The Annenberg Center Presents Jesse Cook

The Annenberg Center presents Jesse Cook, three-time winner of the Canadian Guitarist of the Year Award, Sunday, October 20 at 7 PM. Known as one of the most influential artists in nuevo flamenco, Cook makes his Annenberg Center debut with his exhilarating fusion of jazz, R&B, electronic and world music.

"I want to take people to places they haven't been." Jesse Cook, Juno-winning master guitarist known for his intoxicating fusion of world music, has travelled the globe looking for sounds that resonate with him. "I like finding common ground for different music traditions, a space where music from around the world can come together," Cook explains. "A place where modern sounds can mix with ancient timbres."

Born in Paris, to Canadian parents, Cook started guitar lessons after moving back to Canada. "My teacher played flamenco. Then, when I'd visit my dad in France, he was living next door to Nicolas Reyes, the singer of The Gipsy Kings. I saw gipsy kids on the corner playing that way too. It was if the world conspired to get me interested in this style, and I was hooked." It was when he heard the Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin album, Friday Night in San Francisco, that the die was cast. "I was captivated by the sheer virtuosity and freedom, that people could play whatever they wanted, creating in that space between jazz and flamenco." Cook also helps foster this spirit of cultural exploration visually through his photography on Instagram, as well as his popular weekly video releases on his YouTube channel and through Facebook. jessecook.com

The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts serves as a major cultural destination and crossroads connecting Penn and the greater Philadelphia region through innovative human expression in theatre, music, dance, and film, serving an annual audience of over 60,000. The Annenberg Center also serves as a key resource for the arts at Penn, connecting master artists with Penn students in support of and as an enhancement to the arts curriculum. Student performing arts groups are also key users of the Annenberg Center's multiple performance and rehearsal spaces, while also staffing many operational roles throughout the academic year. In reflection of Penn's core values as a world-respected academic institution, the Annenberg Center emphasizes artistic and intellectual excellence, diversity, and rigor in its presentations; prioritizes broad inclusiveness in the artists, audiences, and groups it serves; manages outstanding performance, conference, and meeting facilities; and stresses comprehensive event planning, production support, and customer service. The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a major provider of performing arts access for school children and actively engages a broad range of primary, secondary, and post-secondary student audiences and inclusive constituencies from the campus, community, and greater Philadelphia region. Visit AnnenbergCenter.org.