Combining the musical traditions of Brittany with jazz-inspired improvisation, virtuosic guitarist Jacques Pellen has brought a jazz sensibility to the music of his homeland. On his debut album, Celtic Procession, released in 1996, Pellen was accompanied by top-notch Breton jazz musicians, including Gildas Bocle, Eric Barrett, Peter Gritz, Kenny Wheeler, and the Molard brothers –- Jacky and Patrick. Recorded during a performance at the Tombees De La Nuit festival in Rennes, his second album, Las Tombees De La Nuit: Celtic Possession, featured a mixture of jazz musicians who played on his earlier recording and folk musicians including Dan Ar Bras. Pekkari recorded a trio album, Pellen/Marchand/Fresu, with vocalist and clarinet player Erik Marchand and trumpet and bugle player Paolo Fresu. ~ Craig Harris