Christian Escoudé (born 1947) is a French

Gypsy jazz Gypsy jazz (also known as gypsy swing, jazz manouche or hot club-style jazz) is a style of small-group jazz originating from the Romani guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt (1910–53), in conjunction with the French swing violinist Stéphane G ...

guitarist. He grew up in

Angoulême Angoulême (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Engoulaeme''; oc, Engoleime) is a commune, the prefecture of the Charente department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Angoumoisins ...

and is of

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...

descent on his father's side. His father was also a guitarist who was influenced by

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...

. When Escoudé was ten, his father began teaching him the guitar, and he became a professional musician at age fifteen. His style is a mix of

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...

and

gypsy jazz Gypsy jazz (also known as gypsy swing, jazz manouche or hot club-style jazz) is a style of small-group jazz originating from the Romani guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt (1910–53), in conjunction with the French swing violinist Stéphane G ...

influences, featuring the use of

vibrato Vibrato ( Italian, from past participle of " vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms ...

portamento In music, portamento (plural: ''portamenti'', from old it, portamento, meaning "carriage" or "carrying") is a pitch sliding from one note to another. The term originated from the Italian expression "''portamento della voce''" ("carriage of the ...

, and fast runs. He started work in a trio with

Aldo Romano Aldo Romano (born 16 January 1941) is an Italian jazz drummer. He also founded a rock group in 1971. Biography He was born in Belluno, Italy. Romano moved to France as a child and by the 1950s he was playing guitar and drums professionally in Pa ...

in 1972. By the 1980s, he was in

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

's quartet. He also played with

Philip Catherine Philip Catherine (born 27 October 1942) is a Belgian jazz guitarist. Biography Philip Catherine was born in London, England, to an English mother and Belgian father, and was raised in Brussels, Belgium. His grandfather was a violinist in the ...

for a time. In his forties, he signed with the French division of

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, ...

Career

1970s–1980s

From 1969 to 1971, he was a member of the

Aimé Barelli Aimé Barelli (1 March 1917 Lantosque, France – 13 July 1995 Monaco) was a French jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and band leader. At the beginning of the 1940s Barelli moved to Paris, where he worked with Fred Adison, Alix Combelle, André Ekyan, ...

band. In Paris, he joined the trio of

Eddy Louiss Eddy Louiss (2 May 1941 – 30 June 2015) was a French jazz musician. Eddy started playing in his father Pierre's orchestra in the 1950s. Pierre changed the family name from Louise to Louiss. As a vocalist, he was a member of Les Double Six of ...

Bernard Lubat, and

. Later, he joined

Didier Levallet Didier Levallet (born 19 July 1944, in Arcy-sur-Cure, France) is a French jazz double bassist, composer, arranger and leader. A self-taught bassist, Levallet made his professional debut in Paris in 1969, working with such artists as Ted Curson, J ...

's Swing String System and the

Michel Portal Michel Portal (born 27 November 1935) is a French composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He plays both jazz and classical music and is considered to be "one of the architects of modern European jazz". Early life Portal was born in Bayonne on ...

Unit. In 1976, l'

Académie du Jazz The Académie du jazz (English: Jazz Academy) is a non-profit French association created in 1954, which annually awards the best artists and the best musical productions in the world of jazz. The founding president was violinist André Hodeir follo ...

awarded him the

Prix Django Reinhardt The Prix Django Reinhardt is an award granted by the French Académie du Jazz for the best French jazz musician of the year. It is named after Django Reinhardt. The prize is determined by a jury of jazz journalists, producers, and musicians. In 20 ...

. He then formed a new quartet with

Michel Graillier Michel Graillier (18 October 1946, Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France – 11 February 2003, Paris) was a French jazz pianist. Biography From the ages of four to eighteen, Graillier studied classical piano in Lens, France. During adolescence, he work ...

, Aldo Romano, and Alby Cullaz, the latter soon replaced by

Jean-François Jenny-Clark Jean-François "J.F." Jenny-Clark (12 July 1944 in Toulouse, France – 6 October 1998 in Paris) was a French double bass player. He was estimated as one of the most important bass players of European jazz. Allmusic credits/ref> Together with drum ...

. He also worked with Michel Portal or

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

Martial Solal Martial Solal (born August 23, 1927) is a French jazz pianist and composer. Biography Solal was born in Algiers, French Algeria, to Algerian Jewish parents. He was persuaded to study clarinet, saxophone, and piano by his mother, who was an opera ...

and Jean-Claude Fohrenbach. In 1978, he performed at the Festival de Nice with

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

Philly Joe Jones Joseph Rudolph "Philly Joe" Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Early career As a child, Jones appeared as a featured tap dancer on ''The Kiddie Show'' on the Philadelphia radio station WIP. He was ...

Lee Konitz Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz ...

, and

Shelly Manne Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, s ...

. The same year, he began a tradition of participating in the annual Festival de Samois, a tribute to Reinhardt. He performed in the Festival de Dakar in 1979 with the trio of

René Urtreger René Urtreger (born July 6, 1934) is a French bebop pianist. Early life Urtreger was born in Paris and began his piano studies at the age of four, studying privately first, and then at the Conservatory. He studied with an orientation toward jaz ...

Pierre Michelot Pierre Michelot (3 March 1928 – 3 July 2005) was a French jazz double bass player and arranger. Early life Michelot was born in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris on 3 March 1928. He studied piano from 1936 until 1938. He switched to playi ...

, and

Daniel Humair Daniel Humair (born 23 May 1938 in Geneva, Switzerland) is a Swiss drummer, composer, and painter. He is widely renowned and became a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1986 and Officier in 1992. He has played with many jazz p ...

. Escoudé toured in a duo with guitarist

John McLaughlin John or Jon McLaughlin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John McLaughlin (musician) (born 1942), English jazz fusion guitarist, member of Mahavishnu Orchestra * Jon McLaughlin (musician) (born 1982), American singer-songwriter * John McLaug ...

during 1980. The following year he joined the big band of Martial Solal and in 1982 performed in a quartet with Shelly Manne. In 1983, he played in duo again, this time with Didier Lockwood. Soon after, they added

. Escoudé formed the Trio Gitan with

Boulou Ferré Boulou Ferré (born Jean-Jacques Ferret, 24 April 1951) is a French virtuoso jazz guitarist, composer, arranger, and improviser. He is the brother of Elios Ferré, also a jazz musician, with whom he has recorded widely. His repertoire includes ja ...

and

Babik Reinhardt Jean-Jacques "Babik" Reinhardt (8 June 1944 – 13 November 2001) was a French guitarist and the younger son of gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt by Django's second wife, Naguine. His elder half-brother Lousson, who was Django's son by his ...

, Django's son. Then he played in quartet in 1988 with

Jean-Michel Pilc Jean-Michel Pilc (born October 19, 1960, in Paris, France) is a jazz pianist, composer and educator currently living in Montreal, Canada. Music career A native of Paris, Pilc moved to New York City in 1995. He started a trio with drummer Ari ...

, François Moutin and Louis Moutin. In 1989, he created an octet, half of them guitarists: Paul Challain Ferret,

Jimmy Gourley James Pasco Gourley, Jr. (June 9, 1926 – December 7, 2008) was an American jazz guitarist who spent most of his life in Paris. Gourley was born in St. Louis in 1926. He met saxophonist Lee Konitz in Chicago when both were members of the s ...

, Frédéric Sylvestre, and himself. The rest of the octet consisted of

Marcel Azzola Marcel Azzola (10 July 1927 – 21 January 2019) was a French accordionist. He performed with Stan Getz and Jacques Brel, among others. The famous line "" ("Heat up, Marcel") in Brel's song "Vésoul" refers to Azzola, who played the accordion d ...

on accordion,

Vincent Courtois Vincent Courtois (born 21 March 1968) is a French jazz cellist. Biography Courtois studied classical cello at the Conservatory of Aubervilliers, first with Erwan Fauré, and then with Roland Pidoux and Frédéric Lodéon. He also played Didier ...

on cello, Alby Cullaz on bass, and

Billy Hart Billy Hart (born November 29, 1940) is an American jazz drummer and educator. He is known internationally for his work with Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band in the early 1970s, as well with Shirley Horn, Stan Getz, and Quest, among others. Bi ...

on drums.

1990–present

In 1990, Escoudé played at the

Village Vanguard The Village Vanguard is a jazz club at Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. Originally, the club presented folk music and beat poetry, but it became primarily a jazz ...

in New York City with Pierre Michelot,

Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored ...

, and Kenny Washington. The following year he recorded an album of compositions by Django Reinhardt while supported by a string orchestra. In 1998 he recorded ''A Suite for Gypsies,'' a

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

album. On the fiftieth anniversary of Reinhardt's death in 2003, he formed a big band of seventeen musicians. In 2004 Escoudé organized the New Gypsy Trio with David Reinhardt (another relative of Django) and Martin Taylor (or Jean-Baptiste Laya). The next year, he released the album ''Ma Ya''. He formed his Progressive Sextet with Marcel Azzola, Jean-Baptiste Laya, Stephane Guillaume,

Jean-Marc Jafet Jean Marc Jafet (born May 8, 1956) is a French bassist and composer. He is considered one of the top bassists in France. Biography Jean-Marc Jafet was born on May 8, 1956 in Nice, France, to guitarist father and mother singer. JM Jafet start ...

, and Yoann Serra. In 2012, he released the album ''Christian Escoudé joue Brassens: Au bois de mon cœur'', a tribute to French poet and musician

Georges Brassens Georges Charles Brassens (; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and a ...

. Escoudé plays the compositions of Brassens with bassist Pierre Boussaguet and drummer Anne Paceo, with guests violinist Fiona Monbet, clarinetist Andre Villeger, Gypsy jazz guitarist

Biréli Lagrène Biréli Lagrène (born 4 September 1966) is a French jazz guitarist who came to prominence in the 1980s for his Django Reinhardt–influenced style. He often performs in swing, jazz fusion, and post-bop styles. Biography Lagrène was born in ...

and 11-year-old Gypsy guitarist Swan Berger.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* ''Reunion'' (Musica, 1976) * ''Les 4 Éléments'' with Jean-Charles Capon (Musica, 1976) * ''Christian Escoude & Alby Cullaz'' (Red, 1979) * ''Return'' (Red, 1979) * ''

Gitane Gitane is a French manufacturer of bicycles based in Machecoul, France; the name "Gitane" means gypsy woman. The brand was synonymous with French bicycle racing from the 1960s through the mid-1980s, sponsoring riders such as Jacques Anquetil (1963 ...

'' with

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than 50 years. In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking ...

(All Life, 1979) – recorded in 1978 * ''Gousti'' with Jean-Charles Capon (All Life, 1980) * ''Gipsy's Morning'' (JMS, 1981) * ''Trio'' (JMS, 1983) * ''Christian Escoude Group Featuring Toots Thielemans'' (JMS, 1983) * ''Three of a Kind'' (JMS, 1985) * ''Gipsy Waltz'' (Mercury, 1989) * ''Plays Django Reinhardt'' (EmArcy/Gitanes, 1991) * ''Holidays'' (EmArcy/Gitanes, 1993) * ''In L.A.'' (Verve/Gitanes, 1993) * ''Cookin' in Hell's Kitchen'' (Verve/Gitanes, 1995) * ''At Duc Des Lombards'' (Verve, 1997) * ''A Suite for Gypsies'' (EmArcy/Gitanes, 1998) * ''Charentes'' (Elabeth, 2001) * ''Paris Ma Muse'' (Fremeaux, 2001) * ''Ma Ya. Ya'' (Nocturne, 2005) * ''20 Ans De Trio Gitan: Live in Marciac'' (Nocturne, 2007) * ''Le Nouveau Trio Gitan'' (Nocture, 2007) * ''Catalogne'' (Plus Loin, 2010) * ''Au Bois de Mon Coeur'' (Universal/EmArcy, 2011) * ''Saint-Germain-Des-Pres/The Music of John Lewis'' (Universal, 2013)

As sideman

* Andre Ceccarelli, ''Ceccarelli'' (Carla, 1977) *

Louis Chedid Louis Chedid (born 1 January 1948, in Ismaïlia) is a French singer-songwriter of Lebanese and Egyptian origin. Biography Louis Chedid is the son of the writer Andrée Chedid and the father of Matthieu Chedid (better known as -M-). As a child ...

, ''Ces Mots Sont Pour Toi'' (Philips, 1992) *

Jean Corti Jean Corti (1929 – 25 November 2015) was an Italian-French accordionist and composer. He was the accompanist of Jacques Brel for six years, from 1960 to 1966. Career Corti composed several songs, either alone (''Les Bourgeois''), with Brel and G ...

, ''Couka Mon'' (Slip, 2001) *

, ''Libra'' (Musica, 1978) *

, ''Mes Anges'' (Cristal, 2004) *

, ''Mirjana'' (Ahead, 1978) * John Lewis, ''Midnight in Paris'' (Emarcy, 1988) *

Guy Marchand Guy Marchand (born 22 May 1937) is a French actor, musician and singer. He is best known for his role as fictional private detective Nestor Burma. Selected filmography * 1962: '' The Longest Day'' as an extra (Uncredited) * 1975: '' Cousin ...

, ''NostalGitan'' (Virgin, BRJ/EMI, 1998) *

Florin Niculescu Florin Niculescu (born February 8, 1967 in Bucharest) is a Romanian violinist of Romani (Gypsy) ethnicity. Family background and education Niculescu was born into a family of educated ''lăutari''. Everybody in his family was involved in music: h ...

, ''Plays Stephane Grappelli'' (Blujazz, 2008) *

, ''L'ombre Rouge'' (Saravah, 1981) * Steve Potts, ''Musique Pour Le Film D'Un Ami'' (Un-Deux-Trois,1975) *

, ''Martial Solal Big Band'' (Gaumont, 1981) * Rene Urtreger, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, ''Masters'' (Carlyne, 1987) *

Mike Zwerin Mike Zwerin (May 18, 1930 – April 2, 2010) was an American cool jazz musician and author. Zwerin as a musician played the trombone and bass trumpet within various jazz ensembles. He was active within the jazz and progressive jazz musical communi ...

, ''Not Much Noise'' (Spotlite, 1979)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Escoude, Christian 1947 births Living people French jazz guitarists French male guitarists Gypsy jazz guitarists French Romani people People from Angoulême French male jazz musicians EmArcy Records artists Sunnyside Records artists Verve Records artists Mercury Records artists Red Records artists