Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997, born Stefano Grappelli) was a French

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands. He has been called "the grandfather of jazz violinists" and continued playing concerts around the world well into his eighties. 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 latter, Italian spelling is now used almost universally when referring to the violinist, including reissues of his early work.

Biography

Early years

Grappelli was born at Hôpital Lariboisière in Paris, France, and christened with the name Stefano. His father, Italian marchese Ernesto Grappelli, was born in

Alatri Alatri ( la, Aletrium) is an Italian town and '' comune'' of the province of Frosinone in the region of Lazio, with c. 30,000 inhabitants. An ancient city of the Hernici,Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hernici". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ...

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, while his French mother, Anna Emilie Hanoque, was from St-Omer. Ernesto was a scholar who taught Italian, sold translations, and wrote articles for local journals. Grappelli's mother died when he was five, leaving his father to care for him. Although he was residing in France when

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

began, Ernesto was still an Italian citizen, and was consequently drafted into the Italian Army in 1914. Having written about American dancer Isadora Duncan, who was living in Paris, Ernesto appealed to her to care for his son. Stéphane was enrolled in Duncan's dance school at the age of six, and he learned to love French Impressionist music. With the war approaching, Duncan fled the country; she turned over her château to be used as a military hospital. Ernesto subsequently entrusted his son to a Catholic orphanage. Grappelli said of this time: Grappelli compared his early life to a

Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

novel, and said that he once tried to eat flies to ease his hunger. He stayed at the orphanage until his father returned from the war in 1918, settling them in an apartment in Barbès. Having been sickened by his experiences with the Italian military, Ernesto took Stéphane to city hall, pulled two witnesses off the street, and had his son naturalized as a French citizen on 28 July 1919. His first name, "Stefano", was Gallicized to "Stéphane". Grappelli began playing the violin at the age of 12 on a three-quarter-sized violin, which his father purchased by pawning a suit. Although Stéphane received violin lessons, he preferred to learn the instrument on his own: After a brief period of independent learning, Grappelli was enrolled at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

on 31 December 1920, which his father hoped would give him a chance to learn

music theory Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the " rudiments", that are needed to understand music notation (k ...

, ear-training, and solfeggio. In 1923, Grappelli graduated with a second-tier medal. Around this time, his father married a woman named Anna Fuchs and moved to

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...

. Grappelli remained in Paris because he disliked Fuchs. At the age of 15, Grappelli began busking full-time to support himself. His playing caught the attention of an elderly violinist, who invited him to accompany silent films in the pit orchestra at the Théâtre Gaumont. He played there for six hours daily over a two-year period. During orchestra breaks, he visited Le Boudon, a

brasserie In France, Flanders, and the Francophone world, a brasserie () is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. The word ''brasserie'' is also French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the br ...

, where he would listen to songs from an American proto-jukebox. Here he was introduced to jazz. In 1928, Grappelli was a member of the orchestra at the Ambassador Hotel while bandleader

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...

and jazz violinist

Joe Venuti Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie L ...

were performing there. Jazz violinists were rare, and though Venuti played mainly commercial jazz themes and seldom improvised, Grappelli was struck by his bowing when he played "

Dinah In the Book of Genesis, Dinah (; ) was the seventh child and only daughter of Leah and Jacob, and one of the matriarchs of the Israelites. The episode of her violation by Shechem, son of a Canaanite or Hivite prince, and the subsequent vengea ...

". As a result, Grappelli began developing a jazz-influenced style of violin music. Grappelli lived with

Michel Warlop Michel Maurice Armand Warlop (23 January 1911 – 6 March 1947) was a French classical and jazz violinist professionally active from 1929 to 1947. Early life and education Michel Warlop (Michou to his friends) was a child prodigy who began mu ...

, a classically trained violinist. Warlop admired Grappelli's jazz-inspired playing, while Grappelli envied Warlop's income. After experimenting with the piano, Grappelli stopped playing the violin, choosing simplicity, a new sound, and paid performances over familiarity. He began playing piano in a

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

led by a musician called Grégor. In 1929, after a night of drinking, Grégor learned that Grappelli used to play the violin. Grégor borrowed a violin and asked Grappelli to improvise over "Dinah". Delighted by what he heard, Grégor urged Grappelli to return to playing the violin. In 1930, Grégor ran into financial trouble. He was involved in an automobile accident that resulted in several deaths, and fled to South America to avoid arrest. Grégor's band reunited as a jazz ensemble under the leadership of pianist

Alain Romans Alain Romans (1905, Poland – 1988) was a French jazz composer. He studied in Leipzig, Berlin, and Paris. His teachers included Vincent d'Indy. He later worked with Josephine Baker and Django Reinhardt. Romans wrote music for 12 films. The ...

and saxophonist

André Ekyan André Ekyan (born André Echkyan; October 24, 1907, Meudon - August 1972, Alicante, Spain) was a French jazz reedist. Ekyan was the leader of a jazz ensemble at the club Le Perroquet in Paris late in the 1920s. in the 1930s, he played with Jack Hy ...

. While playing with this band, Grappelli met

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 Django Reinhardt in 1931. Looking for a violinist interested in jazz, he invited Grappelli to play with him in his caravan. Although the two played for hours that afternoon, their commitments to their respective bands prevented them from pursuing a career together. In 1934 they met again at

Claridge's Claridge's is a 5-star hotel at the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street in Mayfair, London. It has long-standing connections with royalty that have led to it sometimes being referred to as an "annexe to Buckingham Palace". Claridge's Hot ...

in London, England, and began a musical partnership. Pierre Nourry, the secretary of the

Hot Club de France The Hot Club de France is a French organization of jazz fans dedicated to the promotion of "traditional" jazz, swing, and blues. It was founded in 1931 in Paris, France, by five students of the Lycée Carnot. In 1928, Jacques Bureaux, Hugues Pan ...

, invited Reinhardt and Grappelli to form the Quintette du Hot Club de France, with Louis Vola on bass and Joseph Reinhardt and Roger Chaput on guitar. Also located in the Montmartre district was the artistic salon of R-26, at which Grappelli and Reinhardt performed regularly. The Quintette du Hot Club de France disbanded in 1939 upon the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

; Grappelli was in London at the time, and stayed there for the duration of the war. In 1940, jazz pianist

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 ...

made his debut as a sideman in Grappelli's band.

Post-war

When the war was over, Reinhardt came to England for a reunion with Grappelli. They recorded some titles in London with the "English Quintette" during January and February 1946 for EMI and Decca, using a rhythm section consisting of English guitarists Jack Llewelyn and Alan Hodgkiss together with the Jamaican jazz bassist

Coleridge Goode George Coleridge Emerson Goode (29 November 1914 – 2 October 2015) was a British Jamaican-born jazz bassist best known for his long collaboration with alto saxophonist Joe Harriott. Goode was a member of Harriott's innovatory jazz quintet thro ...

. Grappelli chose to remain in England, while Reinhardt returned to Paris before undertaking an only moderately successful visit to America, where he performed in a new style using an amplified archtop guitar with

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was bas ...

's orchestra. On Reinhardt's return, he and Grappelli reunited periodically for concerts on occasions when the latter was visiting Paris; however, the pre-war Quintette was never re-formed. The pair also briefly toured Italy, where they were supported by an Italian rhythm section of piano, bass and drums; the tour was documented, with around 50 tracks recorded for an Italian radio station, about half of which can be heard on the album ''

Djangology ''Djangology'' is a compilation album by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, released in 1961. In 1949, Reinhardt and Grappelli reunited for a brief tour of Italy. While they were there, they recorded about 50 tunes with an Italian rhyth ...

'' (released in 2005). This was to be the last set of recordings featuring the pair, with Reinhardt moving into a more bebop/modern jazz idiom and playing with younger French musicians prior to his early death in 1953, aged only 43. Throughout the 1950s, Grappelli made occasional visits to the recording studio, but the opportunities for a swing violinist of his generation were becoming limited; despite attempts to modernise his style, Grappelli was never particularly interested in the

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 ...

style which was then fashionable in the jazz world. He made a brief filmed appearance in Paul Paviot's 1957 film ''Django Reinhardt'', in which he plays "Minor Swing" alongside Joseph Reinhardt, Henri Crolla and others. In the 1960s, Grappelli made regular appearances on the

BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...

, French Public Radio, and the pirate station

Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...

. In 1967, he returned to Paris to take up a regular engagement providing music for diners at the "Le Toit de Paris" restaurant in the Paris Hilton Hotel, a position he kept up until 1972, for it provided regular work plus accommodation at the hotel. He played in a standard "lounge jazz" format, accompanied by a pianist and drummer. Grappelli was making a living, but by now had very little impact on the jazz world. In 1971, British chat-show host

Michael Parkinson Sir Michael Parkinson (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programmes both in the U ...

, a longtime jazz fan, came up with the idea of including Grappelli on his show, where he would be joined by the classical violinist

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi or Jehudi (Hebrew: יהודי, endonym for Jew) is a common Hebrew name: * Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), violinist and conductor ** Yehudi Menuhin School, a music school in Surrey, England ** Who's Yehoodi?, a catchphrase referring to t ...

, with the two musicians performing a duet. Although Menuhin had no jazz training and a distinctly classical style of playing, the result went down very well with the British public. The pair went on to record three collaborative albums between 1972 and 1976, with Menuhin playing parts written out by Grappelli while the latter improvised in a classic jazz fashion. During their appearance on Parkinson's show, Menuhin played his prized

Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, '' Stradivarius'', as well as the collo ...

dating from 1714, while Grappelli revealed his instrument was made by Goffredo Cappa in 1695. In 1973, British guitarist Diz Disley had the idea of prising Grappelli away from his "lounge jazz" format with piano players to play once again with the backing of acoustic guitars and double bass, re-creating a version of the "Hot Club" sound, but now with Grappelli as sole leader. Grappelli's reservations about returning to this format were dissipated following a rapturous reception for the "new" (old) format group at that year's

Cambridge Folk Festival The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival, established in 1965, held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is known for its eclectic mix o ...

, after which he favoured the guitar-based trio (with double bass) for a series of increasingly successful concert tours around the globe. These tours would virtually occupy the remainder of Grappelli's life; away from the touring circuit, however, he also favoured numerous other instrumental combinations on record. Other guitarists in the British "Diz Disley Trio" providing his instrumental backing over the years included Denny Wright, Ike Isaacs, the Irish guitarist Louis Stewart,

John Etheridge John Michael Glyn Etheridge (born 12 January 1948) is an English jazz fusion guitarist, composer, bandleader and educator known for his eclecticism and broad range of associations in jazz, classical, and contemporary music. He is best known fo ...

and Martin Taylor, while double bass was often provided by Dutchman Jack Sewing; in his later years, Grappelli also used a Parisian trio which included guitarist Marc Fosset and bassist Patrice Carratini. In April 1973, Grappelli performed with great success during a week at "Jazz Power" in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

, accompanied by such notable Italian jazz musicians as guitarist Franco Cerri, bassist/arranger Pino Presti and drummer

Tullio De Piscopo Tullio De Piscopo (born 24 February 1946 in Naples, Italy) is an Italian drummer, percussionist and singer- songwriter. De Piscopo was born in Naples. His father was an orchestra percussionist. In 1969 he moved to Turin and two years later he move ...

. Grappelli played on hundreds of recordings, including sessions with

, jazz pianists

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani (; ; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. He became one of the most accomplish ...

and

Claude Bolling Claude Bolling (10 April 1930 – 29 December 2020) was a French jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and occasional actor. Biography He was born in Cannes, France, and studied at the Nice Conservatory, and then in Paris. A child prodigy, by the ...

, jazz violinists

Svend Asmussen Svend Asmussen (28 February 1916 – 7 February 2017) was a Danish jazz violinist, known as "The Fiddling Viking". A Swing style virtuoso, he played and recorded with many of the other jazz musicians, including Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and S ...

Jean-Luc Ponty Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz violinist and composer. Early life Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano. At sixteen, he was admitt ...

, and

Stuff Smith Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith (August 14, 1909 – September 25, 1967), better known as Stuff Smith, was an American jazz violinist. He is well known for the song " If You're a Viper" (the original title was "You'se a Viper"). Smith was, al ...

, Indian classical violinist

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, vibraphonist

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, pop singer

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, mandolin player

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, classical violinist

, orchestral conductor

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, guitar player

Bucky Pizzarelli John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli (January 9, 1926 – April 1, 2020) was an American jazz guitarist. He was the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and double bassist Martin Pizzarelli. He worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett (1971) ...

, guitar player

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, cello player Yo Yo Ma, harmonica and jazz guitar player

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, jazz guitarist Henri Crolla, bassist

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and fiddler

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. Grappelli recorded a solo for the title track of

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...

's 1975 album ''

Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 film), an Australian drama/mystery film by Kieran Darcy-Smith ...

''. This was made almost inaudible in the mix, and so the violinist was not credited, according to

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-s ...

, as it would be "a bit of an insult". A remastered version with Grappelli's contribution fully audible can be found on the 2011 editions of ''Wish You Were Here''. Grappelli made a cameo appearance in the 1978 film ''

King of the Gypsies The title King of the Gypsies has been claimed or given over the centuries to many different people. It is both culturally and geographically specific. It may be inherited, acquired by acclamation or action, or simply claimed. The extent of the p ...

'' with mandolinist

. Three years later they performed in concert. In the 1980s he gave several concerts with British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. In 1997, Grappelli received the

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of ...

. He is an inductee of the '' Down Beat'' Jazz Hall of Fame. Grappelli continued touring with great success up to the last year of his life; in 1997, although his health was by now poor, he toured the United Kingdom in March and then played concerts in Australia and New Zealand, giving his last public performance in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, New Zealand, before returning to Paris via Hong Kong. He made his final recording, four tracks with the classical violinist Iwao Furusawa, plus guitarist Marc Fosset and bassist Philippe Viret, in Paris in August 1996 (released as ''As Time Goes By: Stéphane Grappelli and Iwao Furusawa'').

Personal life and legacy

In May 1935, Grappelli had a brief affair with Sylvia Caro that resulted in a daughter named Evelyne. Sylvia remained in Paris with her daughter for the duration of World War II. Father and daughter were reunited in 1946 when Evelyne travelled to London from France to stay with Grappelli for about a year. From 1952 to 1980, he shared much of his life with a female friend, Jean Barclay, for whom he felt a deep brotherly affection. Grappelli never married, however, and it is widely accepted that he was gay; in 1981 he met Joseph Oldenhove, who would be his companion until his death. Grappelli died in Paris on 1 December 1997, suffering heart failure after a series of minor cerebral attacks. His funeral, on 5 December, took place at the Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Paris, within sight of the entrance to the Lariboisière Hospital where he had been born 89 years earlier. His body was cremated and his ashes entombed in the city's

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figure ...

. He is the subject of the documentary ''Stéphane Grappelli – A Life in the Jazz Century''.

Discography

Albums

* ''

: Django Reinhardt, the Gypsy Genius'' (1936 to 1940, released in 2005,

Bluebird The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the order of Passerines in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. ...

Improvisations Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

'' (Paris, 1956) * ''Feeling + Finesse = Jazz'' (1962, Atlantic) * ''Afternoon in Paris'' (1971, MPS) * ''Manoir de Mes Reves'' (1972,

Musidisc Musidisc is a French record label that provides music and home video distribution. It was founded in 1927, and purchased by Universal Music Group in 1999. History Musidisc is known for having produced a rare recording of Jeanne Calment, who ...

) * ''Homage to Django'' (1972, released 1976, Classic Jazz) * ''Stéphane Grappelli'' (1973, Pye) * ''Black Lion at Montreux with the Black Lion All-stars'' (

Black Lion Black Lion, Black Lions, or Blacklions may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black Lion, Hammersmith, a London pub * Black Lion, Kilburn, a London pub * Black Lion Records, a British jazz record company * Black Lions Films, associated w ...

), recorded 4 July 1973 * ''Just One of Those Things!'' (1973, Black Lion) Recorded at the 1973

Montreaux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

* ''I Got Rhythm!'' (1974, Black Lion) with The Hot Club of London ( Diz Disley/ Denny Wright/ Len Skeat), recorded at the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten. The Q ...

, London, 5 November 1973 * ''The Talk of the Town'' (1975, Black Lion) with Alan Clare * ''Satin Doll'' (1975, Vanguard) * ''Parisian Thoroughfare'' with Roland Hanna/

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

George Mraz George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz; 9 September 1944 – 16 September 2021) was a Czech-born American jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stephan ...

(1975, Arista/

Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving one ...

) * ''

The Rock Peter and the Wolf ''Peter and the Wolf'' is an album adapting Sergei Prokofiev's ''Peter and the Wolf'' by Jack Lancaster and Robin Lumley released in 1975. It features a rock arrangement of Prokofiev's music. Performers on the album include Jack Lancaster, Robin ...

'' (1976, RSO) * ''+Cordes'' (1977, Musidisc) * ''Steph 'n' Us'' (1977, Cherry Pie) with Don Burrows &

George Golla George Golla (born 10 May 1935) is an Australian jazz guitarist. In 1959 he commenced a long-term working musical partnership with clarinetist/flautist/saxophonist Don Burrows that continued for almost 40 years. Biography Golla was born on 10 May ...

– AUS #38 * ''Live at Carnegie Hall'' (1978,

Signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...

) * ''Uptown Dance'' (1978, Columbia) * ''Young Django'' (1979, MPS) with Philip Catherine/

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist. Early life Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas, United States. He never knew his biological father, a musician. He ...

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* ''Stéphane Grappelli '80'' (1980, Happy Bird) *'' Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark'' (Pablo Live, 1980) * ''Live at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

'' (1983, Dr Jazz) with Diz Disley/

/ Brian Torff * ''Vintage 1981'' (1981, Concord) * ''Just One of Those Things'' (1984, EMI) * ''Grappelli Plays

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

'' (1984, Musidisc) * ''Fascinating Rhythm'' (1986, Jazz Life) * ''Live in San Francisco'' (1986, Blackhawk) * ''Classic Sessions: Stéphane Grappelli'' with

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began ...

and

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...

(1987, RTV) * ''Stéphane Grappelli Plays

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

'' (1987, GRP) * ''The Intimate Grappelli'' (1988, Jazz Life) * ''How Can You Miss'' with Louie Bellson and Phil Woods (1989, Rushmore) * ''Jazz 'Round Midnight'' (1989, Verve) * ''My Other Love'' (1991, Colombia) – Grappelli performs on solo piano * ''Stéphane Grappelli in Tokyo'' (1991, A&M) * ''Bach to the Beatles'' (1991, Academy Sound) * '' Live 1992'' (1992, Verve) * ''85 and Still Swinging'' (1993, Angel) * ''Live at the Blue Note'' (1996,

Telarc Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner (recording engineer), Jack Renner and Robert Woods (producer), Robert Woods. ...

) * ''Crazy Rhythm'' (1996/2000, Pulse) * ''Parisian Thoroughfare'' (1997, Laserlight)

Collaborations

* Stéphane Grappelli and

Adelaide Hall Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her long career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death and she was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Hal ...

, 1939, BBC Studios, London, "

You're Blasé "You're Blasé" is a jazz standard composed in 1931 by Ord Hamilton (1900–1955) with lyrics by Bruce Sievier (1894–1953) and introduced by Binnie Hale in John Murray Anderson's production of the London musical revue ''Bow Bells'' (1932). (Hami ...

" by

with Stéphane Grappelli and Arthur Young and his Swingtette * Stéphane Grappelli/ Django Reinhardt/ Bill Coleman: ''Bill Coleman with Django and Stéphane Grappelli 1936 to 1938'' (released 1985, DRG) * Stéphane Grappelli/

: '' Violin Summit'' (1967, Polygram) * Stéphane Grappelli and

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

: ''Stéphane Grappelli meets Earl Hines'' * Stéphane Grappelli and Hubert Clavecin: ''Dansez Sur Vos Souvenirs'' (Musidisc) * Stéphane Grappelli and

Barney Kessel Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923 – May 6, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Known in particular for his knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies, he was a member of many prominent jazz groups a ...

: ''Remember Django'' (1969, Black Lion) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''

Paris Encounter ''Paris Encounter'' is an album by vibraphonist Gary Burton and violinist Stéphane Grappelli recorded in 1969 and released on the Atlantic label.

'' (1969, Atlantic) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Venupelli Blues'' (1970, BYG Records) * Stéphane Grappelli and Barney Kessel: '' Limehouse Blues'' (1972, Black Lion) * Stéphane Grappelli and Gary Burton: ''Paris Encounter'' (1972, Atlantic) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Hobo's Blues'' (1972, Columbia) * ''

– Stéphane Grappelli Quartet Vol. 1'' (1973, America Records) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Jealousy'' (1973, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and Alan Clare: ''Stardust'' (1973, Black Lion) * Stéphane Grappelli and Baden Powell: ''La Grande Reunion'' (1974, Accord) * Stéphane Grappelli and The Diz Disley Trio: ''Violinspiration'' (1975, MPS) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Fascinating Rhythm: Music by George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter'' (1975, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and Slam Stewart: ''Steff and Slam'' (1975, Black and Blues) * Stéphane Grappelli and Bill Coleman: ''Stéphane Grappelli/Bill Coleman'' (1976, Classic Jazz J 24 recorded 1973) * Stéphane Grappelli and The George Shearing Trio: '' The Reunion'' (1977, MPS) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Tea for Two'' (1978, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Duet'' (1979, Ahead) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Live at Berklee'' (recorded in Boston, Massachusetts, 20 September 1979) * Stéphane Grappelli and Martial Solal: ''Happy Reunion'' (1980, MPO) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Strictly for the Birds'' (1980, Angel Records) * Stéphane Grappelli and David Grisman: ''Live'' (1981, Warner Bros.) * Oscar Peterson/Stéphane Grappelli/

/ Mickey Roker/

: ''

Skol Skol Lager was developed originally by Ind Coope breweries in Alloa, Central Scotland. In 1958, Graham's Continental was launched (based upon a local brew called Graham's Golden) and quickly changed to Graham's Skol to give a Scandinavian impre ...

'' (1982, recorded in Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark, 6 July 1979) * Stéphane Grappelli with Marc Fosset: ''Stephanova'' (Concord Jazz, 1983) * Stéphane Grappelli with

: ''Conversations'' (1984) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Bringing it Together'' (1984, Cymekob) * Stéphane Grappelli and Martin Taylor: ''We've Got the World on a String'' (1984, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and Stuff Smith: ''Violins No End'' (1984, Pablo) * Stéphane Grappelli and

Helen Merrill Helen Merrill (born Jelena Ana Milcetic; July 21, 1930) is an American jazz vocalist. Her first album, the eponymous 1954 recording '' Helen Merrill'' (with Clifford Brown), was an immediate success and associated her with the first generation ...

(1986, Music Makers) * Stéphane Grappelli and

Vassar Clements Vassar Carlton Clements (April 25, 1928 – August 16, 2005) was an American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and ...

: ''Together at Last'' (1987, Flying Fish) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Menuhin and Grappelli Play Berlin, Kern, Porter and Rodgers & Hart'' (1988, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty: '' Violin Summit'' (1989, Jazz Life) * Stéphane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty: ''Compact Jazz'' (1988, MPS) * Stéphane Grappelli and Martial Solal: ''Olympia 1988'' (1988, Atlantic) * Stéphane Grappelli and Joe Venuti: ''Best of Jazz Violins'' (1989, LRC) * Stéphane Grappelli and Yo Yo Ma: '' Anything Goes: Stéphane Grappelli & Yo-Yo Ma Play (Mostly) Cole Porter'' (1989) * Stéphane Grappelli and

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...

: '' One on One'' (1990, Milestone) * Stéphane Grappelli and L. Subramaniam: ''Conversations'' (1984,

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...

) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''First Class'' (1992, Milan) * Stéphane Grappelli and Michel Legrand: ''Legrand Grappelli'' (1992, Verve) * Stéphane Grappelli and Martin Taylor: ''Réunion'' (1993, Linn) * Capelino featuring Stéphane Grappelli: ''La Copine'' (1993, Munich Records) * The Rosenberg Trio featuring Stéphane Grappelli,

Jan Akkerman Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch guitarist. He first found international commercial success with the band Focus, which he co-founded with Thijs van Leer. After leaving Focus, he continued as a solo musician, adding jazz fusion infl ...

& Frits Landesbergen: ''Caravan'' (1994, Polydor BV) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Flamingo'' (1996, Dreyfus) * Stéphane Grappelli/ Carl Hession/ Frankie Gavin/Marc Fosset: ''Frankie Gavin 2003–2004 Collection/The Grappelli Era'' (2003)

Film scores

* ''Les valseuses'' (''Going Places'') (1974) * ''Milou en mai'' (''May Fools'') (1990)

Videos

*. Rare period footage. * . TV show of Jean-Christophe Averty dedicated to Stéphane Grappelli with

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 pe ...

(drums), Pierre Cullaz (guitar), (double bass) and (guitar) playing '' Minor Swing'', one of the most famous compositions of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, recorded for the first time in 1937 by the Quintette du Hot Club de France and which became a standard of

. *, with special guest star

and his band (1982)..

References

Bibliography

External links

Obituary

Stéphane Grappelli's Biography & Discography
at AllMusic.com
Stéphane Grappelli's Discography
at Discogs.com
"My Other Love" – the piano
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grappelli, Stephane 1908 births 1997 deaths Musicians from Paris French people of Italian descent People of Lazian descent Swing violinists Continental jazz violinists French buskers French jazz violinists 20th-century French male violinists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Gypsy jazz violinists Gay musicians LGBT musicians from France Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Electric violinists French male jazz musicians Bandleaders Quintette du Hot Club de France members Bluebird Records artists MPS Records artists Black Lion Records artists Flying Fish Records artists 20th-century LGBT people