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DjangoFest NW 2010
Workshop Descriptions.



Thursday, Sep 23

Robin Nolan
“Let’s Kick Ass!”
Special DjangoFest NW
10th Anniversary Workshop.

When you walk away from this workshop on your way to the Djam you will have a new found confidence in your playing and more to the point a new stash of Ninja moves which will make your playing sound better than ever before.

It is my mission to give as much of what I know about music, the guitar, and Gypsy Jazz to you within the short amount of time we have to share together.

In my workshops we sit in a circle so we can all see each other and are included in the music making. Guitars are out of their cases, in tune and ready to go.

All you need bring is your instrument and your passion for Gypsy Jazz.

Within the framework of some Gypsy Jazz classics I will show you some of my favorite and most useful ideas.

I’ll help you eliminate uncertainty from your soloing with my “Anti Waffle” approach.

Let’s get to the bottom of playing ‘le pompe’ swing rhythm. I have developed a foolproof method of teaching this essential skill. If you can count to 4 your almost there. We’ll also learn the coolest rhythm embellishments and exactly where to put them.

We’ll look at Bossa Dorado and I’ll teach some Ninja moves that kick ass over that tune. Also the Gypsy Bossa rhythm which is vital to get right.

We will hone in on some major key swingers like ‘Djangology’, ‘All of Me’ & ‘J’attendrai’ and learn some cool lead lines as well as chordal ideas and voicings which will have you playing these tunes with new depth and confidence.

We’ll do the same with some minor key swingers like ‘Minor Blues’ ‘Minor Swing’ & ‘Swing Gitane’ learning some spicy gypsy licks over these tunes, as well as some from my own personal stash.

I’ll show you some killer ways of approaching ‘Nuages’ (Django’s most famous ballad) which will encompass both harmonic & rhythmical options giving you a new and fresh look at this musical jem.

So if your ready to start Djamming with way more confidence and skill pronto, plus have some serious fun at the same time then make your move now and sign up for this unique experience while there’s still spaces left.

I’m really looking forward to Django Fest North West this year especially as it’s the 10^th year anniversary of the festival and doubly so as it’s Django’s 100th!

See you there and let’s kick ass!
.

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Gonzalo Bergara
The Gypsy Swing Workshop

My main interest is to show you how to teach yourself to play this stuff, share all the advice that has helped me tremendously through all this time. There are two main subjects I'd like to cover, technique and knowledge.

During the technique section we'll talk about both right hand and left hand. We all know how important the right hand is for this style so we have to get that right. The left hand we'll cover fingering, ways to connect all together, vibrato, timing and whatever else we can think of.

The knowledge section is about getting really familiar with the notes on your guitar. You need to know the neck of the guitar better than you know your name. How to practice!!! There are many tips on how to practice more efficiently. I also want to talk about swing!! Django was always swinging.

Finally we'll cover melodies, how to be more musical, to understand tension and release and to start making music in a guitar solo.

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Alfonso Ponticelli
Licks and Tricks

Many tools will be presented by Alfonso Ponticelli of Swing Gitan for the guitarist to assist him in weaving his own unique and original musical creations. The focus of this workshop will be on specific gypsy and jazz techniques including a healthy variety of Licks & Tricks! Different approaches to the art of guitar accompaniment will also be explored, including the influence of Flamenco rhythms in gypsy jazz. A variety of songs will be presented; the class will choose which tunes to use as a vehicle for study. Both standard notation and tablature will be used. Audio taping of the class is encouraged.

Alfonso Ponticelli
Chords and Rhythms

This class is geared towards the guitarist who knows some basic chords already and is willing to stretch his knowledge just a little bit more. We will focus on chord essentials, understanding all chord symbols and useful moving chord progressions that utilize guide fingers for ease in chord changing. These techniques will then be applied, using a variety of rhythms, to specific songs. Standard notation, chord blocks and tablature will be used. Audio taping of the class is encouraged.

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Dennis Chang
The "Traditional" Gypsy Jazz Style

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.

Dennis Chang
Bebop and Gypsy Jazz

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.

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Paul Brady
Django Reinhardt the Jazz Musician: His Abilities, His Influence, His Legacy.

Guitarist, writer and jazz historian Paul Brady of the Hot Club of Detroit is currently completing his master's thesis at Rutgers University in Jazz History and Research, titled: "Django Reinhardt The Jazz Musician: His Ability; Influence; and Legacy." Many of Reinhardt's bebop compositions are blatantly influenced by one of his heroes, the bebop pioneer, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. In this workshop, we'll take a look at Gillespie's influence on Reinhardt and discuss how he went about incorporating what we know as "bebop" into his already stunning compositions and improvisations, even before ever hearing Gillespie or Charlie Parker, and how you can take steps to get correct bebop voice-leading into your spontaneous improvisations.

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Michael Horowitz
Gypsy Picking

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.

Michael Horowitz
Rhythm Changes Workout

Rhythm Changes (i.e. the chord progression for "I Got Rhythm") is one of the most common chord progressions used in jazz. A full understanding and mastery of this chord progression in a prerequisite for any jazz musician. In this workshop you will learn how gypsy jazz legends Django Reinhardt, Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg, etc approached accompaniment for Rhythm Changes. We will discuss Django's more traditional sounding pre-war approach to Rhythm Changes as well as the more modern devices and chord substitutions used by contemporary players. By the end of this class you will have the tools to play Rhythm Changes like a pro! These examples will be included in handouts written in both standard notation and tablature.

Michael Horowitz
Gypsy Jazz Waltzes

Before the arrival of jazz, the accordion driven musette waltz was the predominant form of popular dance music in pre-war Paris. Django Reinhardt and other Parisian Gypsy musicians first honed their technique performing this challenging and beautiful genre. In this workshop we'll discuss both traditional and contemporary accompaniment techniques for waltzes. Jazz waltzes, Latin waltzes, the flat three waltz, and numerous other variations and embellishments will be covered. You will also learn three waltzes, one traditional musette, a jazz waltz, and a Latin waltz. These examples will be included in handouts written in both standard notation and tablature.

Michael Horowitz
Unaccompanied Django

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.

Michael Horowitz
Latin Gypsy Rhythms

This workshop will focus on Latin Rhythms such as the Gypsy Bossa, Boléro, Tango, Gypsy Samba, and Latin waltz. The Boléro is one of the most misunderstood of these rhythms and we'll look at exactly how Django and other Gypsies really play it. We'll also discuss the Gypsy style chord substitutions, comping, turnarounds, accent patterns, and other advanced Latin rhythmic devices used be Django, Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg, Nous'che Rosenberg, etc. These examples will be included in handouts written in both standard notation and tablature.

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Michael Gray
Violin Workshop

For all violinists and fiddlers who want a little insight on improvising, this workshop will focus on how to get around on a gypsy jazz tune or jazz standard. The fiddle styles of Stephane Grappelli, Titi Winterstein, Regina Carter and others will be used to convey playing ideas and violin tips such as tone production, how to solo over an easy blues and/or a gypsy jazz standard like "Minor Swing", improvising a melodic line, and what to do when you get lost (and how not to get lost!) The general approach will be to help players to use their own particular strengths in learning how to creatively solo and improvise, and ultimately, lay the groundwork for nurturing your own style of playing. All levels are welcome; the ability to read chord charts would be helpful. And, most importantly, performers of all styles of fiddling and violin playing are welcome. It's amazing how much traditional styles, both folk and classical, influence the ability to perform a solo of any style on the instrument.

The instructor for the workshop will be Michael Gray, violinist of the band, Pearl Django. Michael has been an adjunct professor of Music at Cornish College of the Arts, and has taught at the University of Washington (Music 464a). Michael has performed, recorded and taught extensively throughout the Puget Sound region

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Beau Sample
Slap Bass Techniques and History

Beau Sample is a much-in-demand bassist in the Chicago area. Born and raised in Texas he started touring when he was 18 and hasn't stopped yet. He studied bass at Texas State University and has toured the world many times over with such bands as The Hot Club of Cowtown, The Dave Biller Combo, Deke Dickerson and Alfonso Ponticelli. He is also very busy in the studio and has recorded dozens of albums.

Slap bass is a rhythmic way of playing the double bass that is part percussion and part melody. The class will study different styles that were pioneered by such players as Steve Brown, Pops Foster, Willie Dixon and Bill Johnson. All ages and levels welcome.