The weekend option is for musicians who would like to get in on the action at Django in June, but who either can't or would rather not commit to Django Camp in its entirety. While our activities leading up to the weekend will be reserved for Django Camp participants only, from late Friday afternoon on you are more than welcome to join us for a couple hours or a couple days, however you wish: to jam, take clinics, visit vendors, stay in the dorm, hang with us over meals and take in a show or two. Unlike Django Camp, everything over the weekend will be a la carte, so you can pick the precise mix of activities that works for you.
Please use the links toward the top of the page for info on Housing and Food, Directions, Concerts, etc. All of these are part of the weekend, for sure, but here we'll focus on the rich and diverse selection of clinic offerings that will be available to you over the course of the weekend.
Although instructional materials have gotten immeasurably better over the past few years there is ultimately no substitute for the opportunity to sit a few feet away from a real expert in a live, interactive setting and hash things over. But when it comes to Gypsy jazz, "experts" are few and far between on this side of the Atlantic. That's what makes this weekend such a precious opportunity for those of us who would like to take a step forward in both our understanding of this music and our ability to make it ourselves. Please have a look at the learning opportunities we have in store and join us for as much as you can.
Schedule
The clinics listed below are color coded by instrument (see the key at the top of the table) in the box to the right of the clinic's title. Although the instructor's primary instrument is also indicated by this same color code, please note that many of these clinics are intended for mixed instrumentation.
You can click on any clinic title to jump to a description of it farther down the page, or you may want to simply scroll down and read them all. Please note that I have not included biographical information about our clinicians here. For that, please visit the Staff/Artists page.
When you are ready to register for a clinic, just follow any link to the Tickets and Registration area of the web site.
Guitar (G) |
Violin (V) |
Mandolin (M) |
Accordion (A) |
Bass (B) |
Ready to register? Tickets and Registration would be the place. C'est logique!
Band Lab with the Django in June Staff | Friday at 4, Saturday at 3:30
This year the late afternoon session at Django Camp will be devoted to a daily Band Lab. Weekenders are welcome to participate in this structure on Friday and Saturday if you wish. Here's the basic idea: at the appointed time you go to a predetermined place with a bunch of folks lugging instruments. There you meet with one or more of our instructors, who will unceremoniously present you with your song (or choice of songs) for the day. By whatever criteria makes the most sense in the moment, you'll divide into manageable ensembles and work up an arrangement together: intro, outro, rhythm, solos, maybe some vocals, a little tasteful but daring choreography....whatever you want to throw in the pot. Then the ensembles will come back together to share their performance of the tune. On a normal day (Wednesday through Friday) we'll likely perform in relatively small groups (of roughly 20 to 25 people) but on Saturday we'll start a little early (at 3:30 instead of 4) so we have time to bring all the ensembles together for a grand finale in a nearby stadium. Or at least a pretty big room, anyway. The Band lab is open to all instruments and all levels of ability.
The "Essentials" with Gonzalo Bergara: The following two clinics offered by Gonzalo Bergara make a great pair, but either can be taken without the other as well.
Essential Technique for Guitarists | Gonzalo Bergara | Friday 4—5:30
During Gonzalo’s technique session he’ll share his perspective on how you can develop right and left hand Gypsy jazz technique that will serve you for years of great music making. We all know how important the right hand is for this style (don't we?) so helping you get that right will be the first order of business. Turning your attention to the left hand, he'll cover fingering, vibrato, timing and helpful practice techniques.
Essential Knowledge for Guitarists | Gonzalo Bergara | Saturday 1:30 —3:00
Beyond technique, there’s “knowledge”. This encompasses both knowing your instrument and knowing the music you are trying to play. In this session, Gonzalo will focus on what he regards as the critical knowledge for guitarists who want to be more musical and expressive in their playing. How to know the fingerboard (“better”, he says, “than you know your name”). How to swing. How to work with melodies. How to develop tension and release in your solos. And finally, how to practice so that this knowledge becomes second nature to you.
Exploring Django's Compositions with Jean-Philippe Watremez:
Jean-Philippe Watremez is the co-author (with Max Robin) of Complete Django, the first comprehensive and authoritative compilation of Django's compositions. Unlike many such books, the focus in this work is on the songs themselves rather than transcriptions of Django's solos. It includes melodies in standard notation and tablature as well as excellent suggestions on chord voicings for rhythm guitar. Over the course of the weekend Jean-Philippe will offer three 90 minute clinics in which you'll have the opportunity to learn or deepen your understanding of selections from the Django canon, working from Complete Django with the author himself. The times are listed below:
- Exploring Django's Compositions, Session 1: Saturday 10:00 — 11:30
- Exploring Django's Compositions, Session 2: Saturday 1:30 —3:00
- Exploring Django's Compositions, Session 3: Sunday 10:00 — 11:30
Rhythm Guitar Masterclass | Mathieu Chatelain | Friday 4—5:30
Mathieu Chatelain, the rhythm guitarist with L'Ensemble Zaiti, is one of the most respected and knowledgable pompeurs in France today. Luckily for us, he also speaks fluent English and knows how to teach. It should take somewhere in the vicinity of 30 seconds for him to convince you that rhythm guitar in this style has little in common with what American Swing and jazz guitarists usually do. It may take a wee bit longer than that for you to get the hang of it, but not for want of good guidance from this exceptional musician.
Masters of the Swing Violin | Jason Anick | Friday 4—5:30
For this workshop Jason will climb inside the stylistic, rhythmic, and harmonic elements that define the unique sound of three of the idiom’s most respected violinists - DidierLockwood, Florin Nicolescu, and Stephane Grappelli - to answer the question, “How do they get their unique "sound"? He’ll teach a part of each player's solo over the classic tune "MinorSwing", share some classic licks to add to your own "musical toolbox", and then discuss ways you can use this material to develop your own sound. For violinists of all levels.
Great Solos | Matt Glaser | Saturday 10—11:30
Listen to - and learn to sing and play - some great solos on standard tunes by players such as Django, Grappelli, Stuff Smith, Louis Armstrong and Lester Young. What, you know someone better to study?
Gypsy Picking Workshop | Michael Horowitz | Saturday 10—11:30
Right hand picking technique is one of the most demanding aspects of playing Gypsy jazz. This workshop will teach you the rest-stroke picking technique used by Django Reinhardt, Stochelo Rosenberg, Bireli Lagrene, and nearly every other Gypsy jazz guitarist. Learning to play with rest-strokes will give you the "Gypsy sound" by dramatically improving your volume, speed and tone. To help put the rest-stroke technique in context, students will learn several of the most commonly used Gypsy phrases, arpeggios, and chromatic runs which do not appear in my book Gypsy Picking. Students will also learn basic principals of efficient left hand fingerings which, when used in conjunction with the rest-stroke picking technique, allow one to play with improved speed and articulation. These examples will be included in handouts written in both standard notation and tablature.
Gypsy Jazz Musicianship | Dennis | Saturday 10—11:30
In this workshop, Dennis will discuss various aspects of ensemble playing in the Gypsy jazz style. Special attention will be given to rhythm playing (keeping good time, proper technique/tone) and ear training (being able to hear the "traditional" Gypsy jazz vocabulary).
Foundation for Improvisation | Stephane Wrembel | Saturday 10—11:30
The purpose of this workshop is to reproduce the Gypsies' approach to learning improvisation on the guitar, which is to say, theory-free. All the required material is on the fretboard; the key is to have the right tools to unlock it. Also learn how to improve your rhythm, increase the architecture of your solos, and better appreciate how the gypsies themselves understand and approach music. Secrets revealed! Treasures unearthed!
Time is of the Essence | John McGannl | Saturday 10—11:30
Think about it: A simple idea, played with good tone and good time, will communicate and resonate much better than a complex idea played with wobbly time. Not many of us are born with great time- but we can develop a better sense of groove so as to to lay melody, accompaniment and solos "in the pocket" with clarity and focus. Plan to use a metronome and explore practice techniques that are fun and challenging.
Sound Foundations: The Bass and Rhythm Guitar in Hot-Club Music | Simon Planting & Ted Gottsegen | Saturday 10—11:30
Simon and Ted make up the rhythm section of the Robin Nolan Trio (our Friday night headliners) so with any luck they will have wowed you about 14 hours before again joining forces to discuss how they did it. Or to be more precise: how the bass and rhythm guitar work together to lay the foundation of our beloved Hot Club sound. Bass players and guitarists will work separately for the first half of the time to explore instrument-specific material then Simon and Ted will bring everyone together to both demonstrate and allow you to explore what they’ve been discussing. Topics will include how to keep the music interesting for listeners and performers alike, where the freedom lies and how to make a cohesive unit out of a sometimes motley crew of individuals. Not you, of course, but, you know...those motley people.
Gypsy Jazz Improv: Technique and Vocabulary | Adrien Moignard| Saturday 10—11:30
If you've had a taste of Adrien's playing you know that, one way or another, he's tapping into a deep well of knowledge of this music and the guitar. In this masterclass, he'll share a few choice morsels from the feast of his musicianship. Working with both Django's music and American standards, as time allows, he'll discuss chords, idiomatic licks, right and left hand technique, useful arpeggios, playing with rhythmic placement and whatever you prod him to address.
Vladimir Mollov's Solo Studies 1 & 2: Although these clinics make a great pair, they can also be taken independently of one another.
Solo Study 1: How to Transcribe and Understand It | Saturday 10—11:30
Solo Study 2: How to Use It | Saturday 1:30—3:00
One of the most efficient ways to learn any style of music is to imitate musicians who are the best at it. In jazz that means learning solos of the masters, but doing so can be difficult with music of such a high level of complexity. That difficulty can arise in at least two areas, which we might compare to those that any dog faces when chasing a car:
- How do you catch it?
- What the heck do you do with it once you’ve done so?
Vlado invites you to chase the masters with him and tackle these questions one at a time. In the first of his Solo Study sessions he’ll focus on techniques for both transcribing and understanding difficult solo passages that might otherwise stop you in your tracks. In the second, he will explore ways in which you can use these newly learned solos and licks when improvising.
The "Traditional" Gypsy Jazz Style | Dennis | Saturday 1:30—3:00
In this workshop, Dennis will discuss and demonstrate some of the nuances that define what we might call the "traditional" Gypsy Jazz style: trills, bends, slides, ghost notes, note choice, etc. Then it'll be your turn to try applying these techniques to your improvisation.
Unaccompanied Django | Michael Horowitz | Saturday 1:30—3:00
Django Reinhardt composed more than a dozen compositions for the unaccompanied guitar throughout his career. These pieces, many of which bear the title “Improvisation,” are some of the most intimate expressions of the musical genius of Django Reinhardt. Unfortunately, Django’s output for the unaccompanied guitar has often been overshadowed by his brilliant work as a soloist in small jazz ensembles. Django’s tradition of unaccompanied guitar playing is still an important part of the Gypsy jazz genre. Contemporary Gypsy jazz virtuosos such as Angelo Debarre, Boulou Ferré, Biréli Lagrène, Fapy Lafertin, and Stochelo Rosenberg have recorded Django’s unaccompanied guitar pieces as well as their own compositions.
This workshop will explore the techniques that Django, Stochelo Rosenberg, Biréli Lagrène, and other Gypsy guitarists use to create brilliant unaccompanied guitar compositions. You will learn authentic Gypsy chord voicings, Gypsy style reharmonization techniques, arppegiations, Baroque ideas, Spanish/Flamenco ideas, parallel chord usage, scale passages, chromatic runs, and numerous other techniques which will allow you to create your own Gypsy style unaccompanied versions of any song. You will also learn an unaccompanied version of the Reinhardt classic Manoir des mes Rêves (which doesn't appear in my book Unaccompanied Django). These examples will be included in handouts written in both standard notation and tablature.
Gypsy Jazz Licks Workshop | Robin Nolan| Saturday 1:30—3:00
This workshop will feature a unique collection of hip Gypsy Jazz "licks" which are applied to some of the most popular standards being played in the Gypsy Jazz scene today. These licks will allow you to begin soloing over the changes immediately without being bogged down by academic rhetoric or theoretical approaches which characterize so many study books in the genre and render them a frustrating waste of time and money. You will be learning the basic vocabulary of Gypsy Jazz itself. The very building blocks that make up the language. You will be playing MUSIC!.... not scales, not arpeggios, not complicated harmonic theories or life threatening technical exercises! It's Gypsy Jazz, not rocket science! We want to help you enjoy the music and show a few things that will definitely impress your friends...
Open Bass Session | Simon Planting and Jeremiah Arranger | Saturday 1:30—3:00
The material covered in this clinic will be determined in large part by the interests and experience of the participants. Got a tune you want to run or a brick wall you’ve run into? Want some feedback on your playing? Bring it on and spend 90 minutes with both bassists from Django in June’s headline acts. If you don't ask the questions, I'm guessing they'll ask you some. Start digging with these two you can't help but hit pay dirt.
Learning Jazz Harmony On Your Ax | Matt Glaser | Saturday 1:30—3:00
What makes a melodic line sound like jazz? (As opposed to like blues, bluegrass or heavy metal?) According to Matt Glaser the answer is part craft, part art. The craft piece: learn to play 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th chords, with alterations, in arpeggios all across your instrument. The art piece involves knowing when and how to use these sounds. Come explore both with one of today’s leading jazz educators.
Mando Meet-Up | John McGann| Saturday 1:30—3:00
We've got a lot of clinics this weekend, including many for mixed instrumentation at which you mandophiles are welcome. But just in case you feel like flocking with your own to address a mid-day crisis that only other mandolin players will understand, here's your chance.
Let's Get Playing! | Robin Nolan| Saturday 4:00—5:30
Suitable for all levels this workshop will get straight to to learning some basic chord shapes and melodies through the most played 'Gypsy Jazz' standards in the repertoire. The class will spend the time internalising these tunes so you are ready to go out and start jammin'! Don't bring any note paper this is a hands on approach and has proved a winner over the years. No one will be left out and everyone can benefit from this introduction to Robin Nolan's take on Gypsy Jazz
Speaking the Jazz Language: Applying Theory to Soloing | John McGann | Saturday 4:00—5:30
With a modest amount of music theory (the basics of chord structure) combined with our all-important ears, we can build stronger and more interesting solos. We will do hands-on playing (and singing) of colorful scales, modes, arpeggios and chromatics as applied to common tunes in jazz, and develop creative melodic and rhythmic strategies for improvisation. No note reading needed!Chops and More Chops | Dennis | Saturday 4:00—5:30
There’s more to this music than just great chops. But then again – maybe you’ve noticed - it can be hard to fully participate in jams (not to mention gigs) without them. In this session Dennis will use examples drawn from the playing of the masters of the idiom to help you add a little turbo to your technique. (OK, OK, that "turbo" part...those are my words not his. But if I'm right and you roar out of this clinic at warp speed, you gonna complain?)
Mixing Bebop/Modern Ideas with Gypsy Jazz | Dennis | Sunday 10:00—11:30
What with over 60 years of jazz history behind us since Django’s death, you might want to incorporate bebop/modern ideas into your GJ playing, but without crossing over completely to straightahead jazz. Tricky dance, that, and Dennis can guide you across the floor as well as anyone.
Perfect your Swing | Jason Anick | Sunday 10:00—11:30
Getting a solid and authentic sounding swing feel on the violin can often be extremely difficult. For this workshop Jason will cover bowing and stylistic techniques that will help you perfect your swing. Everyone will take turns soloing over classic swing tunes like "Stompin' at the Decca" and "Lady be Good" and Jason will provide individual feedback on how to obtain that special swing feel.
La Musette for Accordion and Guitar | Dumoutier and Wrembel| Sunday 10:00—11:30
La Musette has a rich relationship with the Gypsy jazz tradition, one in which both styles of music have strongly influenced the other. Accordion players and guitarists are invited to come walk that meeting ground with two adepts, Stephane Wrembel and Didier Dumoutier. This clinic will consist of both time together and apart during which you'll explore some of the technical challenges and musical opportunities this repertoire offers. It would be a good idea to familiarize yourself somewhat with at least a couple musette melodies beforehand: try L'Indifference and Flambée Montalbanaise.
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