The Gypsy Swing of Stephane Grappelli

Stephane Grappelli

Source: NoNaMe

Stephane Grappelli was born on 26 January 1908 in Paris. Though he was also a pianist (see Coleman Hawkins) he is most famous for his skill with violin and his partnership with guitarist Django Reinhardt in swing jazz. Jazz had been in pursuit in Great Britain ever since it was imported to London by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1919. It was importation in reverse, however, nor from Great Britain, but France, when the swing of Grappelli and Reinhardt made its way to the United States to become of huge influence. That was via Hawkins who had first toured to Europe to work with the pair in 1934. The partnership between Grappelli and Reinhardt was something of a French version of the collaboration between guitarist Eddie Lang and violinist Joe Venuti in America that had begun some eight years earlier in 1926. Grappelli and Reinhardt would be a team for fifteen years to as late as 1949.

Grappelli was hired in Paris in 1929 as a substitute pianist by Krikor Kélékian (aka Gregor) for Gregor and the Gregorians. There was a time when I had thought that Grappelli recorded his first tracks circa May 3 of 1929 with the Gregorians toward titles like 'Sally of My Dreams' and 'L'amour ca n'a l'air de rien' on Edison Bell Radio F225. Though it's certainly possible that Grappelli contributed to recordings by the Gregorians as early as 1929, unfortunately I can't find the reference which gave me reason to believe that, so I refer to the next earliest date of 1930 for a film titled 'Grégor et ses Grégoriens' directed by Roger Lion, that a four-minute jazz opera based on a traditional French song in which Grappelli appears at violin. Tom Lord has Grappelli in session perhaps at piano with fellow Gregorians for the first time in Buenos Aires sometime in 1931 during a tour which Wikipedia states took place in 1930. Among those were 'Flor de Cuba' and 'Yo Te Dire' sung by Pace Obregon issued on Odeon 250244. Grappelli also played violin with Ray Ventura et Ses Collegiens in 1931. Lord traces Grappelli with the Gregorians into 1933 during which period he played both piano and violin.  Though famed for his bow, Grappelli played piano on occasion throughout his career. Lord has him recording a suite of piano solos as late as 1990 toward the album, 'My Other Love' on CBS MK 46257.

'Fantastique'   Stephane Grappelli (violin) w Ray Ventura et Ses Collegiens

Recorded 10 Dec 1931 ?   Matrix Ki5120-2   Odeon 250.112

Personnel including:

Piano / arrangement: Paul Misraki   Guitar: Loulou Gaste

Drums: Gregoire "Coco" Aslan   Vocal: Miss Spinelly (Andree Spinelly)

Composition: Max Irwin / Paul Misraki for the 1931 film 'L'amour à l'américaine'

'L'amour à l'américaine': IMDb   Wikipedia

'Free As The Air'   Sample of Grégor et ses Grégoriens   Grappelli out

Recorded March 1933 in Paris   Matrix P76253-1   Ultraphone AP-961

Composition: ?

Grappelli put down tracks at violin with Leon Kartun in January 1934 before recording for the first time with Reinhardt in Paris on January 15 the same year with the Andre Ekyan Orchestre for vocalist, Jean Sablon, such as 'Le jour ou je te vis' and 'Un sou dans la poche'. They worked with a few more ensembles together before their first date with Reinhardt's Quintette du Hot Club de France on December 28 of 1934 at the Hot Club de France to put down such as 'Dinah' and 'Tiger Rag'.

'Dinah'   Le Quintette du Hot Club de France

Recorded 28 Dec 1934 in Paris   Matrix P-77161   Ultraphone AP-1422

Violin: Stephane Grappelli   Guitar: Django Reinhardt

Guitar: Roger Chaput / Joseph Reinhardt   Bass: Louis Vola

Music: Harry Akst   Lyrics: Sam Lewis / Joe Young    1925 for the 1926 show 'Kid Boots'

'Confessin''   Le Quintette du Hot Club de France

Recorded 6 March 1935 in Paris   Matrix P-77242   Ultraphone AP-1443

Violin: Stephane Grappelli   Guitar: Django Reinhardt

Music: Chris Smith   Lyrics: Al Neiburg    1930

'Believe It Beloved'   Le Quintette du Hot Club de France

Recorded June or July 1935 in Paris   Matrix P-77441   Ultraphone AP-1511

Violin: Stephane Grappelli   Guitar: Django Reinhardt

Guitar: Joseph Reinhardt / Pierre "Baro" Ferret   Bass: Louis Vola

Composition: George Whiting / Nat Burton / J.C. Johnson

'I've Had My Moments'   Le Quintette du Hot Club de France

Recorded 2 Sep 1935 in Paris   Matrix P-77538   Ultraphone AP-1547

Violin: Stephane Grappelli   Guitar: Django Reinhardt

Guitar: Joseph Reinhardt / Pierre "Baro" Ferret   Bass: Louis Vola

Music: Walter Donaldson   Lyrics: Gus Kahn

Grappelli's group, the Hot Four, made its first recordings in latter 1935 for 'St. Louis Blues', 'Chinatown', 'Limehouse Blues' and 'I Got Rhythm'. Discogs lists members of the Hot Four as Antonio "Tony" Rovira (bass), Michel Warlop (violin), Pierre Ferret (guitar) and Roger Chaput (guitar). But its original personnel were Louis Vola (bass), Pierre Ferret (guitar), and Django and Joseph Reinhardt. Born in 1912, Joseph was a couple years younger than Django. Lord's disco has Grappelli and Django last stringing titles together to as late as Rome in early 1949 for such as 'The Man I Love' and 'The Peanut Vendor'.

'Limehouse Blues'   Stephane Grappelli and His Hot Four

Recorded 13 Oct 1935 in Paris   Matrix 2035hpp   Decca F5780

Music: Philip Braham   Lyrics: Douglas Furber   1932

'I Got Rhythm'   Stephane Grappelli and His Hot Four

Recorded 13 Oct 1935 in Paris   Matrix 2036 1/2hpp   Decca F5780

Music: George Gershwin   Lyrics: Ira Gershwin

'China Boy'   Stephane Grappelli and His Hot Four

Recorded 21 Oct 1935 in Paris   Matrix 2081hpp   Decca F5824

Composition: Phil Boutelje / Dick Winfree

'Moon Glow'   Stephane Grappelli and His Hot Four

Recorded 21 Oct 1935 in Paris   Matrix 2082hpp   Decca F5831

Composition: Will Hudson

'The Sheik of Araby'   Le Quintette du Hot Club de France

Recorded 27 April 1937 in Paris   Matrix OLA1737-1   HMV B-8737 / Pathe CO54-16003

Music: Ted Snyder   Lyrics: Harry Smith / Francis Wheeler   1921

'Sugar'   Stephane Grappelli backed by Django Reinhardt

Recorded 21 Dec 1937 in Paris   Matrix OLA2219-1

See Swing 69 or 'Chronological Classics 1935 - 1940' #708

Composition: Edna Alexander / Maceo Pinkard / Sidney Mitchell

'All the Things You Are'   Stephane Grappelli w Django Reinhardt

Jan or Feb 1949 in Rome   Matrix CW30   See RCA 731.069 issued 1972

Piano: Gianni Safred   Bass: Carlo Pecori   Drums: Aurelio De Carolis

Music: Jerome Kern   Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II   1939

Of Grappelli's accredited 375 sessions, more than half were his own. The year after Reinhardt's death in 1953 he recorded the album, 'Piano a Gogo', in May of 1954 with Guy Pedersen (bass) and Andre Baptiste Reilles (drums). Among those with whom Grappelli made records in the sixties were heavyweights Svend Asmussen in France, Denmark and Switzerland, Duke Ellington in Paris and Stuff Smith in Paris.

'Lookin' at You'   Stephane Grappelli

May of 1954   Matrix CFD 45   From the 1956 album 'Piano a Gogo'

Bass: Guy Pedersen   Drums: Andre Baptiste Reilles

Composition: Cole Porter

'Don't Get Around Much Anymore'   Stephane Grappelli w Stuff Smith (violin)

4 May 1957 in Paris   From the 1984 album 'Violins No End'

Piano:  Oscar Peterson   Guitar: Herb Ellis

Bass:  Ray Brown   Drums: Jo Jones

Composition: Duke Ellington / Bob Russe

During the seventies Grappelli collaborated with guitarist, Diz Disley, numerously from 1970 into 1982. His initial of not a few duets with Yehudi Menuhin went down in 1973 to continue well into the eighties. In 1974 he recorded the album, 'The Giants', with pianist, Earl Hines.

'Fine and Dandy'   Stephane Grappelli w Earl Hines (piano)

4 July 1974 in London

 From the 1977 LP 'The Giants' on Black Lion BLP 30193

Same as the 1992 CD 'Stephane Grappelli Meets Earl Hines' on Black Lion BLCD 760168

Composition: Kay Swift / Paul James

Among highlights during Grappelli's latter career was a 1984 session with Indian violinist, Lakshminarayana Subramaniam, resulting in 'Conversations'. That same year he recorded 'For All Seasons' with violinist, Yehudi Menuhin, in London. Several years later he put down 'Spirit of Django: Years Apart' with the Martin Taylor Quintet in Scotland in March of 1996. That was followed by 'Celebrating Grappelli' in 1997 with the Spirit of Django Band featuring Taylor at guitar.

Live in San Franciscco   Stephane Grappelli   Video

4 & 7 July 1982 at Paul Masson Winery

See the 1986 LP 'Live in San Francisco' on Blackhawk Records BKH 51601

Issued on CD in 1986 per Blackhawk Records BKH 516-2 CD

Guitar: Diz Disley (acoustic) / Martin Taylor (electric)

Bass: Jack Sewing

'Conversation'   Stephane Grappelli

1984 at Culver City CA

See the 1984 LP 'Conversations' on Milestone M-9130

Violin et al: Lakshminarayana Subramaniam

Side 1 of 'For All Seasons'   Stephane Grappelli w Yehudi Menuhin (violin)

1984 in London

EMI EL 27 0112 1 in the UK   Angel Records DS-38118 in the US

Album personnel:

Piano: Brian Lemon   Guitar: Martin Taylor / Marc Fosset

Bass: Lennie Bush / Jack Sewing    Drums: Ronnie Verrell

Harp: David Snell   Arrangement: Max Harris

Grapelli at Piano on 'Giboulées De Mars' and 'Automne'

'How High the Moon'   Stephane Grappelli

1991 in Warsaw

Music: Morgan Lewis   Lyrics: Nancy Hamilton   1940

Grappelli died in Paris after a hernia operation on December 1 of 1997.

In 1989 guitarist, Paul Mehling, formed The Hot Club of San Francisco, a gypsy jazz band in the tradition of Reinhardt and Grappelli’s Quintette du Hot Club de France. They issued their initial album, 'The Hot Club of San Francisco', in 1993, following with fifteen more to as late, per this writing, as 'Original Gadjo' in 2024. This is, indeed, a hot acoustic swing band, of which it would be a crime to not present a few examples here:

The Hot Club of San Francisco

'At Sundown'   Hot Club of San Francisco

Recorded 7/8 Sep 1993

From the album 'Hot Club of San Francisco' on Clarity Recordings CCD 1006

Soprano sax: Richard Hadlock   Tenor sax: Mike Sizer   Flute: Matt Eakle

Guitar / arrangement: Paul Mehling   Rhythm Guitar: Ned Boynton / Paul Robinson

Violin: Ray Landsberg   Upright bass: Evan Dain   Guest vocal: Dan Hicks

This album also features Barbara Dane and Maria Muldaur

Composition: Walter Donaldson ?

'And I Love Her'   Hot Club of San Francisco

From the 1994 album 'QHCSF' on Hot Club Records 2701

Guitar: Paul Mehling   Rhythm Guitar: Ned Boynton / Paul Robinson

Violin: Julian Smedley   Upright bass: Evan Dain

Composition: McCartney / Lennon

'Jitterbug Waltz'   Hot Club of San Francisco

From the 1994 album 'QHCSF' on Hot Club Records 2701

Guitar: Paul Mehling   Rhythm Guitar: Ned Boynton / Paul Robinson

Violin: Julian Smedley   Upright bass: Evan Dain

Composition: Fats Waller   1942

'Not So Fast' / 'Black & White'   Hot Club of San Francisco   Video

Django Fest 2004

Guitar: Paul Mehling   Rhythm Guitar: Sammo Miltich / Josh Workman

Violin: Evan Price   Upright bass: Ari Munkres

Composition 'Black and White': Reinhardt / Grappelli

'Auld Land Syne'   Hot Club of San Francisco

From the 2009 album 'Cool Yule' on Azica AJD-72242

Guitar: Paul Mehling

Rhythm Guitar: Jeff Magidson (upright bass) / Jason Vanderford

Violin: Evan Price

Composition: Scottish traditional / lyrics as early as 1711 by James Watson

'All of Me'   Hot Club of San Francisco   Video

25 August 2012 at Hawkins Amphitheater in Reno NV

Composition: Gerald Marks Seymour Simons   1931

'Don't Panic'   Hot Club of San Francisco   Video

28 June 2015

Guitar: Paul Mehling   Rhythm Guitar: Isabelle Fontaine / Jeff Magidson

Violin: Evan Price   Upright bass: Samuel Wolfe Rocha

Composition: Paul Mehling

'I Could Have Danced All Night'   Hot Club of San Francisco   Video

19 Jan 2024

Guitar: Paul Mehling   Rhythm Guitar: Jordan Samuels / Nelsen Hutchinson

Violin: Evan Price   Upright bass: Dexter Williams

Music: Frederick Loewe   Lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner   From "My Fair Lady' of 1956