Featured In
ALBUMRadioactive Earworm - SingleGretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke
Albums by Lionel Loueke
ALBUMLean InGretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke
ALBUMWithin This StoneZiv Ravitz & Lionel Loueke
ALBUMClose Your EyesLionel Loueke, Reuben Rogers & Eric Harland
ALBUMThe Journey, The BonusesLionel Loueke
ALBUMHopeKevin Hays & Lionel Loueke
ALBUMThe JourneyLionel Loueke
ALBUMObsessionCéline Rudolph & Lionel Loueke
ALBUMGAÏALionel Loueke
ALBUMCoalitionKenny Werner, Lionel Loueke, Miguel Zenón, Benjamin Koppel & Ferenc Nemeth
ALBUMNewport Jazz Gala!Emdmar Castaneda, Anat Cohen, Bill Frisell, Ingrid Jensen, Lionel Loueke, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Peter Martin, Jason Moran, Lewis Nash, Dianne Reeves & Steve Wilson
Lionel Loueke's Popular Music Videos
Little Wing (feat. Lionel Loueke, Ferenc Nemeth & Massimo Biolcati)
Gilfema
Amud Anan - Pillar of Cloud (feat. Lionel Loueke) [Band Version]
Yosef Gutman
Artist Playlists
Lionel Loueke Essentials
The Beninese guitarist’s jazz has a West African lean.
Artist Biography
Blending traditions from his native Benin with harmonically complex post-bop jazz and fusion, West African guitarist Lionel Loueke has earned praise for his solo work as well as his varied collaborations. Initially emerging as a sideman on Terence Blanchard's Bounce in 2003, Loueke quickly found himself in demand, appearing on a bevy of albums including bassist Charlie Haden's 2004 effort Land of the Sun as well as a pair of noteworthy 2007 releases, Kendrick Scott's The Source and Herbie Hancock's Grammy-winning River: The Joni Letters. His own albums, like 2006's Virgin Forest, 2010's Mwaliko, and 2015's Gaia, have showcased Loueke's expansive, globally minded aesthetic, marked by his emotive jazz solos and a deep understanding of African folk customs. He has also remained deeply connected to the jazz tradition, paying homage to Hancock on 2020's HH and interpreting standards on 2021's Close Your Eyes.
Hometown
Cotonou, Benin
Genre
Jazz