Manouche Gypsy Jazz Guitar

This massive book offers a comprehensive study of the Gypsy jazz or Manouche guitar style as perceived by French guitarists Derek Sebastian and Romane, two of the finest modern day practitioners of the Django Reinhardt style.Each of the book's thirty-six progressive chapters consists of four parts: A.) Technique developed through exercises, chord progressions/diagrams, and illustrations of fingerboard positions; B.) A harmony lesson with leads in the Manouche style; C.) Soloing techniques based on the harmonic structure of a given theme; and D.) Self-testing materials with answers provided at the close of the book.The companion CD for L'Espirit Manouche is unique in that it provides 98 play-along MIDI files that exactly parallel the order of the exercises, examples and pieces in the book as well as audio tracks of excerpts from eighteen Romane favorites from the Gypsy jazz repertoire. the MIDI tracks, which can be accessed via most audio players on PC or Macintosh computers, allow the student to play along with both short phrases and extensive rhythm tracks- at any desired tempo; the audio tracks on the companion disc can be played on any CD player.L'Espirit Manouche not only makes Gypsy jazz accessible; it offers an opportunity to master the Manouche style. While many exercises and tunes appear in both standard notation and tab, not to mention chord or fretboard diagrams, standard notation is predominant.

This book focuses on the key elements of the Django Reinhardt Gypsy jazz or jazz Manouche guitar style. the information revealed here was gleaned from years of experience jamming with French Gypsies and studying with masters of the style. A native of France, Stephane Wrembel acquired his skills entirely by ear and has taught scores of musicians worldwide using the method that appears here in text and notation for the first time. Written in English, German and French with all musical examples in standard notation and tablature, Wrembel conveys his knowledge in a logical step by step manner, exposing the reader to the authentic Manouche style as it continues to evolve in France and Holland. Medium to advanced in difficulty, this method is designed for the guitarist who is already familiar with jazz harmony and note locations on the fretboard.

In the tradition of Django Reinhardt, Biréli Lagrène is one of most highly regarded Gypsy jazz, bebop, and fusion guitarists of recent decades. Once regarded as a child prodigy, he has performed with such legendary players as Benny Goodman, Stéphan Grappelli, Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucía, John McLaughlin and countless others. Given that roster, one might assume that Lagrène is quite advanced in years, but this is not the case; the fact is, he was drawn to the guitar as a child of four, and after auditioning at the intermission, was invited onstage with Grapelli for the second half- when he was only ten years old. While Lagrène is primarily an ear player, he has collaborated with TAGA Publishing to produce an exceptional book filled with insightful tips on playing the Gypsy jazz style. Biréli Lagrène: Gypsy Jazz Guitar Artistry introduces the intermediate jazz guitarist to the essential rhythms used in Gypsy jazz accompaniment, as well as to the vocabulary needed to improvise in the Gypsy jazz style. Not for the faint of heart, the book includes online audio recordings of 33 rhythm exercises and licks to incorporate the right feel or panache in your own Gypsy jazz performance style. The musical examples are written in either chord symbols or standard notation and tablature. Includes access to online audio.

Gypsy jazz (sometimes known as Jazz-Manouche) is the first unique style of jazz music originating from Europe. Using the best examples of performances past and present, as well as showcasing the typical aspects of rhythm and lead guitar in gypsy jazz, this book is the most authentic method for gypsy jazz guitar. Includes practice transcriptions and songs by renowned gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, who made the style popular throughout the world with his groundbreaking techniques. To this day, countless guitarists are influenced by the music and personality of Django Reinhardt. A CD is included containing performances of music in the book.

Of all the styles of jazz to emerge in the twentieth century, none is more passionate, more exhilaratingly up-tempo, or more steeped in an outsider tradition than Gypsy Jazz. And there is no one more qualified to write about Gypsy Jazz than Michael Dregni, author of the acclaimed biography, Django. A vagabond music, Gypsy Jazz is played today in French Gypsy bars, Romany encampments, on religious pilgrimages--and increasingly on the world's greatest concert stages. Yet its story has never been told, in part because much of its history is undocumented, either in written form or often even in recorded music. Beginning with Django Reinhardt, whose dazzling Gypsy Jazz became the toast of 1930s Paris in the heady days of Josephine Baker, Picasso, and Hemingway, Dregni follows the music as it courses through caravans on the edge of Paris, where today's young French Gypsies learn Gypsy Jazz as a rite of passage, along the Gypsy pilgrimage route to Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer where the Romany play around their campfires, and finally to the new era of international Gypsy stars such as Bireli Lagrene, Boulou Ferre, Dorado Schmitt, and Django's own grandchildren, David Reinhardt and Dallas Baumgartner. Interspersed with Dregni's vivid narrative are the words of the musicians themselves, many of whom have never been interviewed for the American press before, as they describe what the music means to them. Gypsy Jazz also includes a chapter devoted entirely to American Gypsy musicians who remain largely unknown outside their hidden community. Blending travelogue, detective story, and personal narrative, Gypsy Jazz is music history at its best, capturing the history and culture of this elusive music--and the soul that makes it swing.

The solos of Django Reinhardt are an endless source of inspiration and amazement for any musician. In this exciting book, the author has compiled precise solo transcriptions (in notation only), as well as a thorough analysis of each. There is also a complete "how to" section that is like a book in itself. This book contains some of Django's best work. It covers a period of 17 years, from Django's first trio and quintet recordings to one of his last bop-influenced sessions, "Live at the Club St. Germain." Multiple versions of many solos are included to show Djangos' musical development over his long career. Studying the music of the master of Gypsy Jazz can help lay a solid foundation for your own sound and style.