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Artist
Olivier Ker Ourio
12+ albums
jazzfrenchharmonicaWorld jazzchromatic harmonica
about
Paris-based musician, composer, band leader, and highly-regarded soloist, Olivier Ker Ourio has established himself as one of the world’s premiere chromatic jazz harmonica players. http://www.kerourio.com/ His compositions combine lyric melodies with invigorating rhythms and inventive harmonies. Emotionally expressive, warm and inviting, Ker Ourio’s music is committed, fresh, and melodic — and above all, straight from the heart. Ker Ourio was born in Paris in 1964, but grew up in his family's homeland: the small French territory of Reunion Island, where his ancestors from Brittany came to settle in 1728. When he was only eight years old, his father handed him a chromatic harmonica. At first a toy, it eventually became the instrument of his life's passion. At 20, Ker Ourio returned to France to study computer programming, in Grenoble. Fortunately, his harmonica accompanied him, and it's here that his story truly begins — with the discovery of his love for jazz, and his first amateur concerts. Returning to Reunion Island, he studies under François Jeanneau at the National Conservatory of Music, forms his first group and plays extensively in clubs and festivals on the island. He opens for renowned singer Dee Dee Bridgewater. Then in 1992, he moves back to France permanently to pursue jazz full-time. One year later, with vibraphonist David Patrois, a milestone: he wins both the soloist and orchestral categories at the National Jazz Compe
