Guy Le Claire

Biography

Guy Le Claire is an acclaimed Hong Kong based Australian guitarist with a Certificate of
Music from Berklee College of Music in USA and a Diploma of Music from Australian
Institute of Music in Sydney.
Guy has performed with top jazz artists from Hong Kong, North America and Australia,
American Blues artists, Indian Classical musicians and Chinese music instrumentalists.
Born and raised in Sydney Australia, Guy became a professional musician in Hong Kong
in 1981 and returning to Australia in 1982, he formed a number of original jazz groups
and contemporary rock bands including Them Or Us (1986) with Geoff Lungren and Bill
Heckenberg and Guy Le Claire Quintet RSVP featuring Steve Hunter, Andrew Gander,
Jason Morphett and Kevin Hunt.
In 1991 he released his self-titled debut CD Guy Le Claire, featuring producers John
Prior and Lindsay Jehan, which received a glowing reviews in America’s Guitar
magazine and the Australian music press. Guy was hailed as Australia’s “Joe Satriani”
(Drum Media) and he was subsequently signed to Polygram Music Publishing Australia.
After promoting his debut CD and opening for Allan Holdsworth in Sydney, Guy and
Steve Hunter formed fusion band Playdiem with David Jones on drums and John
Foreman on keys. A self-titled CD was released in 1994 on Larrikin Records (Aust).
Between 1997 and 2000, Guy released three jazz CDs in Hong Kong on his own label 3-
Logic Music - Live At The Jazz Club, Plonk and On the One, which features Australia’s
best jazz talent and was co-produced by John Prior.
Deferring his Masters of Music degree (UNSW) in 1996, Guy moved to Hong Kong
where he quickly established himself as a reliable working musician and artist.
Some of Guy’s past history in Australia...
From the mid to late 1980’s Guy toured with Eurogliders, Ian Moss, Matt Finish, Rick
Price and a host of others and was involved in countless recording projects.
In 1993, Guy was promoted to head of the Guitar Department at the Australian Institute
of Music in Sydney and that year over 100 guitarists enrolled into full-time courses.
Throughout this period Guy met and sometimes played with Steve Morse, Frank
Gambale, Joe Satriani, Martin Taylor, Ike Isaacs, Mike Stern and John McLaughlin.
1995 – 1996 saw the formation of the Bruce Cale / Guy Le Claire Duo, with double bass
and archtop guitar, playing their popular jazz standards every weekend in the Blue
Mountains. The duo went on to play Wangaratta Jazz Festival in 1996 and recently a CD
was released entitled Standard Time (2002) on Time For Jazz Label and it received a 4-
star rating in The Australian newspaper.
In Hong Kong his experiences include...
Guy has toured and performed with international jazz musicians Dale Barlow, Eugene
Pao, Walter Lampe, Tony Buck, Quinsin Naschoff, David Sills, Elaine Liu, Ted Lo, Allen
Youngblood, Scott Tinkler, Steve Hunter, Simon Barker, Melbourne Jazz Musicians and
Banff Collective.
Guy has performed with world famous blues & soul artists Martha Reeves of the
Vandellas, Luther Guitar Junior Johnson, John Ellison, Phil Guy, Guitar Shorty, Eddie
King, Shirley Johnson & Big Sarah.
Guy performed concerts in USA, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong with Canto pop-stars
Sally Yeh & George Lam, Hong Kong Coliseum concerts with Yip Dak Han otherwise
known as Deanie Yip (2002), Tsai Chin (2001 – VCD) and George Lam’s Contact 2001.
TV appearance with Faye Wong and Jacky Cheung. TVB’s 2002 Gala Concert with Sally
Yip.
Guy has also gathered a reputation in Australia as ‘the guy to play with when in Honkers’
leading to much performing with Australia’s top mobile jazz talent.
In 1999 Guy teamed up with Spanish Flamenco guitarist Esteban Antonio, to present a
guitar fusion spectacle entitled Compadres. The Duo premiered their work in Hong Kong
at the Cremaria Theatre, Fringe Club on custom acoustic Kif guitars made in UK.
In addition to his guitar playing, he has composed all the material on two CDs (Guy Le
Claire and ON the ONE) and arranged (and starred in) music for both “Tribute to Miles
Davis” and “From Duke to Beyond – the shape of Canto-Jazz to come” (Big Band style)
concerts.
Currently his composing and playing skills are focused on 3 performing projects…
• RED – A modern Jazz Trio based in Hong Kong, China featuring Peter Scherr (double
bassist/composer/ USA), Andy Collier (drums/ USA) and Guy Le Claire (guitars/ Chinese
percussion/ composer/ Australia). RED play original music and will have a CD released
in November 2002.
• Xin Xin – Guy’s solo guitar project of original tunes due to be recorded in November
2002.
• Z-Men – A fusion trio of funk, pop, blues and jazz with Guy, Flynn Adams on 7 string
electric bass and Robbin Harris on drums and percussion.
Since 2000…
March, 2000 was spent in New York City studying with Richie Beirach, Steve Kahn and
Michael Bocian, as well as listening to jazz greats (and not so greats), sessions for
producer Lindsay Jehan, and recording some original solo acoustic guitar material.
A tour to Taiwan as part of the Wizards of Oz (CD of this band released as “Dale Barlow
– NOMADS”, 2002), and concerts with Dale Barlow in Hong Kong, Macau and China.
Guy Le Claire Trio played the Puerto Galera Jazz Festival, Philippines.
Guy was invited by the Vrindaban Indian Classical Music Society to Mumbai, India for 10
days to gain some insight into Indian Classical Music.
In 2001 Guy became Musical Director for Aqua Bar & Restaurant HKG and attended a
three week jazz course with the world’s top jazz musicians at Banff Centre for the Arts,
Canada in May studying with Kenny Werner, Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas and Jim Black.
Performances in Melbourne, Australia in October. Research in Yunnan province, China.
Provided the Swire group (HK) with a world music weekly event at Taikoo Place, HK,
and had the good fortune to perform with a number of artists of different musical
backgrounds, such as Adrian McNeil (sarod), HK University Gamelan Orchestra, Kumi
African Drum and others.
In October 2002, Guy was Artist-in-residence at the Banff Centre for Arts, Canada to
complete a composing and recording project with Australian & Canadian musicians.
Performed in the HK Jazz Quartet with Elaine Liu at the summer Taiwan Jazz Festival.
Continued research and study of Indian and Chinese Music.
Attended the Chinese Contemporary Composers Music Forum in Shanghai, April 2002.
Guy Le Claire plays and endorses KIF GUITARS handmade in UK.
Guy continues to perform worldwide.
GUY is available for solo and ensemble performances as well as clinics/ lectures, and
private tuition.
Selected Discography:
*Guy Le Claire Quintet: RSVP
*Steve Hunter – VISA 1984.
*The Tribe (CBS Aust) 1986.
*Eurogliders Greatest Hits (CBS Aust) 1989.
*Guy Le Claire (001) 1991.
*Guy Le Claire Trio Live (3-logic-music 003) 1997.
*Plonk - Plonk (GLC 005) 1999.
*Guy Le Claire - On the One (3-logic-music 006) 2000.
*Dale Barlow – Nomads 2002.
*Bruce Cale & Guy Le Claire – Standard Time 2002.
*Red - RED 2002
*Z-Men 2002.
*Xin Xin – Guy Le Claire Solo /2002.
*Deanie Yip LIVE in Hong Kong (CD/VCD/DVD) /2002.
*George Lam – Live Contact Lam 2001 (CD/VCD/DVD) 2002.
*Tsai Chin LIVE in Hong Kong (CD/VCD/DVD) 2001.