HAPPY BIRTHDAY Stéphane Grappelli !
You may already know that this week was Stéphane Grappelli’s birthday: he was born on January 26, 1908. He would have been 114 years old.
You most certainly also know that the music for this legendary film “Les Valseuses” was composed by Stéphane Grappelli…
For the occasion, I posted this video of a concert where I play “Les valseuses” in duet with my partner Rodrigue...
I also have on the social networks this video of Minor Swing in Stéphane Grappelli’s apartment…
This apartment has remained exactly the same for more than 20 years!
So intact that the flowery shirts are still in his closet, believe me…
His friend Joseph still lives there, and wants to leave this apartment as it was.
The first time I went there, he made me sit in Stéphane’s favorite chair… what a privilege…
(You can also see in the photo above that Didier Lockwood was sitting on this famous armchair, during the break…)
Joseph told me that Stéphane loved watching television… And that he only practiced his violin… in front of the television!
As a result, he also keeps this old television in this living room, which has become our filming location for a day.
Obviously, looking at these images, I am a bit sad when I see Didier again…
I didn’t know it, but that was the last time I would see him…
And how lucky I was to be able to share these moments with him!
Another great privilege…
This man taught me so much.
Thank you Didier…
And thank you Stéphane…
Because even if I never had the opportunity to see Stéphane Grappelli during his lifetime, I learned so much from his recordings and videos of his concerts…
And I was able to perceive through these how good a man he was, which Joseph confirms…
I would even say that for me, his music exudes kindness and generosity…
And you, have you had the chance to meet Stéphane Grappelli or Didier Lockwood?
Did you perhaps learn anything from their recordings?
In any case, I hope that these musical notes will reach your ears, because to learn jazz violin, it is just as important to listen to jazz violin as to practice…
I talk about listening to jazz in my very first article on this blog: “LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN”
Do you want to take advantage of my online workshops with other violinists who also want to learn to improvise on the violin? This is where it happens…