Gypsy Jazz

[rollhead]

While I have listened to Django for years, I had never heard the term "gypsy jazz" until about a year ago when I started asking people about the Selmer Maccaferri guitars that he played. People would say, "oh, those are for 'gypsy jazz'."



Is there really such a thing? How is "gypsy jazz" different from the kind of "swing musette" that Gus Viseur would play?

After all, neither Viseur, or Grappelli, for that matter, were gypsies.

[Gary Sisco]

Yes, there is. I don't know that it's rightly named but there is such a thing. One of my pals, a great mandolin player, is something of a name in that section of things.

To my ears, it's a form of acoustic swing featuring stringed instruments. I guess the "gypsy" part descends from Django. Who of course played swing.

[rollhead]

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Yes, there is. I don't know that it's rightly named but there is such a thing. One of my pals, a great mandolin player, is something of a name in that section of things.

To my ears, it's a form of acoustic swing featuring stringed instruments. I guess the "gypsy" part descends from Django. Who of course played swing.

I agree with you there. The only "gypsy" part I can see comes from Django because -- to my ears -- it has to do more with the "swing" of American jazz and the "bal musette" music of France than "gypsy" music.... but I may be wrong.

Bal-musette
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Bal-musette is a style of French popular music which arose in 1880s Paris especially the 5th, 11th and 12th districts. It was in these districts that Auvergnats settled in large numbers in the 19th century, opening cafés and bars where patrons danced the bourrée to the accompaniment of musette (a bellows-powered bagpipe) and grelottière. In addition to the local Auvergnats, these drew many Parisians and Italians. The Italians settled in the 19th district of Paris, and already played the diatonic accordion which was used in the Auvergnat bars.

When Italian musicians began to appear more frequently, along with new dances like the waltz and polka and a new hybrid accordion, a conflict arose, and Italian and Auvergnat musicians became segregated. The Italian establishments went on to much fame and prestige.

Performers of this era include Antoine Bouscatel, Emile Vacher, Martin Cayla and Charles Péguri.

By the end of the war, there were three kinds of bals-musette:

bal des familles - Auvergnat
bal musette populaite' - Italian
guinche - seedy hangout for crooks
The French upper-class began frequenting these establishments, looking for excitement among the poor and downtrodden. Some staged mock police raids for their benefit.

New musical forms like jazz and tango left their mark on bal-musette following the war, and dances like the waltz, mazurka, paso-doble, beguine, foxtrot and java spread through Paris. Later, new instruments were added, including the banjo, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, mandolin and bandoneon.

It was in about 1945 that musette became the most popular kind of French music. Its biggest stars were known across the country until about 1960, when its popularity declined drastically.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal-musette"

[rollhead]

I heard that Jimmy Rosenberg is in jail. Anyone know why?

[Doc Martin]

Originally Posted by rollhead

I heard that Jimmy Rosenberg is in jail. Anyone know why?

Jimmy has addiction issues.

[John P. Cooper]

I strongly believe the term 'gypsy jazz' has taken root b/c more people hav some romanticized notion of what this may be, plus most people don't know who Django Renihardt is and cannot pronounce his name - a marketing nightmare.

You could like lure dozens of people into a venue using "Gypsy Jazz Tonight!" vs the 3 people who might show up for "Django Reinhardt Jazz Tonight!".

It's also a more generic name for the public ear giving the artists more leeway in what they wish to proclaim as 'gypsy jazz'.

Good music for you and your date that evening.

[Pete C]

There's an excellent recent Django bio. The impression I got from reading it is that it's Gypsy jazz after the fact--Manouche musicians (French Roma people) took up the style on in a big way after Django's death & fostered it.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Pete C

There's an excellent recent Django bio. The impression I got from reading it is that it's Gypsy jazz after the fact--Manouche musicians (French Roma people) took up the style on in a big way after Django's death & fostered it.

Pete, I assume you are referring to the Michael Dregni biography of Django, which I am reading now.



I haven't finished it yet, but Dregni stresses how Django played with the musette masters at the beginning of his career.

So, I just wonder how the "gypsy jazz" of today compares with the kind of stuff that Will Holshouser is playing:

Matt Munisteri and Will Holshouser French musette band with an emphasis on fiery improvisation. Music from the 1920s-1940s by Viseur, Privat, Ferret and other accordionists and guitarists.

[Pete C]

The gypsy jazz of today generally means guitar-based hot club type lineups that sound like Django.

Munisteri doesn't play in that style. The duo plays more like the non-Gypsy musette groups of the 40s.

Both are purely recreations of historical styles, for the most part.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally Posted by Pete C

The gypsy jazz of today generally means guitar-based hot club type lineups that sound like Django.

These two guys are terrific! And headlined the Django festival group at Yoshi's my son and I heard last year. The place was packed to the gills for the multi-day festival, and the music was smoking! Beier is a GREAT squeezebox virtuoso!

[Uli]

I can;t remember anything more specific but i know I have herd some gypsy jazz fiddlers from Hungaria. and the flamenco jazz was form of it.

[rollhead]

Thinking of trying to make it to this in Northampton, MA

Please join us June 16 - 18, 2006 in beautiful Northampton, MA, for our third annual celebration of Gypsy Jazz in the tradition of Django Reinhardt. In a nutshell, the weekend consists of:

Two great concerts: On Friday, June 16th we have a double bill featuring Sweden's Andreas Oberg (with Djangobook's Michael Horowitz) and The Stephane Wrembel Trio. Then on Saturday night, gypsy guitarist Lollo Meier (in his first visit to the US) and violin wizard Tim Kliphuis join us from Holland. (Just want tickets?)
Clinics for guitarists, violinists, mandolin and bass players by all our performers and other expert teachers.
Loads of time and space for djamming of both the free-form and facilitated variety.
Convenient, affordable housing on the Smith College Campus.
Vendors with the latest in gear, learning materials and recordings.
Please roam around the website to find out what we have in store. If you are a musician and you are relatively new to this tradition, don't skip the "Get Ready Musically" page. And don't hesitate to contact me directly if you still have questions.

That's it... Allons-y mes amis!

Andrew Lawrence
Event Organizer
413-268-0068

[Pete C]

Rollhead, Stephane Wrembel is great. He has several steady gigs in my neighborhood. He's French, not Roma, but he studied with Roma guitarists in France.

[John L]

There are a number of groups in Russian and Eastern Europe that extend gypsy music in jazz directions. One of the best in Russia is called Lyoko, althought their more jazzy recordings are probably very difficult to find outside of Russia. About a half year ago, I witnessed an astonishing concert in Moscow of Lyoko playing together with Vladimir Chekasin (of Ganelin Trio fame). They made Eastern European gypsy/jazz fusion sound VERY credible.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Rollhead, Stephane Wrembel is great. He has several steady gigs in my neighborhood. He's French, not Roma, but he studied with Roma guitarists in France.

Thanks, Pete.

[Chazro]

Wazzup Guys!
Does Birelli Lagrenes' 'Gypsy Project' recordings fall into this category? Or are we talking about a totally different beast here?

Unrelated - For some dream-induced reason I always felt that Birelli Lagrene's career would make a great cable mini-series, like with Johnny Depp playing Birelli!.....I know, I know, smoke anotha one Chaz

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Chazro

Wazzup Guys!
Does Birelli Lagrenes' 'Gypsy Project' recordings fall into this category? Or are we talking about a totally different beast here?

They fit exactly.

There's an excellent DVD of the Gypsy Project at Vienne. It's a chronicle of the entire evening, and it runs close to 4 hours. There's also a clip of Birelli playing at Montreux at, I believe, about 12 years old.

[steve(thelil)]

Birelli is well worth checking out. The man can play, both acoustic "gypsy jazz" and various styles on electric.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Pete C

They fit exactly.

There's an excellent DVD of the Gypsy Project at Vienne. It's a chronicle of the entire evening, and it runs close to 4 hours. There's also a clip of Birelli playing at Montreux at, I believe, about 12 years old.

I just found this at Netflix.com, and I put it at the top of my queue.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Chazro

Wazzup Guys!
Does Birelli Lagrenes' 'Gypsy Project' recordings fall into this category? Or are we talking about a totally different beast here?

Unrelated - For some dream-induced reason I always felt that Birelli Lagrene's career would make a great cable mini-series, like with Johnny Depp playing Birelli!.....I know, I know, smoke anotha one Chaz

Chazro: Is Oscar Aleman in this category? Michael Dregni says that their technique was entirely different. But Scott Yanow says Aleman is a carbon copy of Django.


Biography by Scott Yanow -- All Music Guide
Oscar Alemán, one of the finest jazz guitarists of the 1930s, is a difficult player to evaluate because he sounded like a near-exact duplicate of Django Reinhardt. Since Django was a year younger, some have speculated that he developed his style from Alemán, although the opposite is just as likely.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by John L

There are a number of groups in Russian and Eastern Europe that extend gypsy music in jazz directions. One of the best in Russia is called Lyoko, althought their more jazzy recordings are probably very difficult to find outside of Russia. About a half year ago, I witnessed an astonishing concert in Moscow of Lyoko playing together with Vladimir Chekasin (of Ganelin Trio fame). They made Eastern European gypsy/jazz fusion sound VERY credible.

YOu should export those Lyoko records. By the way, anyway you could pick up a used Jupiter bayan -- say for a couple of bottles of vodka -- and ship it to me?

[David Gitin]

Dorado Schmidt (and son) are from Django's tribe. They appeared at Yoshi's accompanied by Ludovic Beier, a bass player (who'd played with Shearing) and James Carter, a fine concert. JM can testify to it!

[Uli]

Originally Posted by David Gitin

JM can testify to it!

Let's hear it, JM!

[steve(thelil)]

Originally Posted by rollhead

Chazro: Is Oscar Aleman in this category? Michael Dregni says that their technique was entirely different. But Scott Yanow says Aleman is a carbon copy of Django.

I read that. I thought he lifted it from Penguin.

[John L]

Originally Posted by rollhead

YOu should export those Lyoko records. By the way, anyway you could pick up a used Jupiter bayan -- say for a couple of bottles of vodka -- and ship it to me?

So what do I do? Pour the street musician the vodka, hit him over the head when he is drunk, and take his bayan?

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by John L

So what do I do? Pour the street musician the vodka, hit him over the head when he is drunk, and take his bayan?

Hell yes ... just don't hit the bayan. Those things are worth $10k or more new.

[jazzy mary]

Originally Posted by David Gitin

Dorado Schmidt (and son) are from Django's tribe. They appeared at Yoshi's accompanied by Ludovic Beier, a bass player (who'd played with Shearing) and James Carter, a fine concert. JM can testify to it!

Yes, it was fabulous!

[Pete C]

http://www.live365.com/stations/hotclubdepott

[Ted]

Originally Posted by rollhead

If you have any other Accordion related recommendations, I sure would appreciate them.