Poindexter, and recorded with producer Roy Thomas Baker (Queen and Paul McCartney). He played on Chris Isaak's platinum selling "Forever Blue" album. George has also been a guitar instructor to many young musicians including Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt of Green Day, and won a California Music Award for Best New Major Label Artist.

"George Cole has a sound that incorporates some of the finest elements of '30s-era European and American music. Cole's excellent Django-style guitar work and his band's enticing instrumental and vocal harmonies make them a must-see for any fan of vintage jazz."

Art Thompson
Senior Editor, Guitar Player Magazine