George Cole Quintet

"Eurocana" is Hot Gypsy Swing... it's the name of the band, AND it describes a musical genre. It is a celebration of the great American Songbook with inspiration from the Gypsy fueled jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli.

"Eurocana:" George Cole lead vocals and lead guitar, Stephan Dudash violin/vocals, Mathias Minquet guitar/vocals, and Kaeli Earle on lead vocals and acoustic upright bass.

George Cole: guitarist, vocalist, and composer. George Cole really just wants to play his guitar and sing his songs for you. He is a consummate performer, bringing vast experience and enormous talent to each show and every project he is a part of. He has toured with Joe Walsh, recorded with producer Roy Thomas Baker (Queen and Paul McCartney), and performed, played guitar and sang duets with jazz legend Keely Smith. He recorded on Chris Isaak's platinum selling Forever Blue album. George was guitar instructor and mentor to Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt of Green Day. Garnering rave reviews and standing ovations across the country, George has dazzled audiences at musical landmarks from Carnegie Hall in New York to the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley. Most recently George continues to tour extensively and presented the first annual L'esprit de Django et Stéphane Festival at The Freight and Salvage in Berkeley. George Cole tours extensively with his group Eurocana - now in pre-production for a new record with Grammy Award winner John Cuniberti.

Mathias Minquet: French/Argentinian guitarist Mathias Minquet is an exceptionally talented multi-instrumentalist who is a graduate of both The Sorbonne in Paris and Berklee College of Music. His varied musical experience includes performing with Enrique Iglesias, Laura Pausini, and the Pussycat Dolls. Mathias demonstrates a wide-ranging base of knowledge and skilled mastery of many styles, and his breathy French vocals add another entire dimension to the band..

Stephan Dudash: Nashville violist/violinist Stephan Dudash started his professional career in a band headed by Chris Brubeck, son of jazz piano virtuosos Dave Brubeck. Since then he has performed all over the world with a list of greats including Olivia Newton-John, Shania Twain, Janie Fricke and most recently specializing in Gypsy Jazz music touring with George Cole.

Kaeli Earle: Kaeli is a rising star that hails from Bellingham, Washington. Kaeli is a multi-instrumentalist who's studied piano, cello, and acoustic bass. She adds her undeniable talent, skill, and energy to Eurocana as a vocalist and musician.

Media Quotes:

"Think of the evergreen songs of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin heated to a Django Reinhardt swing, and you've got the infectious gist of the music of George Cole." Guitarist swings into DIA with Django-style jazz, Lawrence B. Johnson/ Special to The Detroit News

"George Cole has a sound that incorporates some of the finest elements of '30s-era European and American music. Cole's excellent Django-style guitar work and his band's enticing instrumental and vocal harmonies make them a must-see for any fan of vintage jazz." Art Thompson, Senior Editor, Guitar Player Magazine

"George Cole and his band puts you in a sexy European dream. Think Paris...and red wine...and new love, lost in a kiss on a wet cobblestone street." Steve Bowman Recording Artist (Counting Crows, Third Eye Blind), Nashville TN

"George Cole brings its hybrid swing sound to Buffalo. Blending the fire of Reinhardt with the ice of say, Cole Porter or Bing Crosby, might not seem like an obvious move, but Cole made it work, bathing his own compositions in the forgiving glow of nostalgic familiarity, and adding a healthy dose of instrumental virtuosity to the equation, as evidenced by the George Cole's latest effort,
"Riverside Drive."" Jeff Meirs, Buffalo Evening News

"George Cole, guitar guru at the forefront of style" Tony Sauro, Stockton Record http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120518/A_LIFE/205180303/-1/A_LIFE07

"...timeless romance and virtuosic marvel." Jean Bartlett, San Jose Mercury News