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Michel Warlop - Violinist, 1911-47
Mentor to Django
 Warlop
had other skills besides his violin – he was a skilled arranger and composer.
Thus he formed the first of his bands, called the Chicago Syncopaters which
recorded in 1933/4 for the Sonobel label. On 8 Jan 1934, he recorded
“All
for the Swing” and “Crazy Fiddle”. Here we visit for the first time the strange
individual world of Michel Warlop’s passion, desire, melancholy and depression.
Pierre Coppolla, a leading composer and artistic director of Gramophone France
(aka HMV or RCA) employed the young man as a preferred session man. He was also
entrusted with the creation and production of various jazz recordings,
especially those with vocalists. He was still frustrated at having to carry out
this tail end work to make a living, as it was keeping him from executing his
own ideas. Warlop and Django met for the first time at a recording session in
April of 1934. The two men (Django and Warlop) played together on many sessions
during 1934, 1935, and 1936. In particular the two were favourites of
Jean Sablon, and also his sister Germaine. “At this time, Michel Warlop was one
of the best in Paris…” The Swing label was formed in 1937 by Charles Delauney.
He had Warlop provide accompaniment on 13 recordings in 1937 and 1938. Django
was enthusiastic about Warlop’s abilities as both a musician and as an arranger.
At the same time, Warlop raved to everyone about Django’s abilities and
personality. To the violinist, Django was the greatest guitarist in the world.
Django and Warlop both had their unique styles, but the same was true of Stephan Grapelli. In September of 1939, Michel Warlop was conscripted into the
army despite his poor health and alcoholism. He was captured by the Nazis in May
1940, and released for health reasons in May 1941. He had Tuberculosis.
b : January 23 1911, Douai
d : March 6, 1947, Begnères de Luchon
 Michel Warlop first copied American styles
before developing his own style. Bernard Niquit said of Warlop: “He died at age
36. Had he lived longer, much more would have come from him.” Alain Romans said:
“The style of Michel Warlop was that of a gypsy lost in Harlem.” Warlop was a
brilliant classical player who converted to jazz. Warlop can be heard on
Gregor’s recording from 1930-1933. He did not make the trip to South America
with Gregor – it seems that he did not like to travel. According to Alain
Romans, Warlop was at this time very interested in the black American bands
playing in Montmartre. He was studying the tone, technique and musical instincts
of players like Willie Lewis, Doc Cheatham, Albert Wynn, Gene Cedric,
Benny
Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Arthur Briggs, Bill Coleman and Garland Wilson. Such
were his passions, but he was still required to play some classical music to
earn a living. Upon Gregor’s return from the Argentine, he returned to his
soloist’s spot in the band. Michel’s nickname was “Michou”, and he was a
serious, modest and shy young man, known as a musician’s musician. At the
end of the 20s and the early 30s, Grapelli and Warlop were good friends and even
shared an apartment for a spell. Warlop taught Grapelli technique and introduced
him into jazz culture, whereas Grapelli was able to acquaint Warlop with popular
music, how better to express himself in this world.
The fine "Melodie au crepuscule" reunited
Django with Michel Warlop for the
last time in a recording studio.
Over and Under Bowing Technique illustrated was also
used by Joe Venuti and can still be seen performed by Jazz Violinists of today
such as Mike Piggott for bemused audience reaction
“He never received his deserved reputation, as he
was one of the best violinists and one of Europe's greatest jazz artists.”
 Violinist,
arranger & composer.
Michel Warlop is probably, with Stephane
Grappelli
and Eddie South, he
greatest swing violin player of the '30s and '40s even if he seems to have been
the complete antithesis of the "gentle" Grappelli (exalted, nervy, music and
alcohol enthusiast, Warlop was a peculiar character). Educated at the
Conservatoires of both Lille and Paris, and expected to have a
successful classical career, by 1930 he had secured a place
with one of Paris' leading jazz ensembles, Gregor Et Ses Gregorians
of the Tabac Pigalle. Even if billed as a jazz player, he
also occasionally worked for french pop singers like Maurice
Chevalier or Germain Sablon.
During the war, Michel Warlop turned more into composing and
orchestrating, and conducted a jazz string septet, what's considered today as
his most original and exciting work. His masterpiece, "Swing Concerto",
recorded in 1942 with a symphonic orchestra, will only see the
light as a release in 1989. After the Second World War,
Michel Warlop left the Parisian scene, due to unproved murmurs of collaboration,
on account of his wartime involvement in broadcasts on Radio Paris
and the Raymond Legrand Orchestra, which toured Germany successfully in 1942.
He died at the age of 36 years only, no doubt because of his TB and alcoholism.
He is thought to have played on approximately 400 recordings of jazz and variétés Françaises, comparatively few of which appear to have survived.
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PAUL
VERNON CHESTER
