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Biography
Infobox musical artist| name = Stéphane Grappelli| image = Stephane Grappelli Allan Warren.jpg| caption = Grappelli in 1976, by Allan Warren | image_size = 300| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_name = Stéphane Grappelli| alias =| birth_date = Birth date|df=yes|1908|1|26| death_date = death date and age|df=yes|1997|12|1|1908|1|26| origin = Paris, France| instrument = Violin , piano , saxophone , accordion | genre = swing music|Swing , continental jazz , Gypsy jazz | occupation = Musician | years_active =| label =| associated_acts = Django Reinhardt , Quintette du Hot Club de France , Oscar Peterson , David Grisman | website =| current_members =| past_members =| notable_instruments = Stéphane Grappelli (26 January 1908 & ndash; 1 December 1997) was a French people|French jazz violin ist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitar ist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands.
For the first three decades of his career, he was billed using a gallicised spelling of his last name, Grappelly , reverting to "Grappelli" in 1969. The "Grappelli" spelling is now used almost universally when referring to the violinist & ndash; even on reissues of his early work.
Biography
Early years
Grappelli was born in Paris , France, to Italian people|Italian / French people|French parents: his Italian father, marquess Ernesto Grappelli, was born in Alatri , Lazio . His French mother, Anna Emilie Hanoque, from St-Omer , died when he was four, and his father left to fight in World War I . As a result, at six, he was accepted into Isadora Duncan 's dance school, where he learnt to love French Impressionist music . Grappelli started his musical career busking on the streets of Paris and Montmartre with a violin.cite video | people = Balmer, Paul (Director) | title = Stéphane Grappelli: A Life in the Jazz Century | medium = DVD | publisher = Music on Earth Ltd. | location = New York |date = 2002 He began playing the violin at age 12 and attended the Conservatoire de Paris studying music theory (1924-28). He made a living busking on the side until he gained fame in Paris as a violin virtuoso . He also worked as a silent film pianist while at the conservatory http://www.cyberbites.com/marleys_ghost/grappelliobit.html Stéphane Grappelli's obituary. and played the saxophone and accordion . Grappelli called his piano "My Other Love" and (many years later) released an album of solo piano of the same name.
For the first three decades of his musical career, Grappelli was billed as Stéphane Grappelly . Grappelli's own explanation for the changed spelling was that he was tired of people mispronouncing his last name as "Grappell-eye". It has also been suggested that Grappelli had changed his name in order to avoid military service in Italy, although this claim has been greeted with skepticism by his biographers.
His early fame came playing with the Quintette du Hot Club de France with Django Reinhardt , which disbanded in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II . In 1940, a little-known jazz pianist by the name of George Shearing made his debut as a sideman in Grappelli's band. Shearing went on to a enjoy long career.
Post-war
image:StephaneGrappelli25.JPG|thumb|right|Grappelli in 1991 After the war he appeared on hundreds of recordings including sessions with Duke Ellington , jazz pianists Oscar Peterson , Michel Petrucciani and Claude Bolling , jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty , jazz violinist Stuff Smith , Indian classical violinist L. Subramaniam , vibraphonist Gary Burton , pop singer Paul Simon , mandolin player David Grisman , classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin , orchestral conductor André Previn , guitar player Bucky Pizzarelli , guitar player Joe Pass , cello player Yo Yo Ma , harmonica and jazz guitar player Toots Thielemans , jazz guitarist Henri Crolla , bassist Jon Burr and fiddler Mark O'Connor . He also collaborated extensively with the British guitarist and graphic designer Diz Disley , recording 13 record albums with him and his trio (which included Denny Wright in its early years), and with now renowned British guitarist Martin Taylor (guitarist)|Martin Taylor . His Parisian trio of many years included guitarist Marc Fosset and bassist Patrice Carratini.
During the 1960s he played for cocktail hour at the Paris Hilton.
Grappelli recorded a solo for the title track of Pink Floyd|Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here . This was made almost inaudible in the mix, and so the violinist was not credited, according to Roger Waters , as it would be "a bit of an insult".The Piper (2002). http://www.pinkfloydfan.net/showthread.php? t=1460 A Rambling Conversation with Roger Waters concerning all this and that. Retrieved July 9, 2005.
Grappelli made a cameo appearance in the 1978 film King of the Gypsies (film)|King of the Gypsies , along with noted mandolinist David Grisman . Three years later they performed together in concert, which was recorded live and released to critical acclaim.
In the 1980s he gave several concerts with the young British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber .
In 1997, Grappelli received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . He is an inductee of the Down Beat Down Beat|Jazz Hall of Fame .
He died in Paris after undergoing a hernia operation. He is buried in the city's famous Père Lachaise|Père Lachaise Cemetery .
Discography
Albums
This list does not include all compilation releases.
Djangology: Django Reinhardt, the Gypsy Genius (1936 to 1940)
Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt the Gold Edition (1934 to 1937, copyright 1998)
Bill Coleman with Django and Stephane Grappelli 1936 to 1938 (released 1985, DRG Records)
Unique Piano Session Paris 1955 (1955, Jazz Anthology)
Homage To Django (1972, released 1976 Classic Jazz)
Black Lion at Montreux with the Black Lion Allstars (Black Lion Records BL-213, Recorded July 4, 1973)
Just one of those things& #33; (1973 Black Lion Records ) Recorded at the 1973 Montreaux Jazz festival
Stephane Grappelli - I Got Rhythm& #33; (1974 Black Lion Records ) with Diz Disley , Denny Wright and Len Skeat recorded at the Queen Elizabeth Hall , London, 5 November 1973
Shades of Django (1975, MPS)
Satin Doll (1975, Vanguard)
Parisian Thoroughfare (with Roland Hanna, Mel Lewis & George Mraz, Arista/Freedom Records 1975)
The Rock Peter and the Wolf (1976 RSO Records) (2007 CD Verdant Records) with Jack Lancaster , Phil Collins , Brian Eno , Keith Tippett , Julie Tippetts , Gary Brooker , Gary Moore , Alvin Lee , Manfred Mann etc.
Stephane Grappelli and Cordes (1977, Musidisc)
Live at Carnegie Hall (1978, Signature)
Uptown Dance (1978, Columbia)
Stephane Grappelli and Joe Venuti: Venupelli Blues (1979, Affinity)
Stephane Grappelli and The George Shearing Trio: The Reunion (1977, MPS)
Stephane Grappelli and Martial Solal (1980, MPO)
Stephane Grappelli and David Grisman Live (1981, Warner Brothers)
Stephane Grappelli with Marc Fosset Stephanova (Concord Jazz, 1983)
Stephane Grappelli and Toots Thielemans: Bringing it Together (1984, Cymekob)
Stephane Grappelli and Helen Merrill (1986, Music Makers)
Stephane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty: Compact Jazz (1988, MPS)
Stephane Grappelli and Martial Solal: Olympia 1988 (1988, Atlantic)
Stephane Grappelli and Joe Venuti : Best of Jazz Violins (1989, LRC)
Stephane Grappelli and Yo Yo Ma : Anything Goes: Stephane Grappelli & Yo-Yo Ma Play (Mostly) Cole Porter|Anything Goes (1989)
Stephane Grappelli and McCoy Tyner ; One on One (Stephane Grappelli & McCoy Tyner album)|One on One (1990, Milestone)
Stephane Grappelli and Dr. L. Subramaniam: Conversations (1992, Milestone)
Stephane Grappelli and Claude Bolling : First Class (1992, Milan)
Stephane Grappelli and Vassar Clements : Together at Last (1992, Flying Fish)
Stephane Grappelli and Michel Petrucciani: Flamingo (Dreyfus 1996)
Stephane Grappelli, Carl Hession, Frankie Gavin , Marc Fosset: Frankie Gavin 2003-2004 Collection/The Grappelli Era (2003)
References
reflist
Further reading
cite book
| last = Smith | first = Geoffrey | authorlink = Geoffrey Smith (radio presenter) | coauthors = | title = Stéphane Grappelli: A Biography | publisher = M. Joseph | year = 1987 | location = London | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-1851450121
cite book
| last = Grappelli | first = Stéphane | authorlink = | coauthors = Jean-Marc Bramy | title = With Only My Violin: The Memoirs of Stéphane Grappelli | publisher = Welcome Rain Publishers | year = 2002 | location = New York | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-1566491518
cite book
| last = Balmer | first = Paul | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Stéphane Grappelli: With and Without Django | publisher = Sanctuary Publishing | year = 2003 | location = London | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-1860744532
http://www.musiconearth.co.uk Information on biography DVD
http://www.jazz.com/dozens/the-dozens-twelve-essential-stphane-grappelli-tracks "Twelve Essential Stéphane Grappelli Recordings" by Scott Albin at jazz.com.
http://www.adventuresinmusic.biz/Archives/Music_Makers/Grappelli1.htm "The Improviser " - 3-part series on Jazz Violinist Stéphane Grappelli on AdventuresInMusic.biz, 2004
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=wsdIj_rqc3U Stéphane Grappelli TV appearance
Persondata | NAME = Grappelli, Stephane | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = 26 January 1908 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = 1 December 1997 | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Grappelli, Stephane Category:1908 births Category:1997 deaths Category:Musicians from Paris Category:French people of Italian descent Category:Swing violinists Category:Continental jazz violinists Category:French buskers Category:French jazz musicians Category:French jazz violinists Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Gypsy jazz violinists Category:Jazz violinists Category:Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
