Jesse Cook facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jesse Cook
Background information
Birth name	Jesse Arnaud Cook
Born	(1964-11-28) November 28, 1964 (age 60) Paris, France
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	New flamenco, world music, ethno jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Classical guitar
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Narada, EMI, E1

Jesse Arnaud Cook is a talented Canadian guitarist and composer. He was born on November 28, 1964. Jesse Cook is famous for his unique style of music. It blends New flamenco with world music and ethno jazz. He has won a prestigious Juno Award. He also received the Acoustic Guitar Player's Choice Award. Plus, he won the Canadian Smooth Jazz award three times for Guitarist of the Year. Jesse Cook has sold over 1.5 million records around the world.

Jesse Cook's Early Life and Music Journey

Jesse Cook was born in Paris, France. His parents were both Canadian artists. His father, John Cook, was a photographer and filmmaker. His mother, Heather Cook, directed and produced television shows. Jesse grew up in Toronto, Canada.

How Jesse Cook Learned Music

Jesse studied music at several famous schools. He went to Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music. He also attended York University and Berklee College of Music in the United States. He learned to play classical and jazz guitar. Jesse often jokes that he later tried to "unlearn" some of what he learned. He wanted to play music in a more natural, traditional way. This was like how Roma musicians learn by listening and playing.

Jesse Cook's First Album Success

In 1995, Jesse Cook released his first album, Tempest. It was released independently in Canada. Soon after, he performed at the Catalina Jazz Festival. This helped his album become very popular. Tempest quickly reached No. 14 on the American Billboard charts. This was a big start to his career!

Exploring Music Around the World

Jesse Cook has created many albums. He has recorded ten studio albums and five live DVDs. He loves to travel and explore different music styles. He has visited many countries to learn about their musical traditions. He then mixes these sounds into his own style. This unique blend is called rumba flamenca.

Awards and Recognitions

Jesse Cook has received many awards for his music. In 1998, he was nominated for a Juno Award. This award was for Instrumental Artist of the Year. He was nominated again in 2001 for Best Male Artist. In 2001, he won a Juno Award for his album Free Fall. It won in the Best Instrumental Album category.

In 2009, he won a silver award from Acoustic Guitar magazine. This was in the Flamenco category. The legendary guitarist Paco de Lucia won the gold award that year. Jesse Cook has also won the Canadian Smooth Jazz award for Guitarist of the Year three times. He has earned many other honors too.

Jesse Cook's Work Behind the Camera

Since 2011, Jesse Cook has also been making music videos. He started filming, directing, and editing them himself. He has directed eight music videos. He also made 16 episodes of a series called Friday Night Music. Jesse also produced and edited a special concert for PBS. It was called Jesse Cook, Beyond Borders.

What Inspires Jesse Cook's Music

Jesse Cook describes his music as a mix of different styles. He says, "If you go to Spain and you play [my] music, they’ll say, what is this? They don’t recognize it as Flamenco because it’s not; it’s a hybrid." He loves Flamenco music. But he also enjoys world music, jazz, pop, Brazilian Samba, and Persian music. He combines all these influences to create his unique sound.

Jesse Cook's Music Albums

• Tempest (1995)
• Gravity (1996)
• Vertigo (1998)
• Free Fall (2000)
• Nomad (2003)
• Montréal (2005)
• Frontiers (2007)
• The Rumba Foundation (2009)
• The Blue Guitar Sessions (2012)
• One World (2015)
• Beyond Borders (2017)
• Libre (2021)
• Love in the Time of Covid (2023)

Jesse Cook's Video Albums

Other Music Projects

Jesse Cook has also worked with other artists. He has appeared on their albums.

• Enchantment (2001) by Charlotte Church
• Camino Latino (2002) by Liona Boyd
• Seed (2003) by Afro Celt Sound System

Learn More About Music Styles

• New Flamenco
• Flamenco rumba

See also

In Spanish: Jesse Cook para niños