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The Hot Club
of San Francisco is an ensemble of accomplished and
versatile musicians celebrating the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane
Grappelli’s pioneering Hot Club de France. The ensemble borrows the all-string
instrumentation of violin, bass and guitars from the original Hot Club, but
breathes new life into the music with innovative arrangements of classic tunes
and original compositions from the group’s superb lead guitarist Paul Mehling.
Hearing the ensemble live, or on any of their ten albums, carries the listener
back to the 1930’s and to the small, smoky jazz clubs of Paris or the refined
lounges of the famous Hotel Ritz. Often called gypsy jazz, the music of The Hot
Club of San Francisco has entranced audiences around the globe for over 15
years. Critics have hailed the group’s playing as “intricate, scorching and
often brilliant…” Acoustic Guitar. From American festivals such as
Monterey and Chautauqua to festivals in Mexico and France and concert halls
across North America, The Hot Club of San Francisco keeps this historic music
fresh and alive.
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Special
Projects & Collaborations 2008-2009
Silent
Surrealism
In cooperation with the San
Francisco Silent Film Festival
 Imagine early 1920s Paris – a small, intimate theatre plays host to new and
avant-garde cinema, specifically, the silent surrealist films of the day. The
entire town seems to be present: The bourgeoisie, the big thinkers of the time,
the aristocracy, and the escapists. They’ve all gathered to experience this
cutting-edge art and later, will reconvene at the local cafes to discuss and
debate the merits of the film, the actors, and the director.
Fast-forward 80 years. Continuing this early French tradition, a similar scene
plays out as The Hot Club of San Francisco presents Silent Surrealism,
an evening of silent surrealist films with live gypsy jazz. The program
includes several short silent films by Charlie Bowers such as Now You Tell
One and It’s a Bird, as well as films by James Sibley Watson and
Harold Shaw. The Hot Club accompanies these films with the distinctive music
made famous by Stephane Grappelli, Django Reinhardt, and the Hot Club de France.
Silent Surrealism is a brilliant multi-media trip back to a time
when the artistic and literary style emerged as a means of expressing the
imagination…when writers and filmmakers were more interested in the implications
of words and images and providing the audience with the opportunity to
vicariously experience the unknown or unimaginable.
Film Titles: Now You Tell One~ It’s a
Bird~ The Fall of the House of Usher~ The Land
Beyond Sunset
Meet Me in Paris
The acclaimed Hot Club of San
Francisco and the popular French vocalist Isabelle Fontaine have created
Meet Me in Paris, a charming concert
invoking an unforgettable Parisian experience.
Love songs and driving gypsy
jazz are a combination made famous during the 20’s and 30’s in Paris by the
legendary Hot Club de France, Django Reinhardt, and Stephane Grappelli.
Following the First World War, the city became a gathering place for artists
from around the world and The Hot Club’s unique sound of gypsy jazz reflects
this inter-wartime collection of cultures. Keep time with the strum of the
rhythm guitars and let the magical guitar and fiddle solos take you on a ride
down the Seine and through the heart of the city. Ms. Fontaine’s mix of sweet
and sultry songs adds a touch of beauty and authenticity that echoes the
historic Ville-Lumière, “the city of light”.
Listen to songs from “Meet Me in Paris”
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Please
contact Baylin Artists for full descriptions of
the following activities.
Unlocking
the Secrets of Gypsy Guitar
Gypsy-Swing
Master Class for guitarists
Audience:
intermediate to advanced players of all ages
Number
of participants: minimum 5 - maximum 100
Length:
60 minutes
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© 2007
Stuart Brinin
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Ever
wondered how gypsies get that sound? The loudness? The singing vibrato with
endless sustain or the incredibly fast and precise attack to each note? This
class is comprised of a lecture, demonstration and Q&A session. It will
encompass everything from the swinging rhythm to the solo voice as defined by
such players as Django Reinhardt, Stochelo Rosenberg, Fapy Lafertain, Romane,
Angelo Debarre and others of Gypsy swing music. Paul Mehling, director of the
Hot Club of San Francisco, has studied and played with many of the top
Gypsy-Swing players from around the world. A highly-praised teacher, Paul is
uniquely qualified to answer all the questions guitar students may have
concerning the various technical challenges presented by this music. In addition
to the technical 'hands-on' questions, Paul will explain the harmonic
considerations that define the genre. This may include which notes to play,
which notes to emphasize, how to deal with troublesome chord changes, melodic
constructions, 'Gypsy' chords, ornamentation and the scales that create the
magic and mystery of Gypsy Swing. After
thoroughly exploring various questions concerning fingers, mind and spirit, Paul
will lead the class in a directed Jam Session. This will allow attendees to
immediately try out various musical ideas discussed and explained. Two or more
tunes will be analyzed and then played by the group, allowing for comparison and
review by all.
Gypsy-Swing
101
A
lecture-demonstration on Paris' most original musical legacy
Audience:
any
Number
of participants: minimum 15 - maximum 100
Length:
60 minutes up to 120
Join
The Hot Club of San Francisco director Paul Mehling in a visit to the smoky
cabarets of Paris for an introduction to the Gypsy swing genre. Django
Reinhardt, an illiterate nomad with a handicapped left hand, was an undisputed
musical genius. In spite of being from an unwelcome level of society and his
choice of the then hugely un-popular guitar, he and partner Stephane Grappelli
(violin) changed the history of jazz forever.
They created an all-string chamber group, which confounded jazz-lovers
the world over by demonstrating that you don't have to be American to play jazz!
The Gypsy-Swing story is part mystery, part bravado, part genius, and several
parts World War II.
Through
a combination of lecture and live musical performance, the audience will become
acquainted with Django Reinhardt's intriguing persona. Paul will chart the
development of Gypsy swing by providing a historical context. He will address
the plight of the gypsies, racial barriers in the jazz world, how Gypsy swing
differed from American jazz, the role of guitars and stringed instruments in
jazz, competition between Reinhardt and Grappelli, and introduce some of
Reinhardt's contemporaries (such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Oscar
Alleman, Baro Matelo and Sarane, Gusti Malla). This discussion concludes with a
look at the Gypsy-Swing players of today (such as Jimmy Rosenberg, Romane,
Angelo Debarre, and Pearl Django) and the genre's continuing influence on modern
music, movies and television.
Jazz
Music? How to listen!
Audience:
grades 5 through 12
Number
of participants: minimum 20 - flexible with max.
Length:
20-90 minutes
What
music do you listen to and why do you like it? Why does music make us want to
move our bodies? This interactive workshop, lead by director Paul Mehling, will
explore several different topics related to music and sound. Paul will encourage
discussion by asking varied questions, beginning broadly with "What is
music? and "What is a Gypsy?", moving to "What do you think
Gypsy-jazz music is?" This will flow into a live performance of Gypsy jazz
musical examples. Depending on the age level, the workshop may include a
discussion to explore the following topics: a history of the Gypsy jazz culture
from Django Reinhardt to today, how to "follow" a jazz solo, how to
improvise music in order to express yourself creatively (with audience
participation), and the importance of practice in mastering a virtuosic
performance style.
Gypsy-Swing
Concert for Young Audiences
Audience:
grades K-12
Number
of participants: minimum 20 - flexible with max.
Length:
15, 30 or 60 minutes according to age group
Gypsy
people have always functioned as human tape-recorders, carrying music from
village to village, often delivering it with their own stamp placed gently upon
it. Across continents and throughout time, this cross-pollination of different
styles, sounds and tempos is the driving force that keeps music evolving.
This concert for young audiences will explore the original 'World' Music,
played by modern day nomadic peoples of Europe, as well as many aficionados
around the world. The infectious
syncopation and nuttiness of 1930's swing-era music, mixed up with the
mysterious and magical sounds of fingers flying on acoustic stringed instruments
will conjure up visions of caravans and Parisian cafes in the impressionable
minds of its young listeners.
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Yerba Buena Bounce, Reference
Recordings 2007
Postcards
from Gypsyland, Lost Wax Records 2005
Be
That Way, Panda Digital 2004
Veronica,
Panda Digital, 2002
Claire
de Lune, Hot Club of San Francisco, 2000
The
Lady in Red, Clarity Recordings, 1999
Swing
This, Hot Club of San Francisco, 1997
LIVE
MCMVC,
Hot Club Records, 1996
QHCSF,
Hot Club Records, 1994
The
Hot Club of San Francisco, Clarity Recordings, 1993
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*FOR
REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY*
Please
contact Baylin Artists
for technical information.
Hot
Club of San Francisco uses minimal amplification to offer the audience an
acoustic experience. The following
equipment list can be negotiated with Baylin Artists Management.
PRODUCTION
AND STAGING REQUIREMENTS
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Minimum
stage requirement: 20’ x 12’.
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One (1) rug of sufficient size to cover the stage area occupied by HCSF
(approx. 12’ x 8’).
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Three
(3) armless chairs (not folding) such as a Wenger or a dining chair, with a
flat seat.
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Two
(2) music stands (not folding) such as Manhasset.
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One
(1) film screen hung center rear stage. The screen can be no smaller than
9’X 12’. The screen must be at least 12’ from the front of the stage.
SOUND
SYSTEM
Presenter
agrees to provide a high-quality sound system specifically designed for acoustic
music. House electrical power must
be properly grounded and of proper amperage to provide hum- and noise-free
operation of sound system. If
electrical power or grounding is not adequate, arrangements should be made to
set up proper circuitry for the day of the performance.
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High-quality
sound system consisting of at least four (4) tri-amplified speaker cabinets
(Apogee, Meyer, Renkus-Heinz, EAW, JBL or equivalent), adequately powered to
provide distortion-free and noise-free performance. Minimum power 3000 watts/1000 seats. Please place main speakers on stage, as far downstage as
possible.
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A
high-quality sixteen (16) channel (minimum) mixing console reserved for HCSF
use. Console must be Soundcraft
200B or equivalent, must provide 48-volt phantom power on all channels, and
must have a minimum of four (4) auxiliary sends (2 pre-fader; 2 post-fader).
Console must provide at least three (3) EQ points per channel with
sweepable midrange, and Console must be capable of providing stage monitor
system with one (1) discrete pre-fader mix that is unaffected by the house
mix. Please connect the monitor
mix to separate auxiliary send (not sub-masters).
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The
mixing console shall be placed on the left or right center aisle, forward of
any overhanging balconies, and should not be placed in a closed booth.
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One
(1) one-third octave graphic equalizer for house mix; two (2) if system is
stereo.
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One
(1) one-third octave graphic equalizer for monitor mix.
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One
(1) high-quality digital reverberation unit such as Lexicon PCM-70 or
equivalent.
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Two
(2) high-quality bi-amped floor monitors (EV, EAW, JBL or equivalent)
adequately powered (minimum 100 watts per speaker) to provide
distortion/noise free sound.
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One
(1) dynamic microphone suitable for vocal amplification, on boom stand for
vocal (Shure SM-58 or equivalent). Preferably with on/off switch if
possible.
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Headset
communications system to connect stage, mix position, and lighting
personnel.
PROJECTION
REQUIREMENTS
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One
(1) LCD or DLP (digital) projector. Projector
must be a front projection Component (3-wire Red/Green/Blue) or S-Video.
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The
resolution must be a minimum of XGA 1024X768, no less than 4000 lumens
brightness and have a contract ratio of 400:1 or better.
-
The
projector must also have progressive scan, digital keystone correction and
HDTV image performance.
-
The
appropriate lens must should be determined and provided by the venue.
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For
the Component projector, a three-wire BNC (or RCA) cable is required.
Or a two-wire BNC or multi-plug S vides cable for the S-Video
projector.
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One
projector operator who will be able to take cues from one of the group
members on stage.
LIGHTS
In
general, a three or four color wash with two down-focused ‘specials’
(focused on downstage music stand, one on area where vocal mic is located). A lighting technician must be available from load-in through
showtime.
SOUND
AND LIGHTING CHECK
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Presenter
shall provide an on-site professional sound engineer to perform sound check
and mix sound for the duration of HCSF’s performance.
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Presenter
shall not open house until technical set-up has been completed.
HCSF shall complete such setup one (1) hour prior to performance time
provided there are no technical problems beyond HCSF’s control.
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House
light will be dimmed five (5) minutes before curtain to facilitate audience
seating.
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No
background music, taped or otherwise, shall be played before or after the
concert without approval of HCSF.
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