Doug de Vries

In a career spanning four decades Doug de Vries has long been one of Australia’s foremost guitarists and a significant composer for the guitar, excelling in many musical genres. Primarily a jazz guitarist he launched his career alongside Australian jazz legend Vince Jones with whom he worked throughout the 1980s developing a strong identity as a soloist, accompanist and arranger. He recorded his first solo CD in 1990 heralding in his solo career showing his eclecticism and versatility in styles ranging from ‘straight ahead’ bebop and swing, blues and acoustic guitar genres such as Celtic finger-style and Brazilian guitar. He is now considered Australia’s leading
exponent of Brazilian guitar repertoire and recently released a solo album of original works and classic Brazilian repertoire, DdV Solo. He is particularly noted for his sophisticated accompaniments, deep knowledge, and daring improvisations whether in solo or group settings.
His performance credits in the world of Brazilian music are exemplary, having performed and recorded with Yamandu Costa, Mauricio Carrilho, Hermeto Pascoal, Luciana Rabello, Jorginho do Pandeiro, Proveta and Lula Galvao. In Australia he has toured and recorded with major Australian artists such as Don Burrows, Kate Ceberano, James Morrison, Paul Grabowsky and Judy Jacques, as well as Barbara Morrison and Andy Bey from the United States. Recent highlights include opening for and performing with Brazilian virtuoso Hermeto Pascoal on his Australian tour of 2012, a sell-out show with the Doug’s trio featuring Al Kerr at Melbourne Recital Centre celebrating the afrosambas of Baden Powell, a packed cathedral for the Wangaratta Jazz festival and the 2014 Stonnington Jazz Festival where he featured with his choro group Sexteto
Zona Sul and Al Kerr’s Panorama Brasil.