Philip Catherine
The String Project

The guitarist Philip Catherine is a European jazz legend. Born in 1942 in Belgium, he turned professional at the young age of 17. He soon began touring with the likes of Lou Bennett, Dexter Gordon, Jean-Luc Ponty, and then continued with Chet Baker (with whom he recorded six albums), Tom Harrell, and many other greats. Charles Mingus gave him the nickname "Young Django," and the Süddeutsche Zeitung recently wrote about him, saying that he "plays things that you can't currently hear from any other guitarist in the world." Part of what sets him apart is his impeccable sense of timing, which makes even the most breathtakingly fast passages sound relaxed and effortless. However, it's not just his technique and speed that make him a virtuoso but also his distinctive acoustic guitar tone and an improvisational style influenced not by guitarists but by the great jazz horn players.