Launching London's First Gypsy Jazz Festival

ToulouseLautrec

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On the 25th - 29th March 2020, South London’s only French jazz club Toulouse Lautrec are officially launching London’s firstgypsy jazz festival featuring some of London’s acclaimed performers, international legendary masters to elite royalty. Our goal is to launch an official annual festival that celebrates the music originally created in the 1930s by Django Reinhardt.

The festival will consist of six shows over five days featuring as headliners the legendary Dutch gypsy swing guitar master, composer, bandleader and arranger Lollo Meier (*1) and elite royalty Mozes Rosenberg (*2) from the Rosenberg family, known globally as the ‘first family’ in gypsy jazz and as "One of the most phenomenal acoustic musicians playing on the international scene today." Brecon Jazz

Opening the festival is the well-established Café Manouche (*3) a Django inspired quintet formed by brothers Matt Kerry & Jonny Kerry featuring one of the most impressive Django guitarists in the UK Tim Robinson who has dedicated his entire life to Django music.

We will also welcome the highly acclaimed guitarist John Wheatcroft (*4) whose timeless Franco-American approach to Django’s music is exceptional by the likes of John Jorgenson & LA Music Critic Awards as being "one of the best instrumental albums of 2018." All the while inviting also Filippo Dall’Asta whose innovative album “Mediterasian”, features over 20 musicians in which the erratic energy of Gypsy jazz combine with the meditative sonorities of Indian music.

Capturing the sights, sounds and sensations, of the infamous Parisian cafés and nightclubs of the 1930s will feature Benoit Viellefon & his Hot Club (*5) as they truly embody the spirit of this bygone era with their perfect mix of European finesse and the fervour of American hot jazz.

Closing the festival will be The London Django Collective (*6), featuring six of London’s finest young gypsy jazz musicians, each of whom revive the genre with their own original gypsy swing compositions whilst nodding to the great musicians who came before them...

ABOUT THE VENUE - TOULOUSE LAUTREC

Established in 2008 by the Régent family and named after the famous French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This venue is split into three floors, restaurant, piano room & jazz club; and has established themselves as the forerunners for live jazz, blues, cabaret, burlesque & musical theatre in South London. Jazz club manager Nolan Régent has put on live music every day for the past 11 & ½ years and has only recently acquired a 1977 Yamaha G2 grand piano to bring it into the next decade.

ANNEX

(1) Lollo Meier - The Legendary Dutch Gypsy Swing guitar master, composer, bandleader and arranger, Lollo Meier, comes from an elite family of Gypsy players. His goal: to carry on the music of Django, with a style and technique that’s traditional, melodious, lyrical, sensitive and joyful. His mellifluous compositions have a refreshing authentic Django flavour.

(2) Mozes Rosenberg - The Crème de la crème of gypsy jazz, Mozes Rosenberg is one of the most celebrated guitarists playing on the international jazz scene today. Alongside his older brother Stochelo, the Rosenberg family have become known globally as the 'first family' in gypsy jazz and are in constant demand at festivals and concert halls the world over.

(3) Café Manouche - Café Manouche started in 2013/14 formed by Matt Kerry and his brothers, playing great Gypsy jazz and swing with added vocals. Matt Kerry spent many years working on his Gypsy Rhythm playing and has studied with some of the top Gypsy players in the world bringing an authentic style of playing and rhythmic sound to the band. With added swinging vocals from Natalia Amy Douglas the band plays a great mix of Gypsy swing and jazz standards through to early Bebop and more…

(4) John Wheatcroft - Guitarist John Wheatcroft seamlessly integrates the sound and approach of modern jazz, fusion and blues with the timeless Franco-American swing of the legendary Django Reinhardt, producing a sound that is both rooted in the traditions of the genre and vital, forward thinking and is highly original. John has performed with artists as diverse as Billy Cobham (Miles Davis), Alex Acuña, John Williams, Frank Gambale (Chick Corea), Paco Peña, Paulus Schäfer, Mozes Rosenberg, Mike Clark and Bill Summers (The Headhunters), Carl Verheyen (Supertramp), Ralph Salmins, Keith Carlock and Laurence Cottle.

(5) Benoit Viellefon - The Hot Club is made up of the finest musicians on the London jazz scene, all of them bringing their own character and experience, and contributing to the unique identity of the band fronted by Benoit himself on guitar and lead vocals.

(6) The London Django Collective - was born out of the desire to create a local and innovate forum for musicians influenced by the musical legacy of Django Reinhardt. The Collective remains in the spirit of Django, whilst pushing the genre of gypsy jazz forward into the vibrant London jazz scene.