It’s Friday evening where I’m at in the #PNW so it’s time for some music to see the weekend in. Don’t know about you, but I’m staying in tonight…looking forward to a chill dinner w/my partner and some quality TV time. Gonna get tight and kick-back, so we’re starting off with some #GypsyJazz from the Scinti clan (don’t call them Roma). Some outstanding guitar and fiddle riffs in this one. Good to just settle in and let the #music wash over you…
A word or two abt Gypsy Jazz in the #EU - In the U.S., we often presume that jazz is entirely an American invention. Not true. If jazz is defined as a largely unstructured & spontaneous musical conversation around a central melodic theme, then Gypsies have been making jazz for centuries. That makes sense when one appreciates the hardwired Zeitgeist of Gypsy #music, which requires each performance of a tune to reflect the moment, the instrumentalists involved and the emotional context of the experience.
The French Manuche and the Dutch/German Scinti clans of Gypsies had a significant impact on the world of Jazz. Guitarist Django Reinhardt and fiddle player Stephan Grapelli, with his famously flaming fingers, epitomize the fusion of Gypsy traditions with jazz. Django's lead riffs and instrumental ornamentations defined "cool jazz" in Paris during the 30s and 40s.
I penned an essay about #GypsyMusic that makes a case for attributing musical improvisation to #Gypsy clans. #Roma
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JrREGCbaXJi4wH5Ez1r9d6oz-biikhN9VIYrnt1hNfg/edit?usp=drivesdk
If you haven't heard the Earth Wheel Fire Band from Serbia, you're missing some really great, energetic music. The band was recognized by the pioneers of World Music distribution, Putumayo, with the inclusion of the band's tune Gypsy Tango on the company's release "Tango Around the World." But the tango was a one-off for the group. The band has several, more traditional Balkan brass releases of their own, which can be found online. Why should you care?
Serbia is known for its brass and especially its trumpet music. Pair one of the country's premier trumpet players with Olah Vintze's (Vince) renowned band from the Vojvodina region of northern Serbia and you've got all the ingredients for musical magic. The soul of the Balkan Roma. Ahh, bliss.
Here’s a rousing tune featuring Serbian legend Boban Markovic. https://youtu.be/NReDbh8Mod0?si=0atxU2wgA3ZTCSeN #music #Serbia #Roma #Gypsy #Balkans #Brass #BalkanBrass
Gypsy Zeitgeist: Vengo and other Films by Tony Gatliff copyright 2008 Charlie McHenry Occasionally a film maker succeeds in capturing an authentic aspect of human life and culture. That is always a triumph, in this age of formulaic plots and endless pre-quels and sequels. The obscure and inte...
Charlie McHenry