One of the all-time great
jazz violinists (ranking with
Joe Venuti and
Stuff Smith as one of the big three of pre-bop),
Stéphane Grappelli's longevity and consistently enthusiastic playing did a great deal to establish the violin as a
jazz instrument. He was originally self-taught as both a violinist and a pianist, although during 1924-28 he studied at the Paris Conservatoire.
Grappelli played in movie theaters and dance bands before meeting guitarist
Django Reinhardt in 1933. They hit it off musically from the start even though their lifestyles (
Grappelli was sophisticated while
Django was a gypsy) were very different. Together as
Quintet of the Hot Club of France (comprised of violin, three acoustic guitars and bass) during 1933-39 they produced a sensational series of recordings and performances. During a London engagement in 1939, World War II broke out.
Reinhardt rashly decided to return to France but
Grappelli stayed in England, effectively ending the group. The violinist soon teamed up with the young pianist
George Shearing in a new band that worked steadily through the war. In 1946,
Grappelli and
Reinhardt had the first of several reunions although they never worked together again on a regular basis (despite many new recordings).
Grappelli performed throughout the 1950s and '60s in clubs throughout Europe and, other than recordings with
Duke Ellington (Violin Summit) and
Joe Venuti, he remained somewhat obscure in the U.S. until he began regularly touring the world in the early '70s. Since then
Grappelli has been a constant traveler and a consistent poll-winner, remaining very open-minded without altering his
swing style; he has recorded with
David Grisman,
Earl Hines,
Bill Coleman,
Larry Coryell,
Oscar Peterson,
Jean Luc Ponty and
McCoy Tyner among many others. Active up until near the end, the increasingly frail
Grappelli remained at the top of his field even when he was 89. His early recordings are all available on Classics CDs and he recorded quite extensively during his final three decades. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
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