Marc Antoine

by John Bush
Contemporary jazz guitarist Marc Antoine blends his classical training with a multi-cultural urban groove. After studying at the Edouard Paiteron College and the International School of Classical Guitar, he played with a typically varied cast of artists: pop stars like Sting, Basia and Selena, rappers like Guru's Jazzmatazz project and Queen Latifah, plus acid jazz hipsters the Solsonics and DJ Greyboy. Signed to the New York City subsidiary of GRP Records, Antoine recorded his solo debut Classical Soul in 1994. The album climbed to the top of the contemporary jazz charts, thanks to the single "Unity." Urban Gypsy followed a year later, and in 1998 Antoine resurfaced with Madrid; Universal Language, his first LP for new label Polygram, appeared in early 2000; Cruisin' was released a year later.