Maplewood Musician Stephane Wrembel Ties Gypsy Jazz To New Orleans Sizzle
PHOTO: Stephane Wrembel by Lawrence Sumulong
Stephane Wrembel may have been born in Paris but he’s lived in Maplewood in Essex County for years. Considered by many to be the greatest living acoustic guitarist in the world, he’s made a career out of furthering the sound of the legendary three-fingered Belgian guitar hero Django Reinhardt [1910-1953]. Django, in his pioneering band with French violinist Stephane Grappelli, the Quintette du Hot Club de France, invented the sub-genre known as Gypsy Jazz.
Wrembel’s current album, Django New Orleans, fuses Gypsy Jazz with New Orleans sizzle. It’s a 10-track tour-de-force with such iconic covers as The Original Dixieland Jazz Band’s 1917 “Tiger Rag,” Reinhardt’s 1944 “Nympheas,” Duke Ellington’s 1937 “Caravan” plus originals and traditionals.
Jason Olaine, the Vice President of Programming for Jazz at Lincoln Center, said it best. “Django New Orleans is a downhome party meets a high-end listening experience, as Stephane organically blends the music of Reinhardt and classic New Orleans repertoire together with just the right amount of understated flash and exotic funk. The second-line spirit of Congo Square—replete with tuba, acoustic bass, horns, washboard/percussion and bass drum—has a French flair as Stephane’s tasteful yet pyrotechnic acoustic guitar work is augmented by an equally virtuosic violin and additional guitar. It is the best of both worlds.”
And now he’s taking his act on the road. The following dates are for The Stephane Wrembel Quartet with Oct. 16 and Nov. 17 being the “Django New Orleans” dates.
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09/02 The Side Door Jazz Club, Old Lyme, CT
09/03 The Music Room, West Yarmouth, MA
09/07 Club Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA
09/08 Ellnora Guitar Festival, Ellnora, IL
09/09 Treelawn Social Club, Cleveland, OH
09/16 Le Poisson Rouge, New York City, NY
09/23 The Sanctuary, East Haddam, CT
10/27 Bull Run, Shirley, MA
11/10 Deer Head Inn, Delaware Water Gap, PA
11/17 AMP at Strathmore, N. Bethesda, MD
11/28 Light Hall Theatre, Silver, City, NM
11/29 Flinkinger Center, Alomogordo, NM
11/30 NM Tech, Socorro, NM
12/01Outpost Center, Alburquerque, NM