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Rounding the corner?

CuimeanCuimean Los AngelesProdigy
edited March 2007 in Archtop Eddy's Corner Posts: 271
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

  • Craig BumgarnerCraig Bumgarner Drayden, MarylandVirtuoso Bumgarner S/N 001
    Posts: 795
    Oh, I certainly hope it is going to be more than a fringe. I don't think I'm alone in wondering where this music was going to go from here (there? A point that maybe peaked with Bireli's Gypsy Project).

    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
  • MichaelHorowitzMichaelHorowitz SeattleAdministrator
    Posts: 6,152
    Yes..I think the scene is definitely transforming. From an ethnomusicological perspective you can see that most revivals follow a similar pattern. They start with a strict sense of historical authenticity and, as they become bigger and more commercially successful, they move farther and farther away from the historical model. Eventually they get so far from the original model that a whole new group of people comes and re-revives the original again!

    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!

    'm
  • V-dubV-dub San Francisco, CA✭✭✭✭
    Posts: 325
    I think it's always been around. If you listen to some of the stuff Baro Ferret was doing in the 60s, it sounds even more modern that what I hear today. Even the widely regarded masters of the genre like Stochelo and Bireli have their own distinct style that is really unique and in my opinion a far cry from the original quintet.

    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.
  • MichaelHorowitzMichaelHorowitz SeattleAdministrator
    Posts: 6,152
    V-dub wrote:
    I think it's always been around. If you listen to some of the stuff Baro Ferret was doing in the 60s, it sounds even more modern that what I hear today.

    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...

    'm
  • CuimeanCuimean Los AngelesProdigy
    Posts: 271
    Speaking of the Hot Club of San Francisco, have you folks heard this?

    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.)
  • Craig BumgarnerCraig Bumgarner Drayden, MarylandVirtuoso Bumgarner S/N 001
    Posts: 795
    V-dub wrote:
    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.

    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
  • V-dubV-dub San Francisco, CA✭✭✭✭
    Posts: 325
    Has Gonzalo recorded?

    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
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