Happy birthday to Anita Baker and Aki Takase and we remember Jimmy Van Heusen- one of great songwriters of our time and Frank Sinatras favorite collaborator. We remember Stephane Grappelli who with Django Reinhardt (whos birthday was 3 days ago) formed Quintette du Hot Club de France. Stéphane began playing the violin at age 12 after his father pawned his suit to buy him a three-quarter size violin. At the age of 15, Grappelli began busking full-time to support himself financially. Grappellis playing caught the attention of an elderly violinist who invited him to accompany silent films in the pit orchestra at the Théâtre Gaument. Stéphane played here for six hours every day over the course of a two-year period. During orchestra breaks, Grappelli would visit a local brasserie, Le Boudon, where he would listen to songs from an American proto-jukebox. It was here that Grappelli was first introduced to #jazz music. Stéphane was playing in the orchestra at the Ambassador in 1928 when Paul Whiteman headlined with Joe Venuti. Jazz violinists were rare, and, though Venuti played mainly commercial jazz themes and seldom improvised, Grappelli was intrigued by his bowing when he played Louis Armstrongs Dinah. This led Stéphane to begin developing his own jazz-influenced play style. Grappelli was living with a classically trained violinist named Michel Warlop, and, while Warlop admired Stéphanes jazzy playing, Grappelli envied Warlops income. After experimenting with piano, he gave up violin, choosing simplicity, new sound, and paid gigs over familiarity. Stéphane began playing piano in a big band led by a musician who went by the name of Grégor. After a night of drinking in 1929, Grégor learned that Grappelli had originally played violin. Grégor borrowed a violin and had Stéphane improvise over Dinah. Grégor was delighted by Grappellis jazz playing, and insisted that he begin playing violin once more. In 1930, Grégor ran into financial trouble and was involved in a deadly automobile accident that forced him to flee to South America to avoid arrest. Grégors band reunified as a true jazz ensemble under the leadership of pianist Alain Romans and saxophonist Ekyan. It was while playing with this band that Stéphane first met Django Reinhardt in 1931. Django told Grappelli that he was looking for a violinist such as himself to play with, and invited him to play at the caravan he was living in. Though the two played for hours that afternoon, their commitments to their respective bands prevented them from pursuing a career together. Three years later, in 1934, the two encountered each other at Claridges, and it was then that their partnership truly began. Pierre Nourry, the secretary of the Hot Club de France invited Reinhardt and Grappelli to form the Quintette du Hot Club de France with Joseph Reinhardt and Roger Chaput joining Django on guitar, and Louis Vola on bass. His early fame came playing with the Quintette du Hot Club de France with Django Reinhardt, which disbanded in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II. In 1940, a little-known jazz pianist by the name of George Shearing made his debut as a sideman in Grappellis band. Shearing went on to enjoy a long career. In 1949, Reinhardt and Grappelli reunited for a brief tour of Italy, during which time they made a series of recordings with an Italian rhythm group. The two recorded roughly 50 tracks together during this time, and about half of them would be later compiled for the album Djangology. Grappelli appeared on hundreds of recordings including sessions with Duke Ellington - Verve Records, jazz pianists Oscar Peterson, Michel Petrucciani and Claude Bolling, jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, jazz violinist Stuff Smith, Indian classical violinist L. Subramaniam, vibraphonist Gary Burton, pop singer Paul Simon, mandolin player David Grisman, classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin, orchestral conductor André Previn, guitar player Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar player Joe Pass, cello player Yo Yo Ma, harmonica and jazz guitar player Toots Thielemans, jazz guitarist Henri Crolla, bassist Jon Burr and fiddler Mark OConnor. He also collaborated extensively with the British guitarist and graphic designer Diz Disley, recording 13 record albums with him and his trio (which included Denny Wright in its early years), and with now renowned British guitarist Martin Taylor. His Parisian trio of many years included guitarist Marc Fosset and bassist Patrice Carratini. Grappelli recorded a solo for the title track of Pink Floyds 1975 album Wish You Were Here. This was made almost inaudible in the mix, and so the violinist was not credited, according to Roger Waters, as it would be a bit of an insult. A remastered version, with Grappellis contribution fully audible, can be found on the 2011 Experience & Immersion versions of Wish You Were Here. Grappelli made a cameo appearance in the 1978 film King of the Gypsies, along with noted mandolinist David Grisman. Three years later they performed together in concert, which was recorded live and released to critical acclaim. In the 1980s he gave several concerts with the young British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. In 1997, Grappelli received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He is an inductee of the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. He died in Paris after undergoing a hernia operation. He is buried in the citys famous Père Lachaise Cemetery.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 06:17:52 +0000
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