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Stéphane Grappelli | Essential albums and listening guide
Explore Stéphane Grappelli through Djangology (Quintette du Hot Club de France). Discover what to listen for and follow related styles to your next record.
Stéphane Grappelli
Meet the artist
He led the Quintette du Hot Club de France along with Django Reinhardt. A pioneer of jazz violin music. He connects the violin's sustained tone with light rhythm and supple improvisation.
Slides and accents give individual notes a singer's expressiveness. With Django Reinhardt, the guitar's sharp attack contrasts beautifully with bowed lines. Melodies can be tenderly sung and then suddenly take flight. These conversations between strings show that jazz swing belongs to many instrumental combinations, not just the familiar horn-led group.
Where to start listening
Follow the violin as if it were a singing voice. Listen to how its phrases move over the guitar rhythm and turn melody and accompaniment into a light-footed conversation.
1935Djangology (Quintette du Hot Club de France)
Django Reinhardt / Stéphane Grappelli
The all-string band formed by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli helped establish Gypsy jazz, creating a distinctive ensemble sound without horns.
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1975Jealousy
Stéphane Grappelli
A collaboration with classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Popular songs from the 1930s become a distinctive dialogue between jazz and classical violin.
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Years follow the Atlas catalogue. Recording dates, original release dates and digital reissue dates may differ.