I was looking at some of the new and recent releases listed on
http://www.djangostation.com/ and thinking about the comments Jack just made about Stephane Wrembel in another thread and was wondering: Are we heading into a particularly good stretch for music?
Many of the folks who were new to Django's music five years ago are starting to develop their own voices. More players are writing their own pieces (look at the listing for the new Samson Schmitt and Wrembel albums). Some interesting tunes are being recorded (e.g., Johnny Rosenberg doing "Try a Little Tenderness", the Basie and Vian tunes on the new Pommes de ma Douche album). And there are some honest-to-goodness bands like Mystère Trio and Les doigts de l’homme that are writing and playing original material in a rather original style.
So...what do you folks think? Am I just pointing out the fringe stuff that's always been around? Or are things starting to get a little more interesting?
Comments
Wrembel, Les Doigts de l’Homme, Romane's Acoustic Quartet (especially his most recent "French Guitar"), Biel Ballester, Les Pommes, and more I'm sure I have yet to discover, while building on the strengths of this music, are pushing the envelope. In some cases, like Wrembel and Les Doigts, they are pushing pretty hard in new directions. They have been the ones I have been listening to this winter.
Something else I notice about these players is a strong of a sense of confidence in the music, both in composition and playing. That bodes well for the future too.
Mystère Trio? I haven't heard of them. Good, eh?
Any other good recommendations along this line?
Craig
We're definitely at the stage were the historical model is becoming less and less and important. It's a very interesting time...will be fun to see where this goes!
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There's really a lot of originality out there now. Also worth mentioning: Did anyone catch Gonzalo Bergara quartet's performance at DFLA? It was chock full of really incredible original material. That was some of the most exciting stuff I've heard in a while.
Yes, there was a lot going on back then. But then the scene went underground throughout the 60s,70s, and 80s. The recent revival seemed to be sparked by three converging phenomenons in the early 90s:
1) The rise of highly virtuosic Gypsy musicians performing and recording Django's music in a more or less traditional way. Most notably the Rosenberg Trio, but also Jimmy Rosenberg, Angelo DeBarre, and a few others. There were Gypsies trying to do this in the 80s, like Fapy and Raphael Fays, but no one seemed to care.
2) The rise of US bands playing in a traditional Django style. Most notably Pearl Django and the Hot Club of San Francisco.
3) The rise of the internet which allows a relatively small niche genre to thrive internationally.
That's my theory anyway...
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http://www.djangostation.com/article.ph ... rticle=458
Poum Tchak, a French band, covering a Paul Mehling tune. That struck me as rather interesting. (It's a cool tune, too...I first heard it on a comp of SF-based bands that came out about ten or twelve years ago called "Pushing the Norton." Good stuff.)
I did not, but I'm familiar with Gonzalo. Saw him in December playing rhythm for JJ which, though he plays a mean rhythm, I'm guess he has a lot more to offer. This fall, I talked with a guitarist and later a violinist who have played with him a little and they both raved about him.
Has Gonzalo recorded?
Craig
Not much, unfortunately, but he's working on a CD. I think it will be out soon. You can hear one of his home recorded tracks here:
http://www.myspace.com/gonzalobergara