Django in June

Weekend Offerings

Our weekend option is for musicians who would like to get in on the action at Django in June, but 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 à 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 musicians over the course of the weekend.

When you've made your selections and you are ready to register, surf on over to Tickets and Registration. C'est logique!

 

About the Clinics, Schedule and Levels

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 studying Gypsy jazz in the United States, "experts" are few and far between. 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. It's safe to say that there is nowhere else this side of the Atlantic where you will find such a rich diversity of educational offering for students of Gypsy jazz across levels and instruments. Please take advantage of the opportunity to the fullest!

There are two tables below, one devoted to Friday and Saturday and another one for a smaller collection of clinics on Sunday morning. The clinics in the first table have been organized into categories which are shown in the far left hand column. You may want to scan that column first to get a sense for your options. These categories have been further organized into four broader groups (divided by the horizontal black lines), as follows:

1. Introductory offerings for guitarists and violinists. Great weekend "packages" for newcomers.
2. Clinics organized by instrument; some also organized by level.
3. Improvisation clinics which allow for mixed instrumentation, most of which are organized by level.
4. Facilitated jams with space for Q & A with the teachers, all organized by level.

Every clinic is color-coded to indicate the proficiency of the players to which it will be geared. The key to the color code is just above the table. Here are a couple important points about the levels:

• Introductory clinics are introductions to the topic at hand, but not to the instrument. All our clinics assume a base level of competency on your instrument. You will also do well to familiarize yourself with at least a few tunes in our core repertoire before attending. You can find them under the "Get Ready Musically" pages.
• Similarly, just because you are an "advanced" flatpicker or jazz guitarist does not necessarily mean you are ready for an advanced level Gypsy jazz clinic, especially when it comes to rhythm guitar and right hand technique. If you decide to attend an advanced clinic and find it beyond your level of ability in the style, feel free to observe and absorb what you can, but please do not expect the teacher to bring things down to your level. This is one of very few places in the country where dedicated GJ players can be "met" and challenged and that's the primary objective of the advanced clinics.

Ready to register? Tickets and Registration would be the place. C'est logique!

Clinic Schedule

You can click on any category (left hand column) for descriptions of all the clinics shown in the row devoted to it, or just scroll down the page to see descriptions of everything. Please note that biographical information about our clinicians is not included here. For that, visit the Staff/Artists page.

Level 1 (Intro)

Level 2 (Intermediate)

Level 3 (Advanced)

Appropriate for players at all levels

Category	Friday 4 - 5:30			Saturday 10 - 11:30			Saturday 1:30 - 3			Saturday 4 - 5:30
Intro to Gypsy Jazz for Guitarists	Chord Voicings & La Pompe Chang			Gypsy Picking Horowitz			Rhythm Beyond 'La Pompe' Brouwer			GJ Improv Fundamentals Soref
Improvisor's Toolkit for Violinists	Improvisor's Toolkit Lieberman			Improvisor's Toolkit Lieberman			Improvisor's Toolkit Lieberman			Improvisor's Toolkit Lieberman
Rhythm Guitar	Swing Waltz Rhythm Brouwer (& others)			Pomping for Fapy: Voet (& others)			GJ Latin Rhythms Gonzalo (& others)			Rhythm With Two Guitars: Rom & Chang
Lead Guitar Technique	Plectrum Technique Voet			Building Speed Chang			Unaccompanied Django Horowitz			Essentials of GJ Technique Gonzalo
Mandolin				Django on Mando: McGann			Grappelli on Mando McGann
Violin	Trademark Grappelli Licks Kliphuis						Playing Minor on the Dominant Kliphuis
Accordion	Waltz Study Wantenaar (& others)						Latin GJ on Accordion Wantenaar (& others)
Bass	Swing Waltzes on Bass Planting (& others)			Swinging La Pompe on Bass Planting (& others)			Latin Gypsy Jazz Bass Planting (& others)
Improvisation (Mixed instruments)	Intro to Improv: Minor Blues TBA			Intro to Improv: Dominant Blues TBA			Intro to Improv: The ii-V-I Progression Kruno
	Improv Concepts McGann			Adding Tension to Your Solos: Gonzalo			Melodic Lines with Breath Voet			Deepening the Swing Groove McGann
Facilitated Jams with Q&A	Kruno			Brouwer/Wantenaar			Chang/Trigo			Kruno
	Rom/Trigo/Soref			Rom/Kliphuis			TBA			Brouwer / Wantenaar
	Gonzalo			Kruno/Trigo			Rom/Hardt			Kliphuis

 

Sunday Morning Clinics 10:30 - 12 (Descriptions)
Small Group Coaching Denis Chang Quartet		Balkan Styles and Rhythms Kruno		Putting it All Together Gonzalo		Questions, Answers & Coaching Tim Kliphuis		Questions, Answers and Coaching Pigalle 44

 

Clinic Descriptions

For biographical info on the clinicians, please see the Staff/Artists page.

Intro to Gypsy Jazz for Guitarists: Looking for a well-rounded intro to Gypsy jazz guitar? Let us make it simple for you: sign up for all five of these clinics and you are on your way.

Chord Voicings & La Pompe with Denis Chang / Friday 4-5:30 An intro to the classic rhythm guitar style that sets Gypsy jazz most clearly apart from American style Swing, la Pompe. In the course of this clinic, Denis will also cover the most common GJ chord voicings which, again, are not typique.

Gypsy Picking with Michael Horowitz / Saturday 10-11:30 In many ways, Michael Horowitz changed the rules of the pedagogical game with the publication of his first GJ text, Gypsy Picking, which is devoted to the distinctive right hand technique employed by Django and virtually all of his heirs. An essential part of every guitarist's GJ education.

Rhythm Beyond 'La Pompe' Jan Brouwer / Saturday 1:30-3 As important as la Pompe is, there are many rhythmic styles used in the GJ tradition, including waltzes and Latin rhythms. Come try several with Pigalle44's Jan Brouwer.

GJ Improv Fundamentals / Jack Soref / Saturday 4-5:30 If you are relatively new to improvising within this idiom, this clinic will introduce you to some of the most basic elements of what you might call the GJ "improvisational vocabulary", along with some useful pointers on lead guitar technique. Jack Soref of Boston's Sinti Rhythm will not only help you get your flights of improv off the ground, but pointed in the right direction for further learning.

Putting it all Together | Gonzalo Bergara | Sunday 10:30-12 For those of you who have taken all (or some) of our intro offerings during Django Camp or the weekend, here's an opportunity to wrap up the week by applying what you've learned to a couple classic tunes from our core repertoire under the tutelage of Gonzalo Bergara. No great expectations and certainly no judgement...just see what you can create together, get a few tips from Gonzalo, and then...à Dieu mes amis!

Improvisor's Toolkit: This special offering is intended primarily for violinists who are relatively new to improv in general and/or Gypsy jazz in particular. For more info on the classes themselves and registration options see this page.

Improvisor's Toolkit / Julie Lieberman / Afternoons daily & all day Saturday Please note that Julie's classes are open for weekend participation starting at 1:30 on Friday. For more on this special offering, including registration "packages", please see the page devoted to the Improvisor's Toolkit.

Rhythm Guitar Clinics: Rhythm guitar is the foundation of this genre. Make sure your foundation is deep and wide with this selection of rhythm guitar offerings. You could do nothing but this all weekend and be well served.

Waltz Study / Jan Brouwer / Friday 4-5:30 Django himself started out accompanying accordionists in cafes devoted to la Musette and it was the fertile cross-pollination of Gypsy Swing and popular waltz music that gave birth to one of the most distinctive sub-genres of Gypsy jazz, the Swing Waltz. In this collaborative clinic, Jan Brouwer, Gert Wantenaar and Simon Planting will work seperately with guitarists, accordionists and bass players (respectively) on instrument-specific elements of playing waltzes well. Then we'll bring everyone together and run—I mean, waltz—a tune or two.

Pomping for Fapy / Reinier Voet/ Saturday 10-11:30 Safe to say: if Fapy Lafertin gives you the gig as his accompanist, you know your pompe. (Or, Fapy might call it, "d'n klop") Reinier Voet had just that gig for several years and has also worked closely with Jimmy Rosenberg. Just in case either of those guys should call you and ask if you're available for a show, you should know what they're looking for in this most basic of rhythm styles. What luck...Reinier has offered to tell you! Guitarists will be joined by Simon Planting and his merry band of bassists for the latter part of the clinic to put the pieces together.

Latin Rhythms / Gonzalo Bergara / Saturday 1:30-3 From the get-go, Django was fascinated by Latin rhythms and several—Tango, Bolero, Bossa Nova, etc.—have become mainstays of the genre. In this collaborative clinic, Gonzalo, Gert Wantenaar and Simon Planting will work seperately with guitarists, accordionists and bass players (respectively) on instrument-specific elements of playing Latin rhythms. Then we'll gather, put the pieces together and see if anyone dances. (That's the test, after all.)

Rhythm with Two Guitars / Denis Chang and Romain Vuillemin / Saturday 4-5:30 Unless you're playing alone or in a duo all the time, you find yourself with more than one guitar in the rhythm role on occasion. What are the opportunities and challenges of this situation? Two fantastic rhythm guitarists are here to explore just that question with you.

Balkan Styles and Rhythms / Kruno Spisic / Sunday 10:30-12 Many of the great European Gypsy jazz guitarists both past (Matelo Ferret comes to mind) and present (Angelo Debarre, for one) were/are as familiar with traditional music of Eastern Europe as with Django's brand of Swing. For many of us, these traditions seem impossibly complex technically intimidating and just plain foreign. In this clinic, Kruno Spisic will open the door onto a world most of us have not yet traveled so we can get a foot—or a hand—in.

Also check out the rhythm guitar offerings under "Intro to Gypsy Jazz Guitar", above.

Lead Guitar Technique Clinics: GJ right hand technique is very different from what most of us have learned in the context of other musical styles. Most of the clinics under this heading will provide an opportunity to learn how the guitarists on our staff have approached developing their personal technique, whatever it may be. Also under this heading you'll get an intro to Michael Horowitz's study of Django's solo repertoire, Unaccompanied Django. (Now there's a technical challenge for you!)

Plectrum Technique / Reinier Voet/ Friday 4-5:30 Trained at both the conservatory and the Gypsy campgrounds, Pigalle44's Reinier Voet has right hand fingers in two pies that are both in Holland, but worlds apart. Pies, fingers...I just know there's something about "licks" we can get in here. Come find out.

Building Speed / Denis Chang/ Saturday 10-11:30 Let me guess: you've got the basics of Gypsy Picking but you have trouble getting your lines up to speed. Well friend, you may be a unique individual in every other respect, but not this one. Let Denis Chang help you over your hump and get headed toward the next plateau.

Unaccompanied Django / Michael Horowitz / Saturday 1:30-3 OK, so this is more than just a study of "technique". It's also full of great melodic ideas, rhythmic invention, classic Django cliches and all the brilliance of the master in some of his most impromptu performances. All documented and presented with Michael Horowitz's characteristic thoroughness and precision. So sue me. Still, take this.

Essentials of GJ Technique / Gonzalo Bergara / Saturday 4-5:30 In record time, Gonzalo Bergara has moved from a newbie to the top echelons of US Gypsy jazz. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that he's got a few technical pointers that would be useful to hear, try and then take out to la remise à bois. (That would be the woodshed to you.)

Mandolin Clinics: Please note that in addition to these mando-specific clinics, mandolin players have a variety of other options for participating in clinics for mixed instrumentation, including some led by John McGann.

Django on Mando / John McGann / Saturday 10-11:30 John McGann has made a serious study of adapting both Django and Grappelli solos to mandolin. In this pair of clinics he'll share both general guidelines he's gleaned from this work as well as specific examples drawn from his own transcriptions. Open to all levels; customized to those who step up.

Grappelli on Mando / John McGann / Saturday 1:30-3 (See description above)

Violin Clinics: Please note that in addition to these violin-specific clinics, our fretless friends have a variety of other options for participating in clinics for mixed instrumentation as well as Julie Lieberman's Improvisor's Toolkit.

Trademark Grappelli Licks / Tim Kliphuis/ Friday 4-5:30 Taking his new Mel Bay release Stephane Grappelli Gypsy Jazz Violin as a starting point, Tim will focus on vintage Grappelli. Made to fit several keys, often both Major and Minor, these licks work on hundreds of tunes and will give you a handle on the Grappelli sound. Workshop participants enter a free prize draw and have a chance of winning a copy of Tim's Mel Bay book!

Playing Minor on the Dominant / Tim Kliphuis/ Saturday 1:30-3 The Dominant chord is one of the most-played chords in jazz. Lots of Dominant phrases involve a very standard set of licks. The Minor approach gives us inspiration to find new notes that sound jazzy and yet natural - Grappelli used it a lot. Once you have the Dominant Minor in your head it opens up a new range of possibilities.

Accordion Clinics: Please note that in addition to these instrument-specific clinics, accordion players have a variety of other options for participating in clinics for mixed instrumentation, including some led by Gert Wantenaar.

Waltz Study / Gert Wantenaar/ Friday 4-5:30 Django himself started out accompanying accordionists in cafes devoted to la Musette and it was the fertile cross-pollination of Gypsy Swing and popular waltz music that gave birth to one of the most distinctive sub-genres of Gypsy jazz, the Swing Waltz. In this collaborative clinic, Jan Brouwer, Gert Wantenaar and Simon Planting will work seperately with guitarists, accordionists and bass players (respectively) on instrument-specific elements of playing waltzes well. Then we'll bring everyone together and run—I mean, waltz—a tune or two.

Latin Jazz on Accordion / Gert Wantenaar/ Saturday 1:30-3 From the get-go, Django was fascinated by Latin rhythms and several—Tango, Bolero, Bossa Nova, etc.—have become mainstays of the genre. In this collaborative clinic, Gonzalo, Gert Wantenaar and Simon Planting will work seperately with guitarists, accordionists and bass players (respectively) on instrument-specific elements of playing Latin rhythms and tunes. Then we'll gather, put the pieces together and see if anyone dances. (That's the test, after all.)

Bass Clinics: Please note that in addition to these clinics, bass players have a variety of other options for participating in those for mixed instrumentation.

Swing Waltzes on Bass / Simon Planting / Friday 4-5:30 Django himself started out accompanying accordionists in cafes devoted to la Musette and it was the fertile cross-pollination of Gypsy Swing and popular waltz music that gave birth to one of the most distinctive sub-genres of Gypsy jazz, the Swing Waltz. In this collaborative clinic, Jan Brouwer, Gert Wantenaar and Simon Planting will work seperately with guitarists, accordionists and bass players (respectively) on instrument-specific elements of playing waltzes well. Then we'll bring everyone together and run—I mean, waltz—a tune or two.

Swinging la Pompe on Bass / Simon Planting / Saturday 10-11:30 This clinic is a companion to Reinier Voet's rhythm guitar clinic, Pomping for Fapy. Like Reinier, Simon Planting has worked closely with Fapy Lafertin and other Dutch masters of the style for many years. Now he'll help you understand the specific dynamics between bass and "d'n klop" (a Dutch/Roma expression Fapy uses to describe the Hot Club rhythm guitar). Guitarists and bassists will start seperately, then finish together with a jam exam.

Latin Gypsy Jazz / Simon Planting / Saturday 1:30-3 From the get-go, Django was fascinated by Latin rhythms and several—Tango, Bolero, Bossa Nova, etc.—have become mainstays of the genre. In this collaborative clinic, Gonzalo Bergara, Gert Wantenaar and Simon Planting will work seperately with guitarists, accordionists and bass players (respectively) on instrument-specific elements of playing Latin rhythms. Then we'll gather, put the pieces together and see if anyone dances. (That's the test, after all.)

Improvisation Clinics: Here you'll find three intro-level clinics and four for players who are building beyond that foundation. The intro clinics will be oriented largely toward guitarists. (Violinists looking for intro-level improvisation classes should consider Julie Lieberman's Improvisor's Toolkit or one of Tim Kliphuis' offerings). The intermediate and advanced level improv classes are suitable for all instruments. Be sure to look for other improv-oriented clinics under other categories as well.

Intro to Improv: Minor Blues / instructor TBA / Friday 4-5:30 An intro to managing minors. Unruly bunch, till you make friends with them.

Intro to Improv: Dominant Blues / instructor TBA / Saturday 10-11:30 It doesn't get more basic than the Blues, but still, this ain't no Stevie Ray Vaughan jam. A gentle intro to la Blues, Django-style.

Intro to Improv: ii-V-I / Kruno Spisic / Saturday 1:30-3 If you don't know what those Roman numerals mean, come find out. If you do know what they mean, but don't know what to do with them, come find out.

Improvisation Concepts / John McGann / Friday 4-5:30 Django was a genius composer and improviser with amazing ears. Learning to hear the vocabulary of jazz is a challenge for many people who are grounded in triad based styles such as folk and rock music. In this workshop, we'll explore the sounds that make swing music sound the way it does, and develop a deeper understanding of the crucial chord/melody relationships. We'll start with triads, and extend them into 7th chords, and discuss "tensions", chord scales, phrasing, compositional soloing techniques, etc. John adds: "Be sure to bring a recording device, as there will be enough information and practice techniques to keep you busy through the rest of your life!"

Adding a Little Tension to Your Solos / Gonzalo Bergara/ Saturday 10-11:30 Shedding on your arpeggios and knowing how to play straight over the chord changes is critically important. But sometimes a guy or gal needs a little tension in their solo, just to perk the ears up a bit. In this intermediate level clinic, Gonzalo will share some of his (and Django's) approaches to doing just that.

Melodic Lines with Breath / Reinier Voet / Saturday 1:30-3 Maybe you've noticed that, unlike wind instrument players, guitarists don't have to breath. Well OK, to be more exact, the player has to breath, but the line doesn't: it can go on and on and on...and it often does, pointlessly. Listen to any of Reinier's arrangements or solos and you can hear lines that pause, that breath. For all Django's technical brilliance, he too let his lines (and the listener's ear) come up for air. Come explore this suble, critical topic with fellow breathers.

Deepening the Swing Groove / John McGann / Saturday 4-5:30 Of all the elements of playing music, good time feel is probably the most important. A great melodic idea delivered with poor rhythm doesn't get across to the listener; conversely, a simple idea played with excellent feel will always connect. We tend to focus so much on technique and harmony that our sense of rhythm is often left underdeveloped. In this workshop, we'll explore how to get deeper into the groove by using a basic metronome- a wonderful, inexpensive, portable tool that can be one of your best investments. It is really fun when you get the hang of swinging with the bare bones of a "click". Again, John invites you to bring a recording device.

Facilitated Jams with Q&A: These clinics do not have a set topic, so they are not described seperately below. Here's the idea: facilitated jams offer the opportunity for questions, challenges and points of interest to arise where they will most naturally: while playing together. If nothing arises but the pure joy of jamming, so much the better. These are intended for players of intermediate to advanced abilities since, by definition, Level 1 players aren't ready to just dive into a jam. If you think you can at least keep up with the rhythm, though, by all means, join in.

 

Sunday Morning Clinics : These clinics start a half hour later than the rest of our morning classes because folks are likely to have been up late the night before. They offer a few nice ways to wrap up your weekend with us: tie up loose ends; get some more personal attention from the artists whose performances you've just enjoyed; try something new and different. Then hit the road and we'll see you next year. Latcho drom!

Small Group Coaching / Denis Chang Quartet/ Sunday 10:30 - 12 If you've come to Django in June with a friend or a working band and would like some feedback on how you are working together, here's your last chance. Denis and other members of his quartet have made this sort of work a focus for the past year and word on la rue is that people find it very helpful. Come with a ready-made ensemble or pull one together on the spot...there's take-away for everyone in attendance.

Balkan Styles and Rhythms / Kruno Spisic / Sunday 10:30-12 Many of the great European Gypsy jazz guitarists both past (Matelo Ferret comes to mind) and present (Angelo Debarre, for one) were/are as familiar with traditional music of Eastern Europe as with Django's brand of Swing. For many of us, these traditions seem impossibly complex, technically intimidating and just plain foreign. In this clinic, Kruno Spisic will open the door onto a world most of us have not yet traveled so we can get a foot—or a hand—in.

Putting it all Together | Gonzalo Bergara | Sunday 10:30-12 For those of you who have taken all (or some) of our intro offerings during Django Camp or the weekend, here's an opportunity to wrap up the weekend by applying what you've learned to a couple classic tunes from our core repertoire under the tutelage of Gonzalo Bergara. No great expectations and certainly no judgement...just see what you can create together, get a few pointers from Gonzalo, and then...à Dieu mes amis!

Questions, Answers & Coaching / Tim Kliphuis/ Sunday 10:30 - 12 Open Q&A with Tim Kliphuis before everyone hits the road. Surely you still have something to ask about. If not, just play him a little something and he'll take it from there.

Questions, Answers and Coaching / Pigalle44 / Sunday 10:30 - 12 Open Q&A with Reinier and Jan before everyone hits the road. Surely you still have something to ask about. If not, just play them a little something and they'll take it from there.

Ready to Register? Surf on over to Tickets and Registration.