Who are the best Gypsy Jazz players?

[Bertrand tB]

Read post #3

[Scolohofo]

Read post #3

yes,i overlooked this one,i'm sorry

[Bertrand tB]

No problem Sco, this can happen to anyone.

[Sinti Music]

Who are the best Gypsy Jazz Guitar players?

All guitarplayers mentioned on this forum are of absolute world class, however ... I'm missing a lot of names ... the best for me are Paulus Schäfer, Jimmy Rosenberg, Stochelo Rosenberg, Mozes Rosenberg (younger brother of Stochelo), Feigeli Prisor, Eddie Grünholz, and many more who never went commercial.

[Stringbean]

Robin Nolan
Great books as well as fine player. His Gypsy Jazz Licks is a blast.

[PeteDigons]

The best I've ever heard (besides Django of course) are - Stochelo Rosenberg, Frank Vignola, Biréli Lagrène, Joscho Stephan. There are many others, but these four are literally jaw dropping players. Joscho's technique is flawless, and Vignola's speed and dexterity (with both hands) is mind boggling.

[DRS]

Paul Mehling

[AmundLauritzen]

Stochelo and Jimmy Rosenberg play in the style that speaks to me the most.

Bireli is a monster player, but I prefer him on electric playing the Benson influenced style.

Angelo Debarre has a more linear, romantic style heavily inspired by the great Tchan Tchou Vidal.

Many young French players today copy Birelis articulation and phrasing, and go for Hahl guitars or Holo guitars(they sound very much like Hahl guitars). It sounds great, but sometimes it's hard to tell that the second solo is taken by a different player and not the same guy. Although they steal his licks, it's really more in the phrasing and articulation that it becomes obvious. Bireli has a super distinct way of phrasing and articulating, it's 100% Bireli.
There are some Bireli inspired players who really stand out. One of my favorites is Sebastien Giniaux. He has taken inspiration not only from Django and Bireli, but from a range of ethnic music styles. He's a true artist IMO.
Here's an example of his wonderful experimental playing:

Rocky Gresset is another great player who has obvious Bireli influences, but who has grown from that and developed his own thing. He seems to play mostly on archtops and plays a lot of Wes tunes. Another super player.

I also really like Gonzalo Bergara and Adrien Moignard. These two players have a similar style and great musical chemistry together. They have a new album that should be out soon. Here's a mind blowing clip:

Then you have the supergroup "Les Doigts de L'Homme"(translates: "human fingers") who play not only the standards but original compositions that are more progressive and thoroughly composed in nature. I really recommend their newest record "Mumbo Jumbo" if you want your mind blown. Here's my favorite composition from their new album:

[mr. beaumont]

Old thread...did I ever respond...even if I did, a nod to the Ferre brothers, Boulou and Elios.

The thing I like about them is they don't just rehash 1940's hot club swing...They do everything from gypsy music to hot club jazz, Bach to Beatles...Boulou's creative energy as an improviser is fantastic!

[kris]

Django Reinhardt

[Mr JDG13]

Nothing quite like the gypsies themselves yet in my opinion. Angelo is by far my favorite, I don't see anything linear in his playing, the notes feel like they keep bouncing when he plays, and he has ventured very far from any Vidal influence he might have had (well, yes they both love waltzes but that's it I think). He, just like Bireli and Stochelo, has developed a unique style recognizable instantly. Tchavolo is incredible too, he says as much as the other with less than half the notes. The Ferre brothers are very creative too but, I find them way too sloppy to appreciate it... A younger guy that I really like is Yorgui Loeffler, very tasting playing.

I am also a little puzzled by the new generation, it is true that those guys sound more and more like Bireli (I mean at least some of them manage to, while others are still trying...). My favorites amongst them are Giniaux and Gresset, and Les doigts de l'Homme of course, Olivier has a very manly playing and he is not really trying to emulate anyone. the name doesn't mean Human fingers in fact, it is "Man's finger" or rather "Fingers of the man" (it is also incorrect in French), and I suspect there are several jokes around it. The first obvious one is a pun: les "Droits de l'homme" which means "Human Rights".

[AmundLauritzen]

the name doesn't mean Human fingers in fact, it is "Man's finger" or rather "Fingers of the man" (it is also incorrect in French), and I suspect there are several jokes around it. The first obvious one is a pun: les "Droits de l'homme" which means "Human Rights".

I stand corrected. Pardon my French

[guitouttaheah]

Not in order, but:

Django - of course, the pioneer and prodigy

Angelo de Barre - the most poetic, very light touch and fluent

Stochelo Rosenberg - maybe the most pure stylistically of the great Django gypsy successors

Jimmy Rosenberg - untethered, fast, wild, and exciting

Joshco Stephan - technical monster but still easy on the ears. Slightly lacking the soul of my favorites IMO, but still great.

Sylvain Luc - the most original style, though not my favorite to listen to on his own.

Bireli Lagrene - best rounded, most inventive, most soulful, and my all around favorite, besides the fact that he can play so many styles so well as so few others can. Seen him live four times.

On Rhythm guitar - Hono Winterstein and Nousche Rosenberg

Others I like a lot but not in my top tier - Dorado Schmitt, Frank Vignola, Romane, Robin Nolan

[guido5]

[Tricky Fish]

I’m a fan of these two:

particularly giniaux’s feel:

but boyer is also a monster on classical:

[christianm77]

Depends what you want.

Classic? Joscho Stephan
Creative/modern? Sebastian Giniaux, Adrien Moingard
Unabashed shred? Stochelo
Django reborn? Duved Dunayevsky
Melody? Lollo Meier
Crossover with American jazz? Frank Vignola

And then, what about someone like Julian Lage?

[ivabaki]

Lately I like listening to Tchavolo Schmitt, his rhythm playing work has that gypsy fire that moved me like when listening to Django for the very first time- solos on Blue Drag, Dinah...