Slowhand Gypsy Guitar

Queenbee

Can anyone point me in the direction of recordings of gypsies playing slow, simple tunes without embellishing them with super fast licks and the like?
I really like the way Matelot Ferre plays the beginning of La Jolie Sardane from the Gypsy Jazz Scholl CD. Of course he ruins it by upping the tempo and playing a ridiculous triplet lick later on!

I think what I really like is the actual sound of the Selmer guitar played slowly with this technique. I've heard a few recordings of Matelot playing slowly on an electric but that didn't really do it for me.

I know Django played slow songs but he still played around the melody. What I'm looking for are simple (recognizable) tunes played with good tone and the gypsy spirit.

Any ideas?
M

Michael Bauer

Francis Alfred Moerman would be a good place to start. He plays with alot of heart and tone, has a great sense of melody, and plays at a pace a mortal can actually wrap his mind and fingers around. His Best of... CD is a good place to start.

Michael sells a CD by Tchan Tchou Vidal that you'll want to hear. Tchan Tchou can play at frenetic speeds in places, but he also slows down and milks the melody alot. And his tone on this CD is the Holy Grail to me!

If you like matelot Ferret, check out Manouche Partie, which Michael also has. It's one of the classic recording sessions in gypsy jazz history, features accordionist Jo Privat and has some great playing by Matelot. And that's Django's widow on the cover surrounded by the band and onlookers.

There are others here who know volumes more than I do, but I'd recommend all of these for what you want.

Elliot

Get the Astuces I book. It has sections where Angelo does simpler takes without ornamentation that sound great, along with the 'version Angelo' for each song.

Cuimean

The "Jazz in Paris" CD series included three Henri Crolla discs. If you can find those, you might give them a shot. Crolla was an incredibly melodic player who almost always played at a leisurely pace.

Jack

Crolla's version of Anouman is one of my all-time favorites for exactly those reasons...

Bones

Elliot,

Do you have a link to the Astuces book or more info about it?

Thanks

Elliot

It is right here, actually - Sorry I called it Astuces, I have both I and II and the other one is in French so secrets = astuces.

https://shoppingcart.djangobooks.com/it ... crets.html

(I don't know that trick to make it a one word link!)

Bones

Ahh, thanks!

Queenbee

Jack wrote:

Crolla's version of Anouman is one of my all-time favorites...

Jack, where can I find this version? I bought Anouman from the Jazz in Paris: Notre ami Django CD via itunes only to find that Crolla doesn't play on that cut. :oops:

BluesBop Harry

Elliot wrote:

(I don't know that trick to make it a one word link!)

Hey Elliot goHERE

Hope that helps.

Jack

Queenbee wrote:

Jack wrote:

Crolla's version of Anouman is one of my all-time favorites...

Jack, where can I find this version? I bought Anouman from the Jazz in Paris: Notre ami Django CD via itunes only to find that Crolla doesn't play on that cut. :oops:

Sorry for the misleading post...that is the track I was talking about, despite the fact that Crolla himself doesn't play on it. I was referring to the general feel of the album, but looking back I see you were asking specifically for slower versions w/guitar. Still, you might check out some of the other tracks from that album for some of what you're talking about.

best,
Jack.