The Essence of Gypsy Jazz

Ian Rossiter · January 2009

DONE!!!

dennis · January 2009

wow you're from grande prairie! i'd really love to go there or anywhere in alberta, the people seem so much nicer there than in big cities!! lucky you!

Annette · January 2009

symbolique wrote:

I hope I didn't infer that dancing was the essence of GJ

The topic just got me thinking on that line. Great to hear people still swing to GJ, I've yet to see it, but here in NZ it is a rarer thing than overseas.

As for joy, there is a certain sadness in GJ too, Tears for e.g. (Tears of Sadness, Tears of Joy)

Kind regards
Jason Just

Sure, there has to be the sadness to balance out the joy, make it sweeter.

But seriously, when I looked up "Joie de Vivre" in the dictionary, there was a picture of a gypsy playing the guitar. I think it was Dorado Schmitt:)

I have seen a few people dancing to GJ in Seattle....and we're not much of a dancing city. You'd think with all the coffee we'd have a hard time staying in our seats.

Cheers,
Annette

Ian Rossiter · January 2009

dennis wrote:

wow you're from grande prairie! i'd really love to go there or anywhere in alberta, the people seem so much nicer there than in big cities!! lucky you!

:shock: ...you serious???
Well, the door's always open,the coffee's usually fresh,and the wife makes a mean Stew 'n bannock. Really love your lesson vid's btw!! They've been of imense help. Thanks.
BTW, I saw a pic of you performing with Duane Andrews. We went to school together, and he's always been a great musician, it does the heart good to see him do so well.

dennis · January 2009

Ian Rossiter wrote:

:shock: ...you serious???
Well, the door's always open,the coffee's usually fresh,and the wife makes a mean Stew 'n bannock. Really love your lesson vid's btw!! They've been of imense help. Thanks.
BTW, I saw a pic of you performing with Duane Andrews. We went to school together, and he's always been a great musician, it does the heart good to see him do so well.

i'm definitely serious, alberta rocks, if it weren't for my career i'd probably move there (or anywhere quiet)!

scot · January 2009

It's interesting that this question should be posed the same week that we get a couple reviews of Paul Mehling's far-reaching CD "Bohemian Maestro". To me, this astounding recording (like a handful of others in recent years) really exemplifies what Django was all about - hearing everything around you, playing the music that moves you, whatever style it is, where ever it comes from. Paul continues to push his own limits and the limits of Django-influenced music, with little credit or interest from the at-large GJ community. Do most people really prefer the self-limiting "campfire" style of Tchavolo et al to the more sophisticated style of Ferre, Saussois, Mehling, and De Kauter?

frater · January 2009

Django is definitely the spirit of Gypsy jazz; at the same time I'm pretty sure that if somebody had addressed him asking to play some Gypsy jazz he would have smashed his 503 on his dull head....

emicad · February 2009

The spirit of what we CURRENTLY call "Gypsy Jazz" is definitely Django himself.

Ando · February 2009

Right, and by "Django" we mean someone who plays a Selmac-style guitar; improvises over popular and classical tunes; can play hot, delicate, and sad; and eagerly, joyfully, absorbs every musical influence. All this, while wearing the right socks and shoes.

I think there's a lot to be said for the business of vocabulary and licks. Those things strongly signify, and there is a minimum. Chromatic runs and gypsy mordents are pretty important tethers to the gypsy jazz sensibility. Whatever the case, it seems most people here agree that repertoire isn't the most essential element. You can play a great range of tunes and still get the essential gypsy jazz thing happening.

The road is wide open.