The Hot Club Quartette
celebrates the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli's
innovative Hot Club de France Quintette
The Quintette of the Hot Club of France is
generally considered by jazz historians to be the greatest
of all European
Jazz bands. The group started out as an informal jam session
that was held between sets at the Hotel Claridge (37 Rue Francois
1er.) in Paris in 1933. Stéphane Grappelli, Django Reinhardt,
Roger Chaput and Louis Vola were playing in the hotel dance band
at the time. Between sets they would play jazz together in a
backroom at the hotel. One day Pierre Nourry and Charles Delaunay
of Hot Club witnessed one of these sessions and arranged that
the group record it's first records for the Ultraphone label
in December of 1934. The group went on to become very popular
in Europe both on records and as a live act. The group disbanded
in 1939 as war broke out in Europe. The band was playing in London
when England declared war on Germany. Stéphane Grappelli
decided to stay in London and while Django Reinhardt returned
to Paris. They would not see each other again until after the
war in 1946.
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Our ensemble
consists of a violin, two guitars and a string bass. It
specializes in the music from the 30s and 40s , featuring
well-known
and
rare compositions by Django and Stephane (and other composers)
like "Nuages, Ultra Fox,Swing 42, Stompin' at Decca, Bouncin'
Around, Djangology, Oriental Shuffle, Minor Swing",
just to mention a few.
We
have performed at the Ahwahnee Hotel, Argyle Hotel, Getty
Museum and other fine venues in Southern California.
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