After Dinner Speakers: Jean Michel Jarre, Jo Guest, Bette Midler

Since his first album, Oxygene, debuted in 1977, French new age/electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre has helped pioneer modern electronic and ambient music. Born in Lyon in 1948, Jarre, the son of film composer Maurice Jarre, started learning piano at the age of five. By the late '60s, Jarre was an accomplished musician and scholar and had played in several bands. In the early '70s he became fascinated with electronic synthesizers, and started incorporating ambient textures into his music. By the time Oxygene was released, Jarre had revolutionized the concept of electronic music. His sophomore effort, Equinoxe, further boosted his reputation as the world's foremost electronic musician. After recording another studio album, Magnetic Fields, in 1981, Jarre released Concerts in China, a live album culled from five record-breaking performance in Beijing. Jarre has gone on to release 13 more albums, including two more live records. His latest release, Odyssey Through O2 demonstrates some of his impact on the world of modern electronica, and features some of his greatest hits remixed by today's top DJs and electronic artists.