PAUL VERNON CHESTER

Manouche Maestro

Jeff Green - Jazz Guitarist

Jeff Green is a master of swing jazz guitar. He exists in a firmament that includes Charlie Christian, Oscar Moore, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis and Wes Montgomery and shares their ability to play truly swinging phrases that are always perfectly placed. Totally fluent in the language of jazz, he is an economical soloist who never plays too many notes, but consistently delivers clear musical statements and solos that tell a story. No doubt these were the qualities that brought Jeff Green to the attention of Stéphane Grappelli, with whom he toured for several years.

Jeff Green - Contemporary of Diz Disley, Denny Wright, and as soloist played in the Soho String Quartet and the London Hot  Club Quintet he also accompanied Johnny van Derrick,  Stephane Grappelli, Andy Aichison etc,

I did perform on the same bill with Jeff Green on a couple of occasions at Ian Cruickshank-organised Gypsy Jazz Festivals, CDs of which are available. He is a big friend of Ian and obviously knew Diz well. He is a serious jazz guitarist but other than my gig meetings with him I have little to offer by way photos or definitive info. He was very well versed in the Django style, hence is association with Stephane. When he performed at the Festivals he played archtop guitar with little gypsy jazz input, preferring a more modern style. He was very accomplished and tasteful in his phrasing as can be heard on the above mentioned recordings.  I had just recorded Suite Django when I met him and he was very supportive and complimentary about the concept of a musical biography. I have no knowledge of any recent performances or his whereabouts. Paul Vernon Chester.

Jeff Green with Just Us Circa 1973

Roses of Picardy - Soho String Quartet - With Jeff Green

Sweet Georgia Brown - Soho String Quartet  Guitar Soloist

Jeff Green – Grappelli - Honeysuckle Rose

Jeff Green - Grappelli - Minor Swing

Jeff Green as Rhythm and Solo Guitarist - Samois 1994

 

Michael Edmonds Bassist with Jeff Green and George Hart
1998

The musicians in this second image from left to right, are: Patrick Sausois, Murray Salmon (Bass), Albert Vivi Limburger, Andy Crowdy (Bass), Paul Vernon Chester, Jez Cook, Tchi Limburger, Jeff Green (sunglasses), Jan Limburger (Trumpets), Diz Disley and Claudine Larne.  Courtesy Killy Nonis.

Albert Vivi Limburger was a member of the famous WASO playing rhythm for Fapy Lafertin. Tchi Limburger is now gaining an ever-growing reputation for his fine musicianship both on violin and guitar, which he plays with equal virtuosity. Patrick Sausois is a legend and played lovely guitar at this festival. Jeff Green and Diz, as you know, both played with Stephane Grappelli. We were all jamming whilst these photos were taken - playing Sweet Sue!

 

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Jeff's Archtop Guitar

Scale Length 25 1/4" = 640mm
Fingerboard Ebony
Radius 13 3/4" = 350mm
Frets 20
Body Alder with Spruce Top
Neck Maple
Bridge Bone + Ebony
Pickups Mini Humbucker + Piezo on Bridge
Pickup Switch 3-Position
Controls Master Volume, Humbucker Tone,
Piezo 3-Band EQ
Colour Antique Sunburst,

 

For the past 12 years Jeff has played a Yamaha AEX 1500 (Martin Taylor) archtop guitar, a contemporary classic from which he produces a beautiful, rounded sound.  It retains a beautiful warm tone and you can blend in the piezo pickup for some really cool acoustic/electric cross tones 

This Yamaha archtop is the probably the finest archtop guitar they have ever made. It is also probably one of the the first hybrid electronic pickup set ups. It has an under saddle pick up as well as the Johnny Smith style floating pick up fitted to the neck. Both of the pickups can be blended together.  Martin Taylor not long after he had received the first one from Yamaha was very excited about the under bridge pick up which Yamaha had fitted especially for him.   He said It enabled him to produce a more acoustic sound.

 

The AEX1500 allows the player to explore new expressions in a jazz-orientated repertoire. On the one hand, its neck-mounted mini-humbucker reproduces those warm and mellow traditional archtop tones; on the other, the instrument carries a bridge-loaded piezo system for reproducing realistic amplified acoustic sounds. These two signal sources can be mixed together, offering an extensive palette of voicings and providing extensive tonal tailoring courtesy of the piezo's three-band EQ and adjustable (400Hz-2kHz) midrange.

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Last modified: 13/09/2011