Tchan-Tchou continued

andoatagn

First off, thanks very much for hosting this very informative forum, Ted. I look forward to learning more here.

Before we stray too far from Tchan-Tchou, (whose playing I really love), I have a couple questions:

First, did he have direct contact with Django that we know of? And if so, do we know how much and what that exposure would have consisted of? Playing around the campfire? Sitting in at gigs? If not from Django, from whom would he have learned?

I'm also intrigued by your comment (if I am not mistaken, Ted) that you hold Moreno - a 'student' of Tchan-Tchou - in such high regard. My exposure to both players is quite limited, but what I love about Tchan-Tchou is what I love of about Django himself, namely, that although he has incredible technique, he seems to be primarily driven by his inner ear, as it were, his melodic sense. He strikes me as always listening, always inventing...there's a freshness to his playing that I find, well, refreshing. It is precisely this quality that I find lacking in many of the speed-demon players of today and of decades past and from what I've heard, Moreno is of the world-class speed demon school. So what's the connection between these players - apart from their 'rigid' technique - and what's to love in each of them?

Regards to all,

Andrew

nwilkins

When I first heard Moreno I thought he was the furthest thing from Tchan Tchou, but I no longer feel that way. I think it takes a while to warm up to Moreno. The similarity is in their precociousness, the ferocity of their attack, and something kind of intangible - they seem (to me at least) to play with the same spirit.

Ted can give you more info about Tchan Tchou's early years, but I believe he did have some exposure to Django through his father. I seem to remember that his father taught him to play guitar - is this right Ted?

djangology

yeah, I think Moreno has elements of Tchan Tchou also but with the main difference being how they use the right hand. Also, they use totally different gear don't they? Thank god there are players like Tchan Tchou who show us that you can get the job done in a different way.

CalebFSU

Ted, As you know I am a big Tchan-Tchou fan. I am also a big Moreno fan I was wondering Where can the tune "Tant Pis ou Tant Mieux" be found what recordings of it are there?

Archtop Eddy

Tchan Tchou's Les Feuilles Mortes on the album Swinging Guitars is 4 minutes and 45 seconds of absolute brilliance. Seldom does a piece of music touch me as this recording. (Thank you, Scot Wise for originally sharing this with me.)

A.E.

djangology

djangology wrote:
yeah, I think Moreno has elements of Tchan Tchou also but with the main difference being how they use the right hand.

Ted Gottsegen wrote:
What? That's exactly what they have in common....

My first impressions are that Moreno is a lot more aggressive on his picking than Vidal is. But it sounds like I really need to go back and listen to them both more. I haven't actually sat down and tried to compare them. It had never really occurred to me to compare them because until now I considered them to be very different.

langleydjango

If you want to hear the connection between Moreno and Tchan-Tchou get a copy of "Moreno Bolero".

I have a dozen or more tunes that were recorded by both T-T and Moreno and in each case the Moreno version is a copy of the T-T version.
The pedigree is unmistakable. Much the same way we play the "Django" version of tunes (i.e. I'll see you in my Dreams) Moreno plays the Tchan-Tchou versions.

Or listen to "Sheik of Araby" from Moreno's "Le Fils du Vent". 100% Tchan-Tchou from begining to end.

Moreno is to Tchan-Tchou what Fapy (i.e. "Hungaria") is to Django- a direct link to the source. Okay, in Fapy's case not that direct but you know what I mean(':o')

troy

djangology

damn Troy, you know your Moreno and Vidal, thats for sure! thanks for the homework. it will be a fun project that I can work on listening to later. yes, I have those albums, so thanks. :-)

langleydjango

djangology wrote:

damn Troy, you know your Moreno and Vidal, thats for sure! thanks for the homework. it will be a fun project that I can work on listening to later. yes, I have those albums, so thanks. :-)

Everything I know I learned from Ted (and Michael and Scot and...).

Just passing it on. Credit where credit is due!

troy

Barengero

Hi Ted,
Michael Dregni once told me that he is looking for a Vinyl Album with the title "Tieno Fallone avec 'Tchan Tchou' Vidal". I never heard about such an album. It is not included in Alain Antoniettos "Discographie du Jazz Tzigane". I even couldn´t figure out who is "Tieno Fallone". Maybe the accordionist Tony Fallone, who played in "swing manouche style"? Do you know anything about this album?

With best regards

CalebFSU

Tchan-Tchou's version of "All the things you are" From the Swinging Guitars album is also Amazing I take that back, KILLIN (to use the FSU Jazz dept parlance). Also his tone on that album is great (and yes whenever Tchan-Tchou comes up I must gush over his tone on that album) I am by no means a tone freak (hell I played Garage and Punk for a long time and tried to get a shitty tone) but that is one of the best archtop tones I have heard.