Very few music makes the hair on my back stand up, but gypsy-jazz sure does the trick. With all due respect to the technique and the skill of Django Reinhardt cum suis, this music is too ticklish, too nervous, too alpino-cap-and-striped-shirt - I dunno. Two exceptions, both have to do with a Stephane: if Django is joined by violinist Stephane Grapelli, or if Stephane Sanseverino has his way with this style.
The singer/guitarplayer of Italian descent first traveled the world with his family of papermakers, before landing in France and joining several rockbands. He mastered his guitarplaying, fell in love with gypsy-jazz, Eastern European music, 50s chansons, Jimi Hendrix and whatnot, and formed his own band: Les Voleurs des Poules, a reference to gypsies, who were seen as chicken thieves. First a duo, then a full band, they became quite popular. Sanseverino earned his first nickname, 'Le Nerveux', made an album and toured extensively. But eventually the band fell apart due to 'artistic differences'. It gave way for Stephane's succesful solocareer: his first album in 2001 went gold. With three studioalbums under his belt and one live-cd, Sanseverino still is France's Monsieur Swing. A great guitarplayer, a funny lyricist, owner of a personal, recognisable style and capable of making me fingersnap like mad.
Sanseverino - La Mer (from Tango des Gens, 2001)
Sanseverino - Eloge de la Tristesse(from Les Senegalaises, 2004)
Sanseverino - Cette Conne M'Ennuie (from Exactement, 2006)
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