Classical and Middle Eastern influences in Gypsy Jazz

klaatu

Here's Joscho performing Mozart's Rondo alla Turca:



And of course Django was heavily influenced by Debussy, Ravel, and Bach.

scot

Here's Antoine Boyer on guitar and his father Sebastian on accordion playing Mozart's Adagio du Quatour in D Minor. This is from their new CD "Leske". I will try to post some more info about this CD in the next few days. I recently had the chance to play with the Boyers and their playing is even more amazing in person than on the disc. They will be at Djangofest NW this year - don't miss them!

zeddyfree

Thanks for the replies guys. Rono alla turka is a little too happy for my taste, but awesome playing as always from Josho...

The Adagio played by the Boyers is very beautiful. I wish I had an entire CD of the more relaxed, sometimes dramatic and classically influenced gypsy jazz!

scot

Sarrane Ferret played some Mozart, too. This is called "Au Temps de la Cour" on the record but also just called "Sonate en Ut". This version is from 1955. It's pretty clever - he plays a harmony while the violin plays the melody.

scot

Here's a couple more of my favorites, the "Adiago d'Albinoni" (not actually written by Albinoni), artfully played here by Moreno Winterstein. I also have a great live version of this tune by Sarrane Ferret c1964, but it's pretty rough quality. The other one is Debussy's "Reverie" played by Francis Moerman and the Hot Club Norvege. An elegant arrangement, with great playing by everyone involved, but especially by Francis and the harmonica player.

zeddyfree

Thanks again! Nice reverie...

Did you just upload the same adagio is in a previous post?

scot

Here's a couple more in the classical vein, first is Maurice Ferre and Joseph Pouville c1976, playing the famous "Romanza" though it's called "Jeux Interdits" on the LP. That's because it was used in the film of the same name, AKA "Forbidden Games". These two guys played for over 30 years at the "Clarion des Chasseurs" in Montmartre. Unfortunately they only made two LPs - oh so cool but still and sadly not released on CD.

Next is Ninine and Mondine Garcia playing the flamenco favorite "Entre deux Eaux" c1983. This type of music was pretty popular with Paris guitarists back then. That generation of guitarists had vast repertoires.

zeddyfree

If you like this also check out the soundtrack of Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Very good, also with Stephane Wrembel.

Ando

Tony Green has recorded a vigorously folk-like version of Brahms' Hungarian Rhapsody. Jokke Schreurs has recorded some operatic arias.

That's a nice version up there of Chopin's valse by Bergara. I like how he plays it pretty straight: with Chopin, the left hand is like a rock, so the right can float more freely. Still, guys like Anton Rubinstein would always and effectively keep the right hand on a fairly tight leash, which seems to give these valses a kind of stoic poignance.

I've got a little ensemble now that's working with a variety of classical materials: a nice song by Gabriel Faure, some arrangements of famous opera ariette and canzonette (Gluck, Mozart, Puccini), the "l'adieu" valse by Chopin, and other things. It's a vast repertoire to explore. You don't need to tackle an entire piece -- some things make elegant introductions or preludes which you can then follow up with some lively swing.

Biggest challenge? The second movement of Shostakovich's first string quartet. It sounds like a folk melody that turns bitter, goes completely mad, and then emerges healthy and happy. It's hard because it doesn't lend itself to chord charting (like early Faure). Lesson learned: stick with clearer material.

Vivaldi is an interesting storehouse of licks.

zeddyfree

I've started to play piano. Some jazz of course, but also classical stuff (I'm working on Autumn Leaves and Beethovens Moonlight sonata atm). Some of what I am learning might translate back to guitar