# Music by Genre > Jazz/Blues Variants, Bossa, Choro, Klezmer >  Django in june

## Larry S Sherman

Okay, I'm in. I put in for the week off and I'm planning to spend a week soaking up the Gypsy jazz vibes this June in Northampton MA with our very own John McGann for 
Django in June!

Although I love listening to Gypsy jazz, especially the Rosenberg Trio, Django, and Will Patton's music, I spend most of my time playing Choro.

What can I concentrate on in the months before the event so that I get the most out of the week?

John...any idea of what tunes you're planning to cover? 

I have seen this advice on the Django in June website, but I would like to focus on something narrower if I can.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks, Larry

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## jmcgann

> John...any idea of what tunes you're planning to cover?


No  but I can tell you that i will try to prepare everyone to be able to deal with chord changes, the meat and potatoes of jazz improvisation. Sure we'll deal with Django's repertoire and more. Learning tunes is easy, ;earning how to improvise on them is less easy. My aim is to give people enough information to last a very long time (it's easy to 'get' a concept in your head, but it can take months to get it happening on your instrument...)

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## Larry S Sherman

Thanks John. For now I'll concentrate on growing a Django moustache and see you in June!

Larry

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## AndrewL

Hi Larry:
Thanks for the mention of Django in June and I'm glad to hear you'll be joining us for Django Camp. I'm really pleased to have John with us this year and hope for a strong mando presence at Camp and the weekend event. 

Your mention of Choro reminded me of one of my favorite Gypsy jazz CD's, namely "Fleur D'Ennui" by the Fapy Lafertin Quintet & Tim Kliphuis. Turns out Fapy's been playing guitarra for years and I think the Choros on this recording are just beautiful. Check it out if you haven't already.

Andrew

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## Larry S Sherman

> Your mention of Choro reminded me of one of my favorite Gypsy jazz CD's, namely "Fleur D'Ennui" by the Fapy Lafertin Quintet & Tim Kliphuis. Turns out Fapy's been playing guitarra for years and I think the Choros on this recording are just beautiful. Check it out if you haven't already.
> 
> Andrew


Cool...I'm listening to it now. 

I think that you could do Gypsy versions of Choro or Choro versions of Gypsy jazz quite easily, simply by modifying the backing rhythms.

Is it June yet?

Larry

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## jmcgann

Fapy LaFertin plays some Brazilian and Portuguese guitar on his recordings- excellent stuff!

I think the Bandolim is tonally very related to the Maccaferri guitar sound- and the Sobell Octave Mandolin is the missing link

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## Larry S Sherman

Getting back on topic...I made my registration official today so I wouldn't miss out. This should be a great time!

Larry

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## Jonas A

Anyone doing fingerstyle gypsy swing mando out there? As a fingerstyleplayer I've recently started to develop a Django-sort of vibrato and it sounds great. Makes me want to research the gypsy swing. Will be cruising the Andalusia in Spain this summer and then start trying to arrange some Django-tunes for fingerstyle mando.
If any of you out there have any experience in this, please let me know. I've only played mando for 8 months and I'm now building up an repertoire of early jazzstandards (Ain't misbehavin, lady is a tramp, sunny side of the street, summertime, somewhere over the rainbow, white christmas etc). 
Gypsy swing is a real challenge as the gypsy mando I've heard so far, sounds too much flat picked. None of that soft spanishguitar, vibrato-thing I hear when I listen to Django.
I don't profess to have the technique to show-off today. But fingerstyle certainly adds authencity to the sound.
I just wish I'd someone to learn from or get inspired by. To develop faster. Because fingerstyle mando is really My Thing...

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## MDW

Jonas,

It's interesting that you think most Gypsy mando sounds too flatpicked and that fingerstyle adds authenticity to Django tunes. Almost all guitar in the Django Reinhardt style (especially Django himself) is played with a flatpick and fingerstylists are rare exceptions. If you're listening to Django and it sounds fingerstyle - that probably says something of Django's brilliance with a flatpick.

Mark

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## jmcgann

Django played a little fingerstyle, more Segovia than Travis, on a few pieces like "Improvisation #2" and "Echoes of Spain"- but 99.5% of his work is flatpicked.

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## Jean-Pierre WOOS

... and here is the last 0.5%

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## jmcgann

Django is smiling in 99.5% of the pictures in which he is playing fingerstyle!

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## melodicdreams

I know that at one point there were not enough people registered for the mandolin portion of django in june to warrant putting it on. Have more people signed up since then? I can't go unfortunately as I have my graduation stuff that week/weekend, but I think it is a great thing and I would love to see it become an annual thing! I hope there is a lot of interest!

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## jmcgann

Hi Nate- we have more than enough registrants and it's a go!

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## delsbrother

Don't know the legal whatsits of this idea, but if this workshop was recorded (on, for example, DVD) I would definitely purchase a copy.

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## jmcgann

I haven't heard of workshops like this being resold (not that that means anything other than I haven't heard of it!)

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## Jean-Pierre WOOS

It is sad: for me, it is too much far. It would be necessary to add the price of the plane there... Would be certain that, without that, I would have taken part in it.

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## Jonas A

Mark,

I'm not debating whether Django used a flatpick or not, merely that flatpicked gypsy swing on mando sounds harsh and nondynamic to my ears. Could be that flatpicked mando still bears too much resemblence of chopping bluegrass-licks, rather than the warm, sensous tone Django possesses. And yes, I too think it boils down to the tradition of gypsy flamenco spanish guitar (Montoya, Ricardo and others). 

Gypsy swing was way out of my league, it wasn't for me. Like Be-Bop. An unapproachable dream, sort of. But fooling around fingerstyle-wise with Harry Lime Theme (Anthon Karas), there's a small run that also carves for a strong vibrato. Fooling around with this lick and vibrato, I was soon adopting it to gypsy flamenco type of scales and vóila - there was the Django-tone.

I don't profess to even have a tenth of the talents of Django or fellow swede Andreas Oberg. But: At the moment #I'm experimenting, improvising romantic melodies combining swing groove, Django-vibrato and gypsy flamenco type of scales. And it works better than one would expect. It's all down to practise now, expanding skills and flow. And songwriting. # 

Sad to say, thou - I assume, being in my early 50's, I'm too old to be able to physically develop speed and technique. I guess I've to compensate it with tone and emotions. # 

Then again: playing music is like making love. Women prefer presence, dedication and durability to speed and competativety.

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## jmcgann

> flatpicked gypsy swing on mando sounds harsh and nondynamic to my ears.


Hi Jonas- What player(s) are you thinking of here?

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## MDW

Jonas,

Not mandolin, but you might check out Sylvain Luc on youtube. He's an extraordinary guitarist who plays both fingerstyle and flatpicking. Good luck with it.

Mark

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## Larry S Sherman

Django in June starts tomorrow!

I know that there's a group of mando players going. Is anyone from here attending the camp?

Just the concerts?

Larry

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## jmcgann

Hi Larry- we have 7 mando players coming, so it'll be a great party!

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## Jean-Pierre WOOS

Well then, guys? No report? No photo? It's not cool!

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## jmcgann

As the mando teacher I can tell you it was a total blast; the mando is not a 'native' instrument to the style, but I think we were all warmly welcomed.

Voyeurs may want to peep here and also check out the mandolin forum here.

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## Larry S Sherman

Yeah, there's a lot of info in this thread. 

Someone referred to the gathering of high-quality teachers as something like a buffet. It was amazing being able to smaple lessons from all these great players. Thanks especially to John for the great info.

Some nice pictures here.

And some more pictures here. 

And a video here.

I've been taking lessons for years and I still rank this as the single most important musical education experience I've ever had. I had to make an emergency lesson appointment with my regular mando teacher because my head was exploding with new information.

I'm even getting a ...._gasp_...gypsy jazz guitar!

Not giving up mando however!

Larry

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## sam b

Sounds like you had a lot of fun. And the photos look great too. 
Someone's got to tell me though, what this guy's got going on.
Obviously some sort of percussion, but I need to know more!
Where's he from? Is he wearing finger picks? Is this the Future Man of Gypsy Jazz? I love the fact that he's got a place on his instrument for his smokes!
Sam

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## jmcgann

> Obviously some sort of percussion, but I need to know more!


Washboard mounted with woodblock, inverted cymbal, and two 'drums', one looks like a tabla (it isn't).




> Where's he from? Is he wearing finger picks? Is this the Future Man of Gypsy Jazz?


France/NYC, thimbles, yes.

David Langlois, damn fine musician!

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## Larry S Sherman

David played percussion for Stephane Wrembel. He could make his weird washboard setup sound like a jazz drumset, symbols, brushes, etc. The most impressive percussion display I've seen since the old days watching the GD's "drums/space."

He would be fantastic in the David Grisman Quintette. Message to David Grisman...hire this guy! You won't be sorry.



More here...

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## sam b

Very cool! I listened to some of the tracks on his myspace. 
I love when people come up with their own tbing.

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## Jean-Pierre WOOS

Thank you ! (1000 X !)
It's great ! 
I regret I cannot be there.

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## jmcgann

JeePee, if you start walking/swimming soon you can come to 2008  

Seriously, I hope maybe you can join us sometime- it is a great time and we mandolinists must take over the world in any event!!!

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## Ted Eschliman

I just had lunch with Gordon Roberts whose company designed the Draleon series Gypsy mandolins and guitars (they had a display), who said definitely, a good time was had by all. Gotta get this on my calendar for 2008, too.

He's ramping up for the Royale tour very soon. Anxious to hear others' weigh in on these magnificent little instruments.

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## Jean-Pierre WOOS

Too many sharks in the ocean...  
I believe i can fly...  

Seriously, yes, i hope i can join you... Perhaps next year...

By waiting I am going to practice swimming...

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