A gem in the world of Gypsy jazz, Reinier Voet

(Lead Guitar) and Pigalle 44

will be in the USA for Django in June and Djangofest Mill Valley

. The west coast show is at the Throckmorton theater in Mill Valley on June 5, 2009 in a double bill with Jazz guitar virtuoso, Mimi Fox

.
There are still tickets left! Order yours TODAY at www.djangofest.com/sf/tickets.htm

Here is a sample of Pigalle 44:

German guitarist Josef “Wawau” Adler, long respected in Sinti musical circles, is a rare breed. A guitarist whose biggest musical influence–like so many Sinti musicians–is the great gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Adler has mastered the considerable technical aspects of he Django style, but more importantly, has absorbed the master’s greatest lesson: to create music of one’s own. For Adler, that meant giving away his record collection as a young man–he doesn’t read music, but learned his instrument by painstakingly transcribing records–so that he would be free of the overwhelming influence of those that went before. Today, though his style incorporates bits of Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker, and George Benson, Wawau has developed a style which, while resting on the bedrock of Django, is wholly his own.
That individual artistry is explored by Montreal’s Denis Chang, himself a well-respected figure in the international Django fraternity, is his latest DVD, Jazz Manouche in the Style of Wawau Adler. Like his earlier discs (a treasure trove covering accompaniment, improvisatory technique, and violin playing in the style), his latest offering is a rich study, presented in a style that mimics the immersion method by which the modern masters of the style learned. There are no distracting books of printed music; instead, the student simply watches as Chang and Adler unspool a dazzling string of tunes, absorbing the nuances of phrasing and dynamics through repeated viewings.
In a culture where musicians have become perhaps overly dependent on written materials–the endless series of transcription books and tutorials that promise the impossible–this DVD puts the responsibility for learning squarely in the student’s lap. Says Chang:

I really believe music (most kinds anyway) is a language and a culture; the absolute best way is just to immerse yourself in that world…unfortunately, that is not a possibility for any of us who don’t live in Paris or the Gerwen gypsy camp in Holland…So I thought to recreate as much as possible that feel with great artists such as Wawau Adler, Stochelo Rosenberg [the subject of an upcoming DVD], and perhaps more…
I’ve basically put them on the spot, by having them improvise on practically every popular jam standard at different tempos and keys sometimes…they have no chance to work anything out…it’s really hundred percent them…this way, you get to observe and hear all their quirks and everything that makes them who they really are… just like learning a language… let’s say you want to learn English…when you hang out with certain people in New York, you start to realize that they don’t speak textbook English, you’ll hear the “I ain’t got no time” “Whatcha doin, man?” etc…when you go to London , you’ll hear “Cheers, mate”, when you go to Canada, you ‘ll hear “it’s aboot time, eh?”…it’s all these little things that make a language/culture what they are…
To make all the music more accessible–the disc runs nearly three full hours–the material is broken up into two sections. Part I is The Songs, a section where Chang holds down the rhythm chair as Adler plays through through thirty-three songs that exemplify different aspects of the style. The goal is to cover all of the genre’s common chord progressions, and the wide variety of tunes ranges from early era Django and American jazz to bop standards like Donna Lee and John Coltrane’s classic Impressions. It’s a heady mix of tunes that should give even advanced players weeks of material to work with. To further aid the student, every tune is recorded at multiple tempos, and alternate camera angles can be accessed to allow closer focus on Adler’s fretwork.
Part II is The Lessons, a section where Adler talks more informally about proper rhythm playing, tone control, and phrasing. While Adler makes some sharp points about what it takes to be a good accompanist–play too loud, he says, and “Kaput! I kill you!” as he demonstrates by drowning out a soloist–the focus here is really on lead playing. (For budding rhythm guitarists, Chang’s “Jazz Manouche: The Art of Accompaniment” is a more in-depth study of the style.) To that end, Adler presents a collection of licks and phrases that the student can break down and incorporate into his or her own playing.
In all, Jazz Manouche in the Style of Wawau Adler is both another excellent entry in a DVD series that serves a niche subset of jazz, and a welcome reminder that the genre is often best served when musicians are willing and able to step beyond its often self-imposed boundaries.

Hi Everyone. Marc Schwartz here from Hot Club Pacific. I just want to say that Michael at www.djangobooks.com delivers great service. I ordered some Argentine strings from his website on Thursday and had them on Saturday. This is a man who knows a thing about customer service. Add the fact that he knows a thing or two about Gypsy Jazz and you have a winning combination!
Thanks Michael !
BTW, I’ll be posting reviews of CD’s and equipment on this site as time goes by. I also write articles for Just Jazz Guitar. Cheers to all. Marc