Known in the English-speaking world as Gypsy Jazz, this is the Manouche Gypsies' take on Jazz, as instigated and brought to wider attention by Django Reinhardt. I will not speak much further on it's history and style as that is covered along with every other subject known to human kind, here and numerous other places.
With its marginal status in the public eye (or ear) and its existence as a form dominated by one deceased exponent, it often makes me think of Bob Marley and his connection to Reggae. It is certainly not a dead form, one can hear it in bars, on stereos and the radio, and at many dedicated festivals around the world (particularly this year in the case of Jazz Manouche, 2010 being the centenary of Django's birth), but as a musical style outside of the mainstream, rather than evolving into something else, it took a diversion into a cul-de-sac where it has since lived happily ever after, with only a periodically re-tarmacced drive to reinvigorate it.
Gypsy Jazz is so deeply entrenched in Django's design that it is indelibly his. Having started lessons in the style with the French Manouchist Romain Vuillemin, I can confirm that the chord shapes used by the pompistes (those who 'pump' the chords, accompanying the soloist) use chord figurations unique to Gypsy Jazz which primarily utilise the fretting hand thumb, first, second and third finger, and only very rarely the forth, which on Django's hand was crippled in the caravan fire of 1928.
It would be fair to say that Django did not do much pomping, and even neglected playing the full melody of a tune, prefering to hint at it in a solo, or he'd just leave it to Stephane Grapelli. But his soloing, and as a result, the solos of any Manouche player ever since, have been directly influenced by this injury. In figures which are dominated by pairs- diminished seventh arpeggios, major and minor arpeggios incorporating the semi-tone leading notes to arpeggio notes, and chromatic runs with one finger- the figurations all sound unique to Gypsy Jazz. They enable a player to sound authentic, but crucially they originate from the fact that Django played best with his index and middle finger on his left hand, because his third and forth were badly injured in the fire.
In the necessary adherence to and mastery of a specific stylistic rhetoric of techniques, Gypsy Jazz bears much in common with Baroque-period 'Classical'* music. The ornamentation given to melodies through mordents, trills, turns and other embellishments in accepted performance practice of Baroque music ties these two unlikely bedfellows together accurately. In both, it is important to play in the 'correct' manner of the period and style.
Having enjoyed the lively good-time atmosphere of Gypsy Jazz for several years, it took seeing Noe Reinhardt, the grandson of Django's cousin by mistake (naïvely assuming he'd be playing in the style of his grandad's cousin) in a Paris Jazz club to realise I was situated in the the best place in the world to experience Gypsy Jazz.
Though born in a caravan in Belgium, Django spent most of his life in the nothern suburbs of Paris playing with his 'Quintette du Hot Club de France', which took shape in 1934 with violinist Stephane Grapelli in the bars of Saint Ouen and Pigalle. Since then many great players have thrived here and continue to perform in this classic good-time style, making this fine city THE best place on Earth to regularly experience at first hand, some of the best musicians of the genre, in various clubs and bars throughout the city.
As a result of this, I formed in September 2010, The Paris Gypsy Jazz/ Jazz Manouche Gig-Going Troupe (or T.P.G.J./J.M.G.G.T. for short.) We are a group of people living in Paris who meet up about once every three weeks to listen to a concert and its proceding 'boeuf' (a term for 'group improvisation' which I deemed absurd for its irrelevance before considering the English equivalent 'Jam'), open to anyone who can play in the style to join in. Some come for the music, some for the opportunity to meet people they otherwise would never have met. I have met through it a Russian scientist who researches the heart in the biggest hospital in France, and who has recently written a book on cholestrol, and a French woman who sells exclusively Chinese art from a Gallery in Saint Germain des Pres.
If you are in Paris, check out our forthcoming meetups here: T.P.G.J./J.M.G.G.T. and we'll take it from there.
Whether you come with us or not, I would like to supply this list, compiled as the greatest lists are, from other lists (and my own experience), of the current best places to see and hear Jazz Manouche in Paris, the best city in the world to hear it.
I shall update the list with comment as and when I go to each place. Venues are listed by day of the week, starting as all weeks do, not on Sundays, but on Monday, the first day of the actual, real week as any normal human would have it.
Le Piano Vache Bar- 8 Rue Laplace, 5ème (Metro Maubert Mutualité) Mondays
Website
Grubby cavernous old hole in the Latin Quarter, where Rudolph Raffalli plays with pompiste and bassist every Monday night. Old rock and film posters (and a big'un of Django) are layered on every surface in this grungy den of two rooms, one with stage, and one much smaller and brighter reserved for talking. Tunes include the inescapable 'Minor Swing', French Chanson arrangements and many other recognisable hits from the pop world, 'swingified'. Perhaps not quite jaw-dropping enough to be listening astutely to every last note and near-note, but the shhh-ing barman will cheerily and without irony tell the whole audience in French and in English to, "shut the fuck up", if and when -it is a bar, afterall- anyone talks over his man.
Le Styx- 126 Rue Oberkampf, 11ème (Metro Ménilmontant) Mondays
A cosy restaurant bar in the French style, where you can't sit down, even with a group of people if you are just drinking, in case someone wants to come in and eat. It is otherwise a great venue for the Manouche, with a good view for everyone of the small stage for two, and a changing roster of Manouchistes.
La Taverne de Cluny- 51 Rue de la Harpe, 5ème (Metro Cluny La Sorbonne) Mondays and Thursdays Website
Attracts some of the best players around, but stage in an odd place meaning your view of the stage a little awkward. The barstaff can be patronising to the regular foreign clientele, insisting on speaking English when your French is better than their English, and drinks not cheap, but focus on the music and you'll be glad you went.
Le Café St. Jean- 23 Rue des Abbesses, 18ème (Metro Abbesses) Mondays
Nice warm, red classic brasserie feel to the venue in a nice spot by the Abbesses metro stop. Stage in a slightly awkward place for viewing, unless you get there early, but a trio of two guitarists and violinist, entertain with solid old-timey Manouche.
(La Chope du Château Rouge- 40 Rue Clignancourt, 18eme (Metro Château Rouge) Tuesdays)
Busy, lively bar, with unamplified Manouche headed by guitarist Samy Daussat with changing guests.
NO LONGER HOSTING JAZZ MANOUCHE!
I leave this venue listed as you may see it mentioned elsewhere, but as of April 2011 it no longer hosts the gypsy jazz. An inside man tells me this was due to the owner's insistance on leaving the football on the TV in the background and asking that the musicians play unamplified, meaning that they were barely heard by anyone...
La Locandiera- 145 Rue Oberkampf, 11ème (Metro Ménilmontant) Tuesdays
Nice, warm restauranty vibe. Large jam with young players. Standard very good. Conservatoire types, sometimes featuring English-born violinist Daniel John Martin, who hosts a night at Aux Petits Jouers (see below), who may bring his dog. Collection basket for musicians.
L'Est Parisien- 156 Rue Faubourg St. Martin, 10ème (Metro Gare de L'Est) Wednesdays
NO LONGER HOSTING JAZZ MANOUCHE!
I never got chance to visit this place, but though it hosts other music including jazz, as of May 2011 it no longer hosts gypsy jazz. I leave this venue listed as you may see it mentioned elsewhere.Aux Petits Joueurs- 59 Rue de la Mouzaïa, 19ème (Metro Pré St. Gervais) Wednesdays
Website
Violinist Daniel John Martin and illustrious guest performers, who have included Angelo Debarre and the magnificent Adrien Moignard.
La Timbale- 2 Rue Versigny, 18ème (Metro Simplon) Thursdays
Bouquet du Nord- 85 Rue de Mauberge, 10ème (Metro Gare du Nord) Fridays
Over the road from where Stephan Grapelli used to live, right by Gare du Nord. Regular old timers- decent standard.
(L'Anvers du decor- 32 bis Rue d'Orsel, 18ème (Metro Anvers) Sundays)
I'm leaving this listed as you may see it on many other never-updated manouche listings, but as of 2010 it no longer hosts jazz Manouche! (L'Anvers du decor- 32 bis Rue d'Orsel, 18ème (Metro Anvers) Sundays)
La Chope des Puces- 122 Rue des Rosiers, St. Ouen (Metro Porte de Clignancourt) Weekends
Where Django used to play, run by Mondine and Ninine Garcia, a father and son duo of gypsy jazzers, dad with shiny electric jazz guitar, slicked back hair and shades, son kept on a short leash as pompiste, with others joining from time to time.
A fairly standard bar at the front where the players played on the Sunday I went, (with a guitar stuck to the beer taps) but out the back a big hall 'Espace Django Reinhardt' is an amazing restaurant/museum with Manouche gypsy and jazz based treasures, including Django's brother's guitar (the instrument museum at Cite de la musique have Django's) and a fairground fortune-telling machine. Music 3-6pm Saturdays and Sundays.
* Those familiar with 'Classical' music may share my frustration with its accepted nomenclature. Baroque being as much a style as Classical, modern parlance has lumped all western historic styles under the same ineffective banner 'Classical music' whether or not it originated before or after the Classical period (approximately 1750-1820).
Atelier Charonne- 21 Rue Charonne, 11ème (Metro Ledru Rollin) Everyday (nearly)
Website
Very modern (slightly tacky) venue with expensive drinks to supplement the free entry and lack of collection basket for musicians. Great players from time to time, always worth checking their website (see above).Website
* Those familiar with 'Classical' music may share my frustration with its accepted nomenclature. Baroque being as much a style as Classical, modern parlance has lumped all western historic styles under the same ineffective banner 'Classical music' whether or not it originated before or after the Classical period (approximately 1750-1820).
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