Charles Delaunay (18 January 1911 – 16 February 1988) was a French author,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

expert, co-founder and long-term leader of the Hot Club de France.

Biography

Born in Paris,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the son of painters

Robert Delaunay Robert Delaunay (; 12 April 1885 – 25 October 1941) was a French artist of the School of Paris movement; who, with his wife Sonia Delaunay and others, co-founded the Orphism (art), Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and g ...

and Sonia Delaunay, Charles Delaunay was one of the founders of the Hot Club de France. Together with Hugues Panassié he initiated the

Quintette du Hot Club de France The Quintette du Hot Club de France ("The Quintet of the Hot Club of France"), often abbreviated "QdHCdF" or "QHCF", was a jazz group founded in France in 1934 by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli and active in one for ...

with

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani people, Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Belgium, Belgian-born Romani jazz guitarist and composer in France. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe ...

and Stephane Grappelli. He also organised concerts, for example with

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, among others. In 1935, together with Panassié he founded ''Le Jazz Hot'', one of the oldest jazz magazines. From 1937, Delaunay shared artists and repertory responsibilities with Panassié on a new record label, Disques Swing ("Swing Records"). As well as the Hot Club ensemble, he has been the manager of French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, and issued recording by visiting Americans such as

Dicky Wells William Wells (June 10, 1907 or 1909 – November 12, 1985), known professionally as Dicky Wells (sometimes Dickie Wells), was an American jazz trombonist. Early life Wells was born in Centerville, Tennessee. Early in his life, he lived in Cent ...

and

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first ...

, as well as Carter. It was among the first record labels dedicated exclusively to jazz. ''Jazz hot'' ceased publication in summer 1939, being revived in March 1945. During World War II, Delaunay was a member of the Resistance, but continued leading the Hot Club. In 1948, Delaunay founded the record label Disques Vogue and was one of the first people to introduce bop into France, but Panassié did not even consider the new music to be jazz. Delaunay was the author of ''Hot Discography'' which ran to five editions in England, France and the USFred Sharp, "Charles Delaunay 1911-1983".
/ref> (the first jazz discography) and also worked as an artist. Delaunay died in Vineuil Saint Firmin (Oise, France) of

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

in 1988.

Works

*''Django Reinhardt- Souvenirs'', Paris 1954, Editions Jazz-Hot, English London 1961 *''Hot Discography'', 1936, latest as ''New Hot Discography'' 1982 *''Hot Iconography'' (lithographies of jazz musicians) *with Robert Goffin ''Jazz 47'' *''Django mon frère'', Paris 1968 *''De la Vie et du Jazz'' *''Delaunay's Dilemma'' (autobiography, also title of a

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights activist and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

composition) 1983

References

External links

Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delaunay, Charles 1911 births 1988 deaths People from Oise French music critics Jazz writers Discographers French male non-fiction writers Record collectors 20th-century French male writers