Harris Center Winter 2018-2019

Django Festival AllStars
Wednesday, November 28, 2018; 7:30 pm
The DJANGO FESTIVAL ALLSTARS carry on the legacy of the
great great 'gypsy' guitarist DJANGO REINHARDT HOT JAZZ at
is best! It's star, DORADO SCHMITT, from the Lorraine region of
France, is a Manouche gypsy legend in the true style of DJANGO.
The band grew out of the very successful DJANGO REINHARDT
FESTIVAL going into its 18th successful year in America with
its home at Birdland and major tours across the country. Hailed
by Leonardo Dicaprio as some of the greatest musicians in the
world, Dicaprio has become their greatest fan!
"DORADO SCHMITT'S virtuosity was on full display
via lightning-fast finger work, powerful strumming,
wild sweeps across the fingerboard and astonishingly
fast tempos. Schmitt displayed complete mastery of
Gypsy jazz guitar technique while frequently
alluding to the trademark elements of Reinhardt's
style: darting arpeggios, fretboard-sweeping slides,
half-and whole-note bends, sparkling harmonics,
vocal-like phrasing." LA Times
PERFORMERS
Dorado Schmitt.......................Lead Guitar And Violin
Amati Schmitt............................................Lead Guitar
Ludovic Beier.....................Accordion And Accordina
Pierre Blanchard..................................................Violin
Francko Mehrstein...............................Rhythm Guitar
Gino Roman............................................................Bass
"The collective talent pool on the bandstand is larger
than the arc de triomphe. " Wall Street Journal
At the Newport Jazz Festival, Downbeat wrote...
"A standout performance."
Dorado Schmitt
HOT JAZZ harkens back to the 30's and 40's in Europe where
DJANGO teamed with top Jazz Violinist STEPHANE GRAPPELLI
to create The HOT CLUB QUINTETTE of France ...the greatest
musical partnership in European Jazz history. The DJANGO
FESTIVAL ALLSTARS follow in their footsteps taking the music
beyond with original compositions, hip improvisations and
some of Django's lasting greats. This 'hot-swing' form of jazz
has its roots in American popular music and in the reverence for
Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and other top American jazz
figures. They swing like crazy and will break your heart with a
ballad. Each of them are composers and while this music can
harken back to the great music of the past, their interpretations,
arrangements, virtuosity, and original compositions bring a
newness to Django's style and take it beyond.
The DJANGO REINHARDT FESTIVAL is going into its 19th
successful year with packed houses at its home, the legendary
music club Birdland, in New York City-and tours at prestigious
halls across the country such as Rose Hall/Jazz at Lincoln
Center, Disney Hall in LA, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center,
The San Francisco Festival, and The Hollywood Bowl and many
more.These world-class musicians, who arefrom France, The
DJANGO FESTIVAL ALLSTARS, are led by legendary gypsy
guitarist/violinist Dorado Schmitt and are the best players to
come out of the Festival. They return to New York twice a year,
Summer and Fall, for six days, 12 sold out shows at Birdland
and tours. They just performed at the prestigious Carnegie Hall
to a packed House.
www.harriscenter.net WINTER 2018 PROGRAM GUIDE 31