We are Jump, Jive & Django, a music production organization on a mission to bring jazz Manouche, swing Gitane and the music of the Tsigane (Rroma) from Europe to audiences in the USA.
For general inquiries, please get in touch with us at . For bookings, please contact us at . We look forward to your message and will reply as soon as possible. Thanks very much.
Keep reading to learn about the best sounds in the universe!
The story of Gypsy Jazz is the history of a convergence of peoples, musical genius, time and place to create a unique and enduring sound. The musical styles of New Orleans and Paris at the turn of the 20th century, the deeply musical culture of the tribes known as Gypsies, innovation in guitar design and the musical excellence of a group of happily allied world-class players gave us all a whole new way to swing.
Jazz was born in New Orleans, a diverse city united by the love of music and dance. At the turn of the 20th century, African-American and Creole musicians playing together in New Orleans created a new sound: not ragtime, spirituals, blues, or Creole, but everything all at once and yet more than the sum of its parts. It was jazz.
On the other side of the Atlantic, another group of people had been adapting to hardship with improvisation, music and dance for over half a millennium: the traveling folk known as Gypsies or Rroma. Having left Northern India after the turn of the first millennium and finding their own caravans to be the irreplaceable alternative to settled life, the Rroma compassed Europe. Like the originators of jazz, the Rroma incorporated everything they saw and heard into their music, bringing together the sounds and instruments of their life on the road and those of the countries in which they traveled.
The music of the Rroma is part of life on the road: played for fun, for family, and for profit. The style is melismatic and free, with improvisation playing an important role. A bit of swing, with musicians playing just behind the beat, is natural to the Rroma style. In eastern Europe, fusions ranging from Style Hongroise to Bulgarian Wedding Music arose. Eastern Europe is the musical heartland of the Rroma... but France is the center of the universe. Jazz and Gypsy music met in France and gave birth to Jazz Manouche and Swing Gitane.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Manouche, a Western European Rroma tribe related to the Sinti of Central Europe, contributed to the development in Paris of valse musette, a sound now inextricably linked to that city. Blue-collar immigrants to the city let off steam at dance halls, bringing together bagpipe folkdances from the Auvergne, German accordions and Italian songs. The Manouche contributed the banjo, and the non-Western scales that gave valse musette its trademark exotic sound.
In the 1930s and 40s, jazz crossed the Atlantic and disembarked in Europe, immediately seducing the musicians of the old continent. Though many thought valse musette and jazz couldn't mix, the best musicians knew better and played both. As the classic Claude Nougaro song says, "jazz et java copains", jazz and java (musette) must be buddies. Creative musicians were on fire for the freedom of jazz and the Manouche guitarist Django Reinhardt was no exception, finding the passion, dazzle and flair of Rroma impressarios alive in the heart of jazz.
The musical culture, guitars of the day and the creative musicianship of Django Reinhardt and his contemporaries gave rise to swing Manouche in the 1930s. Combining the freedom of jazz with Manouche heritage, musette training and an insatiable thirst for music in all its forms, Django and the Quintet du Hot Club de France developed a novel form of music with virtuosity, expressivity, improvisation and a string-based sound. Stéfane Grappelli, Oscar Alemán and Louis Vola fused their genius with Django's to give birth to the music later known as Gypsy Jazz when it came back home to the Manouche and Sinti, who folded their scion's works back into their own sound.
Before Django Reinhardt, the guitar was seen as an accompanist's instrument. Its now‐obvious potential for artistry and showmanship required technical innovation to allow the guitar to shout out over a band and a virtuoso — master note-bender Django, genuinely the first guitar hero — to highlight its virtues. When Mario Maccaferri built a resonator into the Selmer modèle Jazz guitar paired with steel strings, it increased the instrument's range to extend from whispering breezes to passionate thunderstorms. These dynamic guitars were a fit foil for Django's genius, enabling a new style of guitar-led jazz to grow atop deep traditions.
Paris was and is the place to hear sounds brought in by the spirit of the road. In the 1930s, musette accordionists and Manouche banjoists inspired each other. Musically curious Manouche musicians reinterpreted French songs and inspired French singers in return, each making the other more cool. Today, the accessible, authentic sound of swing Manouche carries the message of all that is joyous and haunting in humanity to everyone worldwide, as alive today as when it was first played.
Jump, Jive & Django is proud and excited to present some of the most exciting musicians in Jazz Manouche!
Samuel Farthing & Friends
Samuel Farthing is a 19 year old jazz swing guitarist from Ellicott City, Maryland, who started playing at age 10 and found the music of Django Reinhardt at age 13. He is now considered one of the finest young guitarists in the tradition of Jazz Manouche, performing in the US and internationally.
Eric Vanderbilt-Mathews is a multi-instrumental jazz musician. He began with violin at age four, piano at age five, and clarinet and saxophone in middle school. He's earned degrees in both Biology and Jazz Studies and currently showcases his award–winning talent in multiple jazz and swing bands.
Frank Petrilli is a Los Angeles-based jazz accordionist known for his impeccable phrasing and smooth, fluid style. A protégé and close friend of the late great Frank Morocco, Frank has performed on the TV series Mad Men and performs with renowned artists and at major festivals throughout the US and abroad.
Ron Fitzgerald toured as a teen guitarist before turning to jets, computers and space science. In retirement, he is delighted to return to his first love; swing, swing and more swing. Content to "keep the beat, and the band company" (with apologies to M. Knopfler), Ron also provides logistics, transcriptions, arrangements and setlists to keep the audience entertained, as well as handling all business for the group.
Keith Brush is the hottest upright bass player in town. He was performing with the Billings Symphony Orchestra by age 17 and has performed an instrumental role in Dirty Martini, The Dusty York Trio, The Tone Sharks, 1090 Club, The Bobby Torres Ensemble, The Stolen Sweets, Pete Krebs Trio and The Blue Cranes.
Evan Price
Evan Price is a recognized violinist versed in varied genres from square dance to blues, chamber music to championship fiddling, pop rock to Jazz Manouche. He is a world traveler, a 10-year veteran of the Turtle Island Quartet and 24-year veteran of The Hot Club of San Francisco who has graced venues from Iceland to Australia. Evan is also an accomplished composer, music faculty member and musical director of the International Space Orchestra.
Rudy Bado
Rudy Bado is a Rroma violinist born to a Slovakian family of professional musicians. He began to study classical music at age five and Jazz Manouche at age ten. He has continued the family tradition of Jazz Manouche, fused with his classical training to create an even more exciting style of music. Ireland was Rudy's first international platform, and he has widened his audiences to Brazil, the USA and greater Europe.
Florian Cristea
Award-winning violinist Florian Cristea was born to a family of Roma musicians in Romania. Classically trained and steeped in Gypsy and Eastern European folk music, Florian was recruited to Brazil to join the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra and has been living in Brazil for 21 years. He loved immersion in Brazilian music. For him it is perfectly natural to transition between varied styles based on his decades of dedication to the violin. Committed to Jazz Manouche, he also is adamant that music is one of Brazil's greatest gifts to the world. Florian's virtuosity brings the love of Jazz Manouche with a Brazilian touch to audiences in Brazil and internationally.
Hi all, it's been a couple of pandemic years, and we're working on getting back into the swing of things!
Djangofest Mill Valley has been cancelled due to COVID. We are disappointed of course, but the decision is reasonable and prudent. Jump, Jive & Django apologizes and looks forward a rescheduled show when the Samuel Farthing Sextet will be swinging around the clock later this year.
When we are there, come on around or be square!
The sextet features guitar prodigy Samuel Farthing, award‐winning multi‐instrumentalist Eric Vanderbilt‐Mathews, versatile violinist and world traveler Evan Price, impeccable jazz accordionist Frank Petrilli, swinging rhythm guitarist Ron Fitzgerald and all‐around sought‐after bassist Keith Brush.
We'd like to share with you some of the music we're making. Get up and dance, stamp and clap; let's hear the band!
We're celebrating our friends, the great and wonderful family of Jazz Manouche musicians! One thing's for sure: it don't mean a thing if it ain't Gypsy Style....
The Paulus Schäfer Trio with Dominique Paats at Theater aan het Vrijthof!
This guitar is a Selmer 4 cordes Grand Modele that was converted to a 6 string guitar by Marco Roccia after World War II. His conversions sound and play similarly to Selmer guitars.
Made by Bartolo Busato (1902-1960), this model was likely built in the early 1950s. It shows both Selmer Maccaferri and American archtop guitar features and has Busato's marque a fer stamped into the top.
Watch a bit of Django Sur Lennon 2019!
Jump, Jive & Django produced Swingtime in the Springtime, a concert at the Clatsop Community College Performing Arts Center on May 24, 2017 presenting Greg Ruby and the Rhythm Runners featuring Dennis Lichtman, Gordon Au, Carlie Halloran and Cassidy Holden; with the Neal Andersson Quartet featuring Troy Chapman, Cassidy Holden and Julian Smedley.
Jump, Jive & Django collaborated with Django Sur Lennon in production of the 2018 and 2019 festivals in Ramelton, Republic of Ireland. It was an absolute pleasure and immense honor to work with international stars and rising talents of Jazz Manouche and Gypsy Swing in beautiful Ireland!
Jump, Jive & Django proudly represents Samuel Farthing & Friends, featuring eighteen year‐old swing guitarist Samuel Farthing, Frank Morocco protégé Frank Petrilli, rhythm guitarist Ron Fitzgerald and friends including polymath jazz prodigy Eric Vanderbilt‐Mathews, gypsy violinist Rudy Bado and versatile bass stalwart Bernardo Gomez.
Jump, Jive & Django was excited to present the Samuel Farthing Sextet at DjangoFest Northwest 2021, featuring guitar prodigy Samuel Farthing, award‐winning multi‐instrumentalist Eric Vanderbilt‐Mathews, impeccable jazz accordionist Frank Petrilli, swinging rhythm guitarists Ron Fitzgerald and Troy Chapman, and all‐around sought‐after bassist Keith Brush.
Djangofest Mill Valley has been cancelled due to COVID. We are disappointed of course, but the decision is reasonable and prudent. Jump, Jive & Django apologizes and looks forward a rescheduled show when the Samuel Farthing Sextet will be swinging around the clock later this year.
When we are there, come on around or be square!
The sextet features guitar prodigy Samuel Farthing, award‐winning multi‐instrumentalist Eric Vanderbilt‐Mathews, versatile violinist and world traveler Evan Price, impeccable jazz accordionist Frank Petrilli, swinging rhythm guitarist Ron Fitzgerald and all‐around sought‐after bassist Keith Brush.
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Jump, Jive & Django is a music promotional organization based in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to expand the public's awareness and understanding of Gypsy (Rroma) music, with a focus on jazz Manouche, swing Gitane and the music of the Tsigane (Rroma) of Western, Central and Eastern Europe. Our goal is to facilitate understanding of the music of the Rroma by music audiences and to educate audiences in the history and unique sound of this dispersed culture.
To carry out our mission, we produce and promote music performances by noted European and American artists in the tradition of the Gitane, Manouche and other Tsiganes (Rroma) of Western, Central and Eastern Europe. We provide representation and arrangement of all logistical and performance requirements for performances in select American live music venues, to create opportunities for musicians to present their artistry for the enjoyment and appreciation of American audiences. To help preserve and disseminate this music, we provide for recordings, publications and broadcasts.
As part of Jump, Jive & Django's educational mission, we sponsor composer retrospectives and benefit performances at schools and universities, bring musicians to music festivals and summer residencies, organize workshops, and provide lectures, demonstrations, and coaches for student players. In addition, Jump, Jive & Django sponsors research into the traditional and innovative music of the Rroma and commissions new works by respected artists in these traditions.
For general inquiries, please get in touch with us at . For bookings, please contact us at . We look forward to your message and will reply as soon as possible. Thanks very much.
Jump, Jive & Django is supported by the musicians with whom we work and by music-loving audiences.