Great guitar duo stuff

[mrpinter]

Just thought I'd share some music with you that you might not be familiar with. These musicians are undoubtedly better known in Europe. Philip Catherine is a Belgian jazz guitarist. Birele Lagrene is a French Gypsy who began playing guitar at age four, covered Django Reinhart's repertoire at eight, and won a French jazz festival at twelve. They are both amazing players, as can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbkE7c-YAFU&feature=related

 

[Steve_Karl]

Nice!

 

[Doughboy]

I bet you guys haven't seen Bireli play like THIS before.  arty07:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFF7LiTIaTI&feature=related

 

[mrpinter]

No, I haven't. That was fun. He's pretty incredible.

 

[Doughboy]

No, I haven't. That was fun. He's pretty incredible.

Bireli is, imo, the most genuine Pure improvisor in all of Gypsy Jazz. He's brought the genre up a few knotches with his love of other styles of music & incorporating them respectfully into the Gypsy Jazz tradition & is the father if modern day Manouche Gypsy Jazz Guitar.

Unfortunately the last 2 times I've flow out to see him play, he's been a no show.  :sad1:

Thankfully the Rosenberg Trio filled in admirably & Stochelo is my hero & one of the nicest human beings to walk the earth: Humble, kind, funny, respectful AND most importantly punctual & responsible.  :icon_thumright:

 

[stubhead]

Unfortunately the last 2 times I've flow out to see him play, he's been a no show.

He's just keeping up the tradition - Django Reinhardt was pretty well-known for no-shows, if he had a woman or a bottle (preferably both) he'd happily send a friend or relative to cover the gig. There's another clan of Reinhardt cousins and brothers in Germany who carry on a "gypsy" relationship will laws and clocks and other gadjo foolishness, but they can sure play.

 

[Doughboy]

Unfortunately the last 2 times I've flow out to see him play, he's been a no show.

He's just keeping up the tradition - Django Reinhardt was pretty well-known for no-shows, if he had a woman or a bottle (preferably both) he'd happily send a friend or relative to cover the gig. There's another clan of Reinhardt cousins and brothers in Germany who carry on a "gypsy" relationship will laws and clocks and other gadjo foolishness, but they can sure play.

It's sad, becaise it hurts them & the genre with all this no show BS. I flew out to see Bireli 2x & he never showed. The promoter just said he's done with him & will never consider him for another show.

On the other hand, Stochelo was as professional as can be. Early to the gig. Hung out with the fans before, played his ASS off for the show & then went to a local bar afterwards where I go to talk to him one on one for 30 mins about his life, family, his early days starting to play, his love for George Benson etc. Just a SUPER SUPER nice person. Can't say enough good things about Stochelo.

Angelo Debarre was supposed to show up for Djangofest NW last year & was a no show as well. Ugh!!!

However, the newer guys like Gonzalo Bergara & Adrien Mouignard where there & ready to play their assed off so it made up for the no shows. The new breed of none gypsy manouche players seem to have their shit together way more than the old school gypsy players & don't get me started on Tchavolo & his love of drink & dislike for punctuality.  :sad1:

 

[stubhead]

Well, it is one of those situations where times have changed and what was once acceptable has been left behind in the growth. I mean, at the time Django Reinhardt was playing, he was basically a bar-band guitarist, playing for audiences who probably never numbered more that a hundred, and who had no idea that the guy was going to be internationally deified decades later. And his cousins could play reasonably well, so when he sent one of them everybody just said "oh, that Django" and went on drinking. Nobody would "fly in" to see some guy in a bar who was supposed to have a hot hand... and these guys don't understand that in our new world, they're supposed to act like individual entrepreneurs, and they are their own product. They'd rather get drunk and chase girls than play that night, and everybody they know is a good guitarist, so what's the big deal? :dontknow: