Gypsy Jazz
If you are familiar with the films of Woody Allen, you've heard examples of gypsy jazz, a French variant on American jazz begun by Django Reinhardt and others in the 1930s. Pandora engineer and lead guitarist Vic Wong brings in other hot club players to demonstrate how gypsy jazz is played: bassist Ari Munkres, rhythm guitarist Jack Fields, and violinist Benito Cortez. Hear how this drummerless swing style is presented with rhythmic flourishes, shorter upright bass tones, and heroic guitar work. (10 mins.)MUSICAL TERMS INCLUDED IN THIS PODCAST
| hot club | drum set | upstroke | upper register |
| musette | swing rhythm | downstroke | chord voicing |
| waltz | grace note | syncopation | overtone |
| rhythm guitar | drum fill | upright bass | steel strings |
| bend | tremolo | chromatic | triplet |
AMERICAN RECORDS THAT THE PARISIAN HOT CLUB MAY HAVE LISTENED TO
by Bix Beiderbecke |
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by Louis Armstrong |
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by Sidney Bechet |
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by Cab Calloway |
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Bassist Ari Munkres demonstrating the upright bass techniques used in playing hot club music -- short, enunciated notes being crucial. |
EARLY DJANGO REINHARDT RECORDINGS (1928-1945)
by Django Reinhardt |
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by Django Reinhardt |
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by Django Reinhardt |
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by Django Reinhardt |
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Vic Wong playing a modern replica of the guitar type used in Western Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. |
POST-WAR DJANGO SIDES (1945-1953)
by Django Reinhardt |
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by Django Reinhardt |
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by Django Reinhardt |
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by Django Reinhardt |
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by Django Reinhardt |
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by Django Reinhardt |
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Benito Cortez's violin work is clean and influenced by classical training, as was the playing of Stephane Grappelli. |
LATER RECORDINGS FEATURING STEPHANE GRAPPELLI
by Stephane Grappelli |
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by Stephane Grappelli |
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by Stephane Grappelli |
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by Stephane Grappelli |
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Rhythm guitarist Jack Fields hosts a fantastic resource on the guitar of 'jazz manouche,' which is Djangology.net. |
CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN HOT CLUB STYLE JAZZ GROUPS
by Hot Club of San Francisco |
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by Hot Club of Cowtown |
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by Hot Club of Detroit |
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by Hot Club De Norvege |
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by Anouman (also featuring Vic Wong) |
CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN GYPSY GROUPS
by Bireli Lagrene |
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by Angelo Debarre & Ludovic Beier |
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by the Rosenberg Trio |
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by Romane |
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by Fapy Lafertin Quintet |
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Comments
Thanks for this podcast full of great information about this fascinating genre of music. I learned about Gypsy Jazz from a guitar-playing friend and I've introduced many people to it via my Pandora station, which I call "Swingin' at the Bistro"
http://www.pandora.com/stations/d2c05a2da24cd032554cf28a528ca9cd853685c11459dbbd
Posted by: big_geek at August 20, 2008 01:19 PM
I was introduced to Gypsy Jazz thanks to Pandora and it was great fun.
thanks
RR
Posted by: Roland Rodriguez at August 28, 2008 06:23 AM
Love that syncopated rythm! My children and I are listening to this gorgeous music while eating our breakfast. I just found this music lesson section of Pandora and will now add this to our favorites. Gypsy Music...so glad I now have a name for my most loved jazz.
Posted by: Patricia at September 8, 2008 05:47 AM
i love pandora it reminds me of music i lost tuch in and opens me up to things i have never listened to the musicology show is a nice tuch
Posted by: pearllicious at December 30, 2008 11:16 AM
what about oscar alemon?he always seems to get overlooked in this genre,even though he was one of django's contempeoraries.
also worth noting i what a badass his bass player was with a bow
thanks
-sean
Posted by: sean murphy at February 20, 2009 03:32 PM
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