Beyond the Legacy

Garry Potter Gary's musical experience is extensive and covers jazz, country, classical, pop, funk and blues. He has recently embarked on arranging and composing, and is an accomplished teacher of music, giving workshops worldwide. Gary is critically acclaimed as the most talented guitarist to emerge from the British Isles in recent years. He is regarded by aficionados as one of the greatest jazz and country guitarists in the world, enjoying high acclaim in the United States, Australia and Europe. Gary's path towards jazz started when introduced to the music of Django at the age of 15 and has continued via many festivals worldwide Garry Potter Trio

Gypsy Fire
Stuart Carter Smith - started playing the guitar when he was 18 years old--rather late for a gypsy guitarist considering most of his peers were playing by the age of 7.
Although he played, studied and performed classical guitar at first he quickly fell in love with the music of the guitar genius Django.
Most of all he learned was by listening to the records of his newly found hero, Django. like many of his contemporaries, Stuart loves to improvise, and like many of his predecessors, he is searching for new challenges.
He likes to try new ways of playing, but always with the solid underpinning of his first love: the music of Django Reinhardt.

http://vipersdream.com/
Viper's Dream are a London based acoustic jazz band. Repertoire ranges across the entire history of jazz, from swing and bebop to latin, bossa nova and original compositions. Special emphasis is on the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Tim Robinson - guitar - is one of the most impressive players on the UK scene specializing in Django’s music. Patrick Naylor – guitar - plays in a number of different contexts including his own (Soundial) quartet.

Pete Watson - Accordion

Pete enjoys Jazz, French and Eastern Music and has travelled extensively playing the accordion. Pete met up with Ultraswing in 2000 and has collaborated with other groups such as Vipers Dream, Balkanatics and Yash Bash. Pete teaches accordion and piano in schools whilst spending his spare time helping to run the Crypt Jazz Club in London and Stage Two at Ealing Jazz Festival. Pete teaches Piano and Accordion
Ultraswing

Havana Swing
Django's Lion Runs Rampant
Scottish band Havana Swing have been delighting audiences for years with their fiery brand of Gypsy Jazz. Formed In 1986, the band comprises of 3 Guitarists, Clarinet and Double Bass and will take you on a musical journey of The Hot Club De France through Parisian cafes and Gypsy campfires! Lightning solos coupled with subtle harmonies will leave you in no doubt that this is the real thing and you will quickly notice from the band sound, the obvious musical enjoyment derived from playing in the style of Django Reinhardt.
Havana Swing are well respected throughout the Jazz Manouche and Hot Club world of music mainly from their live performances and their CD recordings-“Django Ecossais” and
“Django’s Lion” Dundee’s representatives on this front are the 5 members of Havana Swing and their new album does both themselves and Django proud. The bulk of the lead guitar work falls to Ashley Malcolm and John Whyte and both demonstrate not only the technical ability but also the feel for this type of playing. (It wasn’t only Django’s left hand that dazzled, his right was equally significant.)

The band’s clarinettist , Walter Smith, shows a lightness of tone reminiscent of the some of the famous hot club recordings, his playing on “Black and Blue” being particularly pleasing. The other members of the band , Alain Le Grand , guitar and Calum McKenzie, bass contribute in laying down the swing that is so fundamental to this style of jazz and also take the vocals on “Sweet Sue” and “East of the Sun” , respectively. These days it is not enough for bands to simply recreate the music of days gone by. They should also include some of their own material and this album does indeed have 3 of Calum’s originals.
The masters of Gypsy Swing maintain the 'Auld Alliance'.
The group took the name Havana Swing from a Cigar preference - Gauloises are too weak for the Scots

Lollo Meier
Among the gypsy jazz musicians that play guitar in the style of Django Reinhardt there are few that really stand out like Lollo Meier. His music is refreshing, combining an accomplished technique and unique style of playing with a real flair for composing. Raised on gypsy jazz, Meier, a Dutch gypsy, started playing guitar at the age of 12 with members of his family. After playing in the Belgian band “Swing 42” Meier started Lollo Meier Szigano Swing, a new quartet that gave him the opportunity to express his own style and ideas. For this tour Meier is joined by the celebrated young clarinetist from Antwerp, Andre Donnie, and Europe’s pre-eminent rhythm guitarist and bassist in the style, Dave Kelbie and Andy Crowdy, both members of John Etheridge’s “Sweet Chorus” and The Angelo Debarre Quartet. “...Meier was caressed the strings at the fiercest - Brilliancies came and went so fast that there was hardly time to applaud until the end...” London Evening Standard

Le Jazz et al Dave Kelbie
Dave Kelbie has acquired an international reputation as a promoter of Gypsy music and culture which has led to acclaimed music partnerships with many of Europes leading Gypsy musicians. Continuing plans include tours and a new recording with Parisian Gypsy guitarist Angelo Debarre, an ongoing partnership with the legendary British guitarist John Etheridge and a new project, tour and recording with another great Gypsy guitarist from Holland, Lollo Meier. Dave Kelbie's rhythm guitar is a joy in itself, firm but relaxed, clearly executed but never obtrusive. Dave knows exactly the best chord voicing for every moment and will add spice with the occasional flourish or series of brisk arpeggios reminiscent of Eddie Lang" - Charles Alexander

Joscho Stephan
Heard of Joscho Stephan. He is a very fast guitarist, playing at lightning speed , etc. Seems to be one of the bright new stars of gypsy jazz with that focus.

Fapy Lafertin

Andreas Oberg

Robin Nolan while being considered one of the world's leading Gypsy
Jazz guitarists in the tradition of Django Reinhardt, has also set
himself apart by creating his own unique style.
From his base in Amsterdam, he has circled the globe with performances
at the Lincoln Centre, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Toronto Jazz
Festival, DjangoFest, Iceland, Japan and numerous other locales.
Joined by his brother Kevin Nolan on rhythm guitar and Gypsy Jazz
veteran Simon Planting on double bass, the Robin Nolan Trio blazes
through a mix of Django, Latin and Swing classics, peppered with
stunning and inventive original compositions.

Tolga Quartet is a collaboration between four young musicians from all over Europe. They play the Django Reinhardt style, or Gypsy Jazz, with a fresh and contemporary approach. The band was founded originally as the Tolga Emilio Trio by Tolga During in Amsterdam in 1998. One year later, they recorded their first album which was internationally much applauded. As a result they received invitations from national and international festivals. Ever since, they have recorded five more albums and a live dvd. They now perform as a Quartet and the band members now all live in Italy but continue to perform all over the world. 'Fascinating repertoire, catchy arrangements, virtuosi and swinging improvisations and an incredible mastery.' Akustik Gitarre, Germany 'Tolga is a musician who combines a unique and arresting style with a masterful technique. His music is striking yet remains pure and uncluttered.' Turkish Daily News
"Melding influences from Britain to the Bosphoros and beyond, this young four man Hot Club give a fresh twist to the gypsy jazz repertoire." - DJ Andy Roberts, BBC Jazz Connection Radio Show, UK

Gypsy Swing
Le QuecumBar
American Jazz captured the imagination of the Europe, particularly France, during the early part of the 20th century. Many famous American Jazz musicians found enthusiastic audiences in Europe while many European musicians incorporated the new sounds of Jazz into their music. Gypsy Swing, sometimes called String Swing, is Swing played with a rhythm section of guitars and bass, rather than the traditional drums and bass of American Jazz. The best known of Gypsy Swing players was Django Reinhardt (1910-1953). Django Reinhardt, a Manouche Gypsy, was a prolific composer and a phenomenal guitarist. His compositions make up the bulk of standards in the Gypsy Swing genre today and his unorthodox technique (due to the fact that he lost the use of two fingers of his left hand in a fire) has
defined the sound of Gypsy Jazz. Nuages, Djangology, Douce Ambiance and Swing 42 are some of the Reinhardt standards that you will
find in the typical Gypsy Jazz repertoire. There are many groups playing this music worldwide and Gypsy Jazz has continued to grow and
change through the influences of musicians, both Gypsy and non-Gypsy, worldwide.

Petites Annonces play a unique mix of gypsy jazz , those bonnes old french chansons, and a genre unknown until now in this country : "Punk Manouche". www.petitesannonces.co.uk

Mail jazzmaster@jazzeddie.f2s.com with questions or comments about the format of this web site. Last modified: 13/09/2011

Mail jazzmaster@jazzeddie.f2s.com with questions or comments about the format of this web site.
Last modified: 13/09/2011