A Life in the Jazz Century

Starring:Stephane Grappelli
Studio: Decca
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Tribute to Steph:
A Musical Genius
Fantastic DVD
Stephane Grapelli: A Life In The Century Of Jazz
il a profité de sa vie jusqu'au bout ...

A Life in the Jazz Century
Starring: Stephane Grappelli
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Live in San Francisco
Bireli Lagrene & Friends- Live Jazz A Vienne
Learn To Play Django-Style Gypsy Jazz Guitar #1
Stephane Grappelli in New Orleans
Django: The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend

ASIN: B00009ATWF
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Tribute to Steph:.......2007-02-19

I was first exposed to Stephane in 1972 during my years as a professional player.... The first recordings I heard were of his wonderful sessions in 1934-35 with my idol, Django Reinhardt...... Both in their 20's in those days, Stephane and Django were at their very best..... They were already two of the finest musical improvisors known to man....but the two men together were like throwing nitroglycerine on a house fire ..

This DVD is a rare biographical tribute to the genuine quality of Stephane Grapelli himself.... from his earliest days as an orphan, to his last days where he died in Paris just a few blocks from the hospital where he was born. We are taken on a round the world tour with Stephane as he collaborates for nearly 7 decades with the finest musicians the world has to offer..... players from virtually every field of musical endeavor....

The editorial contributions and tributes from all the musicians, young and old is a fitting testimony to Stephane's greatness both on and offstage. The insights into his purity as a human soul are a fitting reminder of what it means to be both a fine human being and a world class fiddler....

Stephane's true essence is reflected in this wonderful biography of a dear departed friend......

If you've ever been a fan.... This DVD is for you.....

Timothy A. Di Pietro
Certified Django (and Stephane) Junkie

A Musical Genius.......2007-01-30

Ordered on 16 of Jan. received on 28 of Jan, and I am in Australia.
What a wonderful DVD this is, it's more than I dreamed of, great sound and pictures. To see this great musician from an early age up to advanced age is wonderful, he has remained a humble man despite his genius. And to see Django Reinhardt play is certainly the icing on the cake. What can one say about the DVD except that it is a great pleasure to watch it. I regret never having met him or seen him play. The DVD is surely a must have for every lover of music.
Aalf Molenberg.

Fantastic DVD.......2006-12-19

This amazing double DVD pack uses incredible variety of sources to document the life and art of one of true European jazz giants; picturing him as a young member of Gregor and ses Gregorians (basically a vaudville-musical act with mere elements of jazz), founding member of the great Quintette du Hot Club de France (with rare and amazing footage of Django's playing - his torched left fist is not a myth - how could he play so divinely with such an impediment?)... Then you see him heading a group with young British talent George Shearing on piano, playing with Diz Disley and other younger swing enthusiasts, as well as classical mega-star Yehudi Menuhin and a strange cross-over artist Nigel Kennedy...

As a film, this great two hours documentary is a tad too long and insufficiently imaginative in depicting the life of an extraordinary artist, but fans of jazz (particularly classical jazz) will be flabergasted by the material in the film and on bonus DVD... And there are high points in film as well - description of Menuhin and Grappelli's initial misgivings before the collaboration, a collegue's description of Diz Disley as being "mercurial", story of Stephane's encounter with Miles Davis, surprising statement that he never received the record he made with Ellington and Sven Assmusen ("Ellington Violin Summit"), etc...

Naturally, cross-over efforts (f. i. with Menuhin) are of lesser interest to a strict jazz fan, but there is more than enough magnificent jazz-fiddling on this double DVD to satisfy any jazz purist... It is quite amazing to listen how well he played for such a long career span and, between his charming comments and bonus tracks on second DVD, you even get some of Grapelly's personality (without much dwelling on details of his personal life)...

Stephane Grapelli: A Life In The Century Of Jazz.......2005-09-09

This is a must see for anyone interested in swing (hot club style). It's a treat from beginning to end.

il a profité de sa vie jusqu'au bout ..........2005-07-12

Stéphane Grappelli est mort à l'âge de 89 ans - il a profité de sa vie jusqu'au bout. Je n'ai d'ailleurs jamais vu un DVD aussi plein et riche, c'est absolument remarquable ce que les producteurs ont recherché comme informations et séquences de film. L'interview avec Grappelli (dans l'appartement 87, rue de Dunkerque, là où il habitait à la fin) dure 2 heures (on ne compte pas la 3ème heure avec du matériel bonus !) et il est sans cesse garni des documents de film originale : Des images et bruits authentiques de l'époque (1920), où Stéphane a commencé à l`âge de 11 ans sa carrière de musique en jouant avec un guitariste italien dans les rues du quartier de Montmartre (toujours sans connaître le solfège, simplement en faisant confiance à ses oreilles et à sa spontanéité). 1923, à l'âge de 15 ans, il a été employé aux premiers cinémas de cette époque, pour accompagner des films muets avec Buster Keaton. Le Jazz américain, qui après la première guerre mondiale est parvenu à Paris, a laissé des traces : Stéphane était inspiré par exemple par le duo Joe Venuti / Eddie Lang (Violon/Guitare). Et puis, dans un village de caravanes tziganes en banlieue près de Paris, il a passé quelques week-ends avec le guitariste Django Reinhardt - un des duos le plus génial de l'histoire de musique à été né ! Ils ont commencé en jouant à l'hôtel Claridge à Paris pour le thé de l'après-midi. Peu de temps après le «Quintett du Hot Club de France» a signé son premier contrat avec un label de disque. En 1937, Lew Grade (un manager de théâtre anglais) les a fait venir travailler en Grande Bretagne pendant une décade. Pendant la deuxième guerre mondiale, Django a voulu retourner chez ses compatriotes en France. La réunion des deux musiciens a eu lieu en 1946. Django est allé voir Grappelli pour son anniversaire à Londres, ils ont improvisé autour de l'hymne Marseillaise - et tous recommence. Peu de temps après ils sont partis aux Etats-Unis. Pendant que Django s'est établi de l'autre côte de l'Atlantique, Grappelli a voulu retourner en Angleterre, car le violon mélodique n'était pas valorisé dans le jazz américain. Par là il a travaillé plusieurs années avec le pianiste aveugle George Shearing. La mort de Django Reinhardt en 1953 l'a évidemment rendue triste - mais malgré tous Stéphane a rajouté encore 40 ans pleines de musique. Il a joué ensemble avec des violonistes classiques comme Yehudi Menuhin ou Nigel Kennedy, avec Duke Ellington et Miles Davis, ou bien avec les guitaristes anglais Diz Disley et Martin Taylor. Grappelli a fait des tournés en Australie ou en Nouvelle-Zélande, il a fait des concerts à Carnegie Hall (New York) ou à Royal Albert Hall (Londres), il a donné la main à la 'Queen Mom', et même à l'âge de presque 90 ans il a encore produit une musique de film ('Milou en Mai' de Louis Malle). 1908-1997 - un long chemin jusqu'à ce que Stéphane s'est décidé en paix «to regret to my friends. C'est la vie ... ». (Translation: Richard Köchli)

DVD:

DVD

New Best Friend (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Mildred Pierce

Die Isar - Von der Quelle bis zur Mündung