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LAWRENCE SUMULONG
STÉPHANE WREMBEL
Guitarist Stéphane Wrembel — born in France, but a longtime Maplewood resident and an expert in the music of legendary gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt — will present his annual Django à Gogo Music Festival & Guitar Camp from May 12 to May 17, with concerts, workshops and jam sessions at The Woodland in Maplewood, Symphony Space in Manhattan, and Barbès in Brooklyn.
Joining him as musical collaborators and/or instructors at these events will be master musicians from throughout the world, including Angelo Debarre, Jean-Michel Pilc, Gismo Graf, Sébastien Felix, David Gastine, Ari Folman-Cohen and Nick Driscoll.
“It’s a lot of work,” Wrembel told Bob O’Donnell of the “Morning Dew” show on WFDU-FM. “I’m a musician, I’m not a producer. But once a year, I’ll put the effort, I’ll do the visas, I’ll do the insurance for the camp. I rent the rooms, I do the scheduling … I have to prepare all the box office, places to lodge the musicians, the contracts, make sure they do their appointments.
“I do, like, all that, out of love, because I know that once it happens, it’s amazing. But it’s not how I do a living and I don’t have the juice to do it more.
“So once a year, it happens. And this is the best (Django Reinhardt festival) in America, and don’t miss it.”
You can listen to the entire, extensive interview, below.
This year’s festival coincides with the vinyl release of Wrembel’s Django New Orleans II: Hors Série album, which came out in November on CD and streaming platforms.
IRENE YPENBURG
Stéphane Wrembel, performing in 2019.
Here is the festival’s concert schedule. For other information including more on the camp, visit djangoagogo.com.
May 13, 8 p.m.: “Django New Orleans” at The Woodland, Maplewood. Featuring Stéphane Wrembel (guitar), Josh Kaye (guitar), Adrien Chevalier (violin), Steven Duffy (sousaphone), Scott Kettner (drums), David Langlois (washboard), Nick Driscoll (saxophone, clarinet), Joe Boga (trumpet), Sarah King (vocals), Jean-Michel Pilc (piano), Gismo Graf (guitar), Sébastien Felix (guitar), Angelo Debarre (guitar).
May 14, 8 p.m.: “Night of the Gypsies” at The Woodland, Maplewood. Featuring Stéphane Wrembel (guitar), David Gastine (guitar, oud), Frank Anastasio (bass), Scott Kettner (drums), Nick Driscoll (saxophone), Jean-Michel Pilc (piano), Gismo Graf (guitar), Sébastien Felix (guitar), Angelo Debarre (guitar).
May 15, 8 p.m.: “Django à Gogo All Stars” at Symphony Space, Manhattan. Featuring Stéphane Wrembel (guitar), Angelo Debarre (guitar), Jean-Michel Pilc (piano), Gismo Graf (guitar), Sébastien Felix (guitar), David Gastine (guitar), Josh Kaye (oud, guitar), Ari Folman-Cohen (bass), Nick Anderson (drums), Adrien Chevalier (violin), Steven Duffy (tuba), Scott Kettner (drums), David Langlois (washboard), Nick Driscoll (sax, clarinet), Joe Boga (trumpet), Sarah King (vocals).
May 16, 8 p.m.: “Django à Gogo All Stars” at Symphony Space, Manhattan. Featuring Stéphane Wrembel (guitar), Angelo Debarre (guitar), Jean-Michel Pilc (piano), Frank Anastasio (bass), Gismo Graf (guitar), Sébastien Felix (guitar), David Gastine (guitar), Serge Camps (guitar), Josh Kaye (oud, guitar), Adrien Chevalier (violin), Steven Duffy (tuba), Scott Kettner (drums), David Langlois (washboard), Nick Driscoll (sax, clarinet), Joe Boga (trumpet), Sarah King (vocals).
May 17, 6 p.m.: Jam Session at Barbès, Brooklyn.
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