Guitar town.
A music review of the Stephane Wrembel trio at Parker Jazz. Stephane Wrembel, guitar / Josh Kaye, guitar / Ari Folman-Cohen, bass
The guitar sculptures of Baggage Claim C - my welcome mat to the city of Austin, TX. Guitars on backs, boots on feet, hats cocked to the side. The symbols and hallmarks on display.
People from Austin know that the tropes belong to Real Texas; the “out in the middle of nowhere”, George Strait kind of Texas. But in this city you can find anything. Like Django music in a jazz club.
Django music
If you’re new to Django music, as I was about two hours ago, you need only to attend a Stephane Wrembel concert and you’ll come out with a strong understanding of the man, the music, and the legends.
Stephane is an exhilarating guitarist, and an unpretentious guide. He opened the evening with solo guitar, taking us to 20th century Paris. The turn of the century, WW1, Ravel and Debussy kind of Paris. Stephane introduced us to a young musician named Django and prompted us for what to listen for before he played two preludes closer to the classical guitar tradition: Improvisation 1 and Echoes of Spain.
This was a great orientation in time and place, and a glimpse into Stephane’s interpretations of this music. He’s pulled back the curtains but there are still shades underneath.
He invited his band up to play and they immediately jumped into a waltz set.
The Stephane Wrembel Trio
Speed, dexterity, vibrance, and magic. An unspoken response to rapid shifts in tempo. Keith and I are laughing with amazement at how this is even humanly possible. For the bassist to thrive, and the rhythm guitarist to never falter as Stephane rides the guitar like he’s running with the bulls.
Wrembel is perhaps best known to Woody Allen fans for tracks on two films, “Vicki Cristina Barcelona” and “Midnight in Paris,” the latter of which won a Grammy for Best Compilation Album. He delighted us with both, along with a few of his other original compositions. “Apocalypse” was my favorite for its dark desert feel.
What stood out to me was the design of the program and its educational component. By explaining the root of Django’s music, and playing his interpretations of it before Stephane’s own compositions, I left with a solid grasp of the style. This experience brought me back to a tango tour I took in Buenos Aires. I knew nothing about tango music, but an evening in the right places with the right people burned the genre into me.
See it live
If you want that experience you can find the rest of his tour dates on his website.
Philly friends, you can catch him live at City Winery on February 21.
