European jazz starts with Stéphane Grappelli and the Hot Club of France Quintet. The violinist along with guitarist Django Reinhardt added Louis Vola on bass and Joseph Reinhardt and Roger Chaput on guitar. The group ended its run in 1939 with the onset of World War II. Grappelli was in London when war broke out and remained there for the duration. Reinhardt was in Paris. They would reunite after the war.
Grappelli is the father of the jazz violin and singularly important for his pronounced sense of swing and the soft tone of his jazz fiddle. Here's a documentary on Grappelli in his twilight years...
Grappelli is the father of the jazz violin and singularly important for his pronounced sense of swing and the soft tone of his jazz fiddle. Here's a documentary on Grappelli in his twilight years...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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