When Bireli Lagrene's Routes to Django: Live was issued in 1980, the 13-year-old jazz guitarist was immediately praised by critics as a protégé of Django Reinhardt. For the next five years, Lagrene would mimic Reinhardt's style, even recording versions of the master's "Nuages" and "Djangology." His father had been a prominent guitarist during the 1930s, and Lagrene started playing guitar at four or five. After focusing on Reinhardt's distinct style a few years later, he had absorbed players like Wes Montgomery and Jimi Hendrix by his late teens, and began playing electric guitar. Aside from his live appearances, Lagrene has also recorded a steady stream of albums. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.