Jean-Pascal Boffo

The adventuresome French guitarist Jean Pascal Boffo has worked with a wide variety of musicians since 1980 and has explored an equally diverse ground in his solo work for the Musea label. His work has been variously influenced by jazz, progressive rock, and ethnic music.

Jean Pascal Boffo started his career as a musician in 1975 as the guitarist for the progressive rock band Mandragore. In 1981 he joined Troll. Boffo began his solo career with 1985's Juex De Nains, the first release on the French record label, Musea. Recorded mostly on an acoustic guitar with the addition of some synthesizers, the spare album sounds little like his later work. Carillions, recorded at his home studio, followed in 1987 and featured additional musicians and a stronger jazz sound. Here, Boffo recorded primarily on electric guitar. Boffo dramatically shifted gears for 1988's Ritual, which featured a dozen additional musicians from various backgrounds and a classically influenced epic opening track.

For the next few years, Boffo was guitarist with Cac and Co, Antoine Tome, and the reggae group Sawurri. His next solo release was 1994's Nomades, on which Boffo pursued musical representation of the nomads of Asia and the Middle East. Offrende followed in 1995. He then joined the band Christian Decamps & Fils. Leaving the group in 1996, he recorded the album DEBOCO with Delaunay Eric and Coppin Gilles. On the album, three different melodies by each musician were each explored by the others. In 1998, he released Vu du Ciel, followed by 1999's collaboration Les Dents Rouge under the name KaHaRo. Parfum de'Etoiles followed in 2000. ~ Geoff Orens, Rovi