DJAZZ FROM THE CITY OF LIGHT
EVERY SATURDAY IN FEBRUARY AT 21:00
This February, Stingray DJAZZ invites you to a weekly rendez-vous with Paris, the city of romance and a legendary capital of jazz. Every Saturday at 21:00, tune in for a special broadcast recorded in the heart of the French metropolis, featuring vintage performances, funk heroes, international music, and dazzling gypsy jazz. The Parisian journey begins on Saturday, February 7 at 21:00 with a wonderful, vintage channel premiere that captures a vibrant moment in jazz history: ‘Jazz Marmalade’ offers an invaluable glimpse into the world of expatriate American musicians in two Parisian jazz clubs in 1962. The program presents a series of distinct performances, cutting between the Mars Club and the Blue Note. It opens with stride pianist Joe Turner, moves to a quartet at the Blue Note featuring drummer Kenny Clarke and tenor saxophonist Don Byas, returns to the Mars Club for a set by the Art Simmons Trio, and concludes with the quartet back at the Blue Note. A week later, on February 14 at 21:00, as part of Stingray DJAZZ’s Valentine’s Day Special, Stingray DJAZZ presents a great performance by bass player Larry Graham & Graham Central Station from Bataclan in Paris, filled to the rafters with numerous ‘funkateers’ who came together to cheer their funk hero. Graham, a one-time pioneer of the art of slap-pop playing with Sly and the Family Stone, shows he is still one of the true heroes of funk! On February 21 at 21:00, experience the music of Lebanese pianist and composer Aleph, recorded live at the iconic Paris Olympia on May 28, 2016. Aleph leads a talented ensemble that blends world music with unique, transcendent sounds, featuring instruments from the piano and harmonica to the kanoun and nay. The Parisian affair concludes on February 28 at 21:00 at the renowned jazz club New Morning with a tribute to the legendary Django Reinhardt. Dutch virtuoso guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg, one of the foremost heirs to Django's legacy, leads an ensemble of superb musicians, including Hono Winterstein on guitar and Mathias Levy on violin. They dazzle with a repertoire that celebrates the magic of gypsy jazz and its deep connections to swing. You'll always have Paris – every Saturday night of February at 21:00 on Stingray DJAZZ!
Kenny Clarke Trio & Don Byas
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 AT 21:00
This vintage program, ‘Jazz Marmalade’, shows expatriate American musicians plying their trade in two Parisian jazz clubs in 1962. First, American stride pianist Joe Turner (often confused with blues shouter ‘Big’ Joe Turner) opens this atmospheric broadcast with a swinging piano-bass duet recorded at the Mars Club. Joe Turner (1907–1990) would remain in Paris for the rest of his life. From the American-owned Mars Club just off the Champs-Élysées, a hangout for showbiz people and expatriate Americans in Paris, the program cuts to the Blue Note. There, a Paris-based American quartet that includes drummer Kenny Clarke, organ player Lou Bennett, and tenor saxophonist Don Byas performs ‘Salut Les Copines’. Returning to the Mars Club, the American jazz trio of house pianist Art Simmons (1926–2018) performs a jaunty take on ‘C-Jam Blues’. Rounding off the program at the Blue Note, the quartet of drummer Kenny Clarke, organist Lou Bennett, and tenor saxophonist Don Byas returns for a swinging ‘April in Paris’. These recordings offer an invaluable glimpse into expatriate American jazz-making in Paris in the early 1960s.
Larry Graham
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 AT 17:15
This recording brings a great performance by Larry Graham & Graham Central Station from Bataclan in Paris. Numerous ‘funkateers’ came together to cheer the bass player and funk hero. In the sixties, Graham was mainly known for his work with Sly and the Family Stone, the popular and influential psychedelic soul and funk band. As founder and front man of Graham Central Station he has also enjoyed a successful solo career. It is often said that Graham pioneered the art of slap-pop playing on the electric bass, which has become a staple of modern funk. During this Paris performance, Graham shows he is one of the heroes of funk!
Aleph
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21 AT 21:00
Aleph is the stage name of Lebanese pianist Fady Abi Saad. To celebrate the release of his debut album, Aleph took to Paris Olympia to perform an evening’s worth of music before an appreciative crowd. Aleph brought with him a host of guest musicians, adding all kinds of musical colours to the evening’s proceedings, including flamenco guitar, the spooky musical saw, and the Middle-Eastern qanun. The music may be classified as ‘world music,’ but ‘otherworldly music’ is just as fitting.
Django Memories
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 AT 21:00
To celebrate the release of Django, the Parisian New Morning Club pays tribute to the legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt. The program showcases the magic of Reinhardt’s compositions, as well as the virtuosity of one of his most famous heirs: Stochelo Rosenberg. With unbridled passion and enthusiasm, Rosenberg interprets the music that marked French musical heritage: gypsy jazz. Rosenberg cultivates an exceptional technique with a unique vibrato and sets an example for guitarists and other instrumentalists who aim to keep music alive. On stage at New Morning Club, Rosenberg is supported by Hono Winterstein (guitar), Mathias Levy (violin), Rocky Gresset (guitar), and Xavier Nikqi (double bass).
