Marc Antoine

Marc Antoine, a guitarist rooted in contemporary jazz traditions yet shaped by his French origins, fuses technically refined classical technique with an eclectic blend of flamenco, Afrobeat, hip-hop, and R&B elements. Beyond his solo catalog, his contributions appear on numerous releases from musicians spanning Europe and North America. He further distinguishes himself as a composer, producer, and arranger of notable skill. International recognition arrived through his 1988 world tour alongside Basia, after which he settled in Southern California and established himself as a sought-after session musician. His GRP debut, Classical Soul, arrived in 1994 and earned widespread radio support, while Urban Gypsy two years later became his initial contemporary jazz chart entry—a placement his subsequent projects have maintained without interruption. Madrid, released in 1998, reached number five and achieved global commercial impact, setting the stage for strong showings by Universal Language in 2000 and Cruisin’ in 2001. Following his relocation to Spain, Antoine issued several albums that performed well internationally, among them 2007’s Hi-Lo Split, 2009’s Foreign Xchange—a joint project with Paul Brown—and 2012’s Guitar Destiny. Returning to Southern California in 2015, he contributed to multiple Brown productions before unveiling Laguna Beach on Woodward Avenue the next year. In 2017 he collaborated with David Benoit on So Nice!. After an extended studio period, Antoine resurfaced as a bandleader with Something About Her in 2021.

Paris-born in 1963, Antoine took up the guitar near age eleven and commenced private studies at the Conservatoire de Paris by thirteen. Classical figures such as Andrés Segovia and John Williams guided his early development; his abilities advanced rapidly, and by the close of secondary school he performed with fluency while cultivating an expanding interest in jazz, fusion, and additional nonclassical idioms. In 1988, following preparatory work at the Édouard Pailleron College and the International School of Classical Guitar, he relocated to London and joined the touring band of Polish vocalist Basia. Concurrently he absorbed the emerging acid jazz movement, recording and performing with stylistically diverse artists including Soul II Soul, Solsonics, DJ Greyboy, Guru’s Jazzmatazz, and Pato Banton. He next established himself in Los Angeles, where session work connected him with Sting, Rod Stewart, Celine Dion, Selena, Queen Latifah, and others. It was there that he launched his solo career with the 1994 NYC Music/GRP release Classical Soul. Defined by nylon-string tone and propelled by the track “Unity,” the album ascended to the summit of contemporary jazz charts; Urban Gypsy appeared the following year with comparable success. Additional GRP titles—Madrid in 1998, Universal Language in 2000, and Cruisin’ in 2001—sustained his visibility.

Antoine subsequently joined Dave Koz’s Rendezvous Entertainment roster, issuing the Latin-tinged Mediterraneo in 2003 prior to settling in Madrid, his wife’s native city. That album included a cover of Everything But the Girl’s “Lady” alongside the single “Cubanova.” Two years afterward he delivered the more electronic, dance-oriented Modern Times, which marked his vocal debut via a French-language interpretation of Sting’s “La Belle Dame Sans Regrets.” Hi-Lo Split surfaced on Peak Records in 2007, followed by the Paul Brown collaboration Foreign Xchange in 2009. In 2010 Antoine revisited classical sources on My Classical Way, presenting Latin, bossa nova, and smooth jazz interpretations drawn from composers such as Debussy, Mozart, and Pachelbel. Travel-inspired themes informed 2012’s Guitar Destiny. After more than twelve years in Spain he returned to California, constructing a home studio in Laguna Beach. His 2016 album Laguna Beach—his thirteenth—featured appearances by Philippe Saisse, Rick Braun, and Paul Brown, the latter also handling mixing duties; the title track held the top spot on the contemporary jazz singles chart for two weeks. The next year he reunited with pianist David Benoit for So Nice!, spotlighting the single “Caminando.”

Subsequent years found Antoine active as both session musician and live performer, contributing to David Benoit and Friends as well as Philippe Saisse Trio’s On the Level. Much of 2020’s COVID-19 quarantine was devoted to recording and production, with assistance from keyboardists Brian Simpson, Saisse, and Benoit, drummer Gordon Campbell, and saxophonists Marion Meadows and Greg Vail, among additional colleagues. The resulting project, Something About Her—dedicated to his wife of twenty-five years as an anniversary present—was issued in May 2021.