Paris is an amazing and inspiring place to study gypsy jazz. I found a place to buy a guitar the second day here and have been practicing every day. Which is awesome because I haven’t really had the time to do that since last summer! So the first few days in Paris I did a bunch of touristy stuff like see the Eiffel Tower, Le Champs Elysees, Le Louvre, Le Palais Royal, and many others. I’ve done tons of walking! It’s a bummer that it has been raining so much. And when it’s not raining the wind is blowing so hard! Im reminded of this video I saw a few years ago.
But nothing can really get me that bummed while in Paris! It really is a beautiful and romantic city.
So after I got being a tourist out of my system I was able to settle in an get studying and practicing. I’ve been getting up every morning and getting myself a delightful breakfast at a boulangerie or sitting down at a café and reading over un café et tartine avec un jus d’orange. C’est très français n’est pas? Then after breakfast I come home and practice for a hew hours, sitting in front of my big open window in my room (the picture below the view from my room). Not a bad pace to practice!
Every afternoon and evening I spend out in the city walking around seeing what there is to see. listening to street performers, sitting at cafés reading (but mostly people watching), and best of all, listening to gypsy jazz at wonderful little clubs, restaurants and bars. I am fully immersed in exactly what I came here to study! Im reading, listening, and practicing this incredibly style of jazz all in the city where it was born. I can think of no better way to learn the art form.
This week I have continued to read the book I read last week called Gypsy Jazz by Michael Dergni. He goes into a bit about Django Reinhardt’s life growing up and his progression as a musician. What makes the guitar style in jazz manouche so different from other form of jazz is the way Django was forced to relearn how to play guitar after is fretting hand was totally scorched when his caravan caught on fire. His ring and pinky finger were totally paralized after he recovered. So this new style of guitar playing that people musicians still learn and play even with all there fingers working, was born from Django’s terribly accident but amazing drive to still play guitar. Even though no one thought he would ever play again.
The term jazz Manouche comes from the name of the Romani people that Django was apart of. In Paris there live the Gitans, Tsiganes (or Tziganes), Manouches, Romanichels, Bohémiens, and the Sintis. In much of continental Europe, Romanis are known by names cognate to the Greek term τσιγγάνοι (tsinganoi).
The Romani (or Gypsy) culture is rich and beautiful and so full or art. I wish there was a way for me to experience more of it while here. This upcoming weekend I look forward to heading up north just outside of paris where le marche aux puces de saint-ouen is. This is the flee market where Django grew up and strummed his banjo on the streets and in the bals at night. I will be able to see where his caravan was once parked and some of the old bals where he used to play. Many of them are now turned into night clubs that bump electronic dance tunes all night which is awesome but it would have been cool to hear the valses, chansons, cabrettes, the outlawed java, and of course jazz manouche!
This week I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with Rai, her daughter Taj, and Tristan. It’s great to experience this wonderfully city with people I know. Almost every night we have been able to hear live music, and luckily for me they have been into listening to gypsy jazz! We have eaten so much good food and drank so many wonderful cocktails and glasses of wine together.
Tristan and me at a little Fondue Restaurant
Taj, Rai and I at Le Sacre Coure
Us working on our blogs together…….
Having our cinco de mayo tequila shots while listening to a Parisian jazz duo. And we had escargot! It was so good!
May 7, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Glad to see you’re enjoying paris and hanging out with Tristan and Rai! It’s a very grey rainy place, indeed. Reminds me of Olympia. I think that’s why most people romanticize paris at night: all the lights peering against a dark back drop.
There’s a lot of walking and shopping to be done there especially if you’re into fashion. Very long streets, very wide, too. I eventually started using the metro when I was there and got lost a lot. Parlais vous francais? I don’t.
I spent the most time at the louvre. How did you feel about seeing the Mona Lisa in person?
Such an inspiring story of the creation of Manouche Jazz. I’d love to see some examples of the musicians you’re coming upon there. The Romanian culture is huge in France but i’d never heard of this style of music descending from the gypsy’s.
Keep on enjoying the most decadent wines, cheeses and Jazz. I look forward to following more of your journey!
May 8, 2015 at 1:35 pm
Aaron,
So glad to hear you finally made it to Paris! I’m quite interested in the guitar you bought. Do you plan on bringing it back with you? What it’s design/shape? Is it a gypsy guitar? I happened across a luthier whop here in Bergen that had several handmade gypsy guitars for sale. So many more questions on it, but I’m sure we’ll be able to talk in depth about it when we both get back. I’m quite envious of that view for practicing. I’m interested in whether or not you’ve been practicing gypsy jazz while learning about the genre. If so, it would be great to hear you play it sometime, no matter how much! It seems like the weather may not have been great, but it’s probably giving you a truly authentic experience. I haven’t had the best weather while here in Bergen, but it’s certainly normal, so I can’t complain about lack of true immersion with the regular Bergen! Where are you staying while in Paris? Is it near a lot of clubs, or are you having to walk a far way to get there? Whether it’s close or far, I’m sure it’s worth it from what you’ve said. It’s good to hear that you’ve connected with classmates while there. I’m somewhat envious of that! I want to know more about the city itself, as well, which I’m sure you’ll talk about more in depth in future posts. Please keep up the great work and detail, your journey is truly a fascinating one!
May 8, 2015 at 6:39 pm
Awesome that you’re in Paris now. Cool that you’ve seem to have balanced the touristy aspects of visiting Paris with some personal interests. Most of the stories I’ve heard about visiting Paris are actually pretty sour, and simply visiting the tourist traps. Your story about Django Reinhart was interesting and reminds me a lot of Tony Iommi when he was playing guitar for Black Sabbath. I think he lost his pinky in an accident of some sort, and to make it easier to play bar chords on his guitar he tuned it down a step or two. Thus formed his distinctive “doom metal” sound. It sounds like you’re learning a lot about the musical styles popular in France which is cool too. Hope to see what you have to say about it next week.
May 9, 2015 at 2:34 pm
Sounds like an amazing time you are having in Paris! Did you find any interesting or unexpected pieces of history in sightseeing the Eiffel Tower, Le Champs Elysees, Le Louvre, Le Palais Royal, and many more? What were they like? Did they live up to the pictures? Did you find that you romanticized Paris more than what it is? Or did you go to Paris with no idea of what the reality would be like? You have a great overview of Jazz band culture. So glad you have such a clear exploration path. Have you explored other kinds of shows ? You are going to North Paris to see where Django played! This will give you great imagery for the book, even if things have changed. Seeing the location makes it real. What do you mean outlawed java? I’m taking this literally! Do you mean that coffee was illegal? If so, thank goodness it’s not! Speaking of drinks, looks like you, Tristan, Rai, and Taj had a great time! Very decadent to have drinks and Escargot. Did you have a culture shock? Are you adjusting to the language?