Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997) was a French

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 ...

violinist. He is best known as a founder of 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 guitarist

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 ...

in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands. He has been called "the grandfather of jazz violinists" and continued playing concerts around the world well into his eighties. For the first three decades of his career, he was billed using a gallicised spelling of his last name, ''Grappelly'', reverting to the Italian spelling ''Grappelli'' in 1969. The latter is used when referring to the violinist, including reissues of his early work.

Biography

Early years

Grappelli was born at Hôpital Lariboisière 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 ...

. His father, Italian Ernesto Grappelli, was born in

Alatri Alatri () is an Italian town and ''comune'' of the province of Frosinone in the region of Lazio, with c. 30,000 inhabitants. An ancient city of the Hernici,Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hernici". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). it is kno ...

Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...

, while his French mother, Anna Emilie Hanoque, was from St-Omer. Ernesto was a scholar who taught Italian, sold translations, and wrote articles for local journals. Grappelli's mother died when he was five, leaving his father to care for him. Although he was residing in France when

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

began, Ernesto was still an Italian citizen, and was consequently drafted into the Italian Army in 1914. Having written about American dancer

Isadora Duncan Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877, or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American-born dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance and performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the United States. Bor ...

, who was living in Paris, Ernesto appealed to her to care for his son. Stéphane was enrolled in Duncan's dance school at the age of six, and he learned to love French

Impressionist music Impressionism in music was a movement among various composers in Western classical music (mainly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries) whose music focuses on mood and atmosphere, "conveying the moods and emotions aroused by the subject ...

. With the war approaching, Duncan fled the country; she turned over her château to be used as a military hospital. Ernesto subsequently entrusted his son to a Catholic orphanage. Grappelli said of this time: Grappelli compared his early life to a

Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by many as the great ...

novel, and said that he once tried to eat flies to ease his hunger. He stayed at the orphanage until his father returned from the war in 1918, settling them in an apartment in Barbès. Having been sickened by his experiences with the Italian military, Ernesto took Stéphane to city hall, pulled two witnesses off the street, and had his son naturalized as a French citizen on 28 July 1919. His first name Stefano was Gallicized to Stéphane. Grappelli began playing the violin at the age of 12 on a three-quarter-sized violin, which his father purchased by pawning a suit. Although Stéphane received violin lessons, he preferred to learn the instrument on his own: After a brief period of independent learning, Grappelli was enrolled at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

on 31 December 1920, which his father hoped would give him a chance to learn

music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

, ear-training, and solfeggio. In 1923, Grappelli graduated with a second-tier medal. Around this time, his father married a woman named Anna Fuchs and moved to

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

. Grappelli remained in Paris because he disliked Fuchs. At the age of 15, Grappelli began busking full-time to support himself. His playing caught the attention of an elderly violinist, who invited him to accompany silent films in the pit orchestra at the Théâtre Gaumont. He played there for six hours daily over a two-year period. During orchestra breaks, he visited Le Boudon, a

brasserie In France, Flanders, and the Francophone world, a brasserie () is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves dishes and other meals. The word ''brasserie'' is French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the brewing busine ...

, where he would listen to songs from an American proto-jukebox. Here he was introduced to jazz. In 1928, Grappelli was a member of the orchestra at the Ambassador Hotel while bandleader

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...

and jazz violinist Joe Venuti were performing there. Jazz violinists were rare, and though Venuti played mainly commercial jazz themes and seldom improvised, Grappelli was struck by his bowing when he played "

Dinah In the Book of Genesis, Dinah (; ) was the seventh child and only named daughter of Leah and Jacob. The episode of her rape by Shechem, son of a Canaanite or Hivite prince, and the subsequent revenge of her brothers Simeon and Levi, commonly ...

". As a result, Grappelli began developing a jazz-influenced style of violin music. Grappelli lived with Michel Warlop, a classically trained violinist. Warlop admired Grappelli's jazz-inspired playing, while Grappelli envied Warlop's income. After experimenting with the piano, Grappelli stopped playing the violin, choosing simplicity, a new sound, and paid performances over familiarity. He began playing piano in a

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

led by a musician called Grégor. In 1929, after a night of drinking, Grégor learned that Grappelli used to play the violin. Grégor borrowed a violin and asked Grappelli to improvise over "Dinah". Delighted by what he heard, Grégor urged Grappelli to return to playing the violin. In 1930, Grégor ran into financial trouble. He was involved in an automobile accident that resulted in several deaths, and fled to South America to avoid arrest. Grégor's band reunited as a jazz ensemble under the leadership of pianist Alain Romans and saxophonist André Ekyan. While playing with this band, Grappelli met

gypsy jazz Gypsy jazz (also known as sinti jazz, gypsy swing, jazz manouche or hot club-style jazz) is a musical idiom inspired by the Romani people, Romani jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Jean "Django" Reinhardt (1910–1953), in conjunction with the Fr ...

guitarist

in 1931. Looking for a violinist interested in jazz, he invited Grappelli to play with him in his caravan. Although the two played for hours that afternoon, their commitments to their respective bands prevented them from pursuing a career together. In 1934 they met again at

Claridge's Claridge's is a 5-star hotels, 5-star hotel at the corner of Brook Street, London, Brook Street and Davies Street in Mayfair, London. The hotel is owned and managed by the Maybourne Hotel Group. History Founding Claridge's traces its origins to ...

in London, England, and began a musical partnership. Pierre Nourry, the secretary of the Hot Club de France, invited Reinhardt and Grappelli to form the

, with

Louis Vola Louis Vola ( La Seyne-sur-Mer, France, 6 July 1902 – 15 August 1990, Paris) was a French double-bassist known for his work with the Quintette du Hot Club de France. He is the godfather of guitarist Francois Vola. As well as the Hot Club de ...

on bass and Joseph Reinhardt and Roger Chaput on guitar. Also located in the Montmartre district was the artistic salon of R-26, at which Grappelli and Reinhardt performed regularly. The Quintette du Hot Club de France disbanded in 1939 upon the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

; Grappelli was in London at the time, and stayed there for the duration of the war. In 1940, jazz pianist

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing (13 August 191914 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 so ...

made his debut as a sideman in Grappelli's band.

Post-war

When the war was over, Reinhardt came to England for a reunion with Grappelli. They recorded some titles in London with the "English Quintette" during January and February 1946 for EMI and Decca, using a rhythm section consisting of English guitarists Jack Llewelyn and Alan Hodgkiss together with the Jamaican jazz bassist Coleridge Goode. Grappelli chose to remain in England, while Reinhardt returned to Paris before undertaking an only moderately successful visit to the United States, where he performed in a new style using an amplified archtop guitar with

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

's orchestra. On Reinhardt's return, he and Grappelli reunited periodically for concerts on occasions when the latter was visiting Paris; however, the pre-war Quintette was never re-formed. The pair also briefly toured Italy, where they were supported by an Italian rhythm section of piano, bass and drums; the tour was documented, with around 50 tracks recorded for an Italian radio station, about half of which can be heard on the album ''

Djangology ''Djangology'' is a compilation album by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, released in 1961. In 1949, Reinhardt and Grappelli reunited for a brief tour of Italy. While they were there, they recorded about 50 tunes with an Italian rhythm s ...

'' (released in 2005). This was to be the last set of recordings featuring the pair, with Reinhardt moving into a more bebop/modern jazz idiom and playing with younger French musicians prior to his early death in 1953, aged only 43. Throughout the 1950s, Grappelli made occasional visits to the recording studio, but the opportunities for a swing violinist of his generation were becoming limited; despite attempts to modernise his style, Grappelli was never particularly interested in the

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

style which was then fashionable in the jazz world. He made a brief filmed appearance in Paul Paviot's 1957 film ''Django Reinhardt'', in which he plays "Minor Swing" alongside Joseph Reinhardt, Henri Crolla and others. In the 1960s, Grappelli made regular appearances on the

BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...

, French Public Radio, and the pirate station

Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...

. In 1967, he returned to Paris to take up a regular engagement providing music for diners at the "Le Toit de Paris" restaurant in the Paris Hilton Hotel, a position he kept up until 1972, for it provided regular work plus accommodation at the hotel. He played in a standard "lounge jazz" format, accompanied by a pianist and drummer. Grappelli was making a living, but by now had very little impact on the jazz world. In 1971, British chat-show host

Michael Parkinson Sir Michael Parkinson (28 March 1935 – 16 August 2023) was an English television presenter, broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other ta ...

, a longtime jazz fan, came up with the idea of including Grappelli on his show '' Parkinson'', where he would be joined by the classical violinist

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin (22 April 191612 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. ...

, with the two musicians performing a duet. Although Menuhin had no jazz training and a distinctly classical style of playing, the result went down very well with the British public. The pair went on to record three collaborative albums between 1972 and 1976, with Menuhin playing parts written out by Grappelli while the latter improvised in a classic jazz fashion. During their appearance on Parkinson's show, Menuhin played his prized

Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', as well as the colloqui ...

dating from 1714, while Grappelli revealed his instrument was made by Goffredo Cappa in 1695. In 1973, British guitarist Diz Disley had the idea of prising Grappelli away from his "lounge jazz" format with piano players to play once again with the backing of acoustic guitars and double bass, re-creating a version of the "Hot Club" sound, but now with Grappelli as sole leader. Grappelli's reservations about returning to this format were dissipated following a rapturous reception for the "new" (old) format group at that year's

Cambridge Folk Festival The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival, established in 1965, held in the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is known for its eclectic mix ...

, after which he favoured the guitar-based trio (with double bass) for a series of increasingly successful concert tours around the globe. These tours would virtually occupy the remainder of Grappelli's life; away from the touring circuit, however, he also favoured numerous other instrumental combinations on record. Other guitarists in the British "Diz Disley Trio" providing his instrumental backing over the years included Denny Wright, Ike Isaacs, the Irish guitarist Louis Stewart,

John Etheridge John Michael Glyn Etheridge (born 12 January 1948) is an English jazz fusion guitarist, composer, bandleader and educator known for his eclecticism and broad range of associations in jazz, classical, and contemporary music. He is best known fo ...

and Martin Taylor, while double bass was often provided by Dutchman Jack Sewing; in his later years, Grappelli also used a Parisian trio which included guitarist Marc Fosset and bassist Patrice Caratini. In April 1973, Grappelli performed with great success during a week at "Jazz Power" in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, accompanied by Italian jazz musicians as guitarist Franco Cerri, bassist/arranger Pino Presti and drummer Tullio De Piscopo. Grappelli played on hundreds of recordings, including sessions with

, jazz pianists

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...

Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani (; ; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. Despite his health condition and rel ...

and Claude Bolling, jazz violinists Svend Asmussen,

Jean-Luc Ponty Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz and jazz fusion violinist and composer. He is considered a pioneer of jazz-rock, particularly for his use of the electric violin starting in the 1970s. He rose to prominence for his colla ...

, and

Stuff Smith Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith (August 14, 1909 – September 25, 1967), better known as Stuff Smith, was an American jazz violinist. He is well known for the song " If You're a Viper" (the original title was "You'se a Viper"). Smith was, al ...

, Indian classical violinist L. Subramaniam, vibraphonist

Gary Burton Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz Vibraphone, vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused ...

, pop singer

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, mandolin player David Grisman, classical violinist

, orchestral conductor

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

, guitar player Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar player

Joe Pass Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalacqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Although Pass recorded and performed live with pianist Oscar Peterson, composer Duke Ellington, and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, he ...

, cello player Yo Yo Ma, harmonica and jazz guitar player

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans (), was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for playing the chromatic harmonica, as well as his guitar and wh ...

, jazz guitarist Henri Crolla, bassist Jon Burr and fiddler Mark O'Connor. Grappelli recorded a solo for the title track of

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

's 1975 album ''

Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 film), an Australian drama/mystery film by Kieran Darcy-Smith ...

''. This was made almost inaudible in the mix, and so the violinist was not credited, according to

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the group's main songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became ...

, as it would be "a bit of an insult". A remastered version with Grappelli's contribution fully audible can be found on the 2011 editions of ''Wish You Were Here''. Grappelli composed the score for two French films: '' Going Places'' (

Bertrand Blier Bertrand Blier (; 14 March 1939 – 20 January 2025) was a French film director and writer. His 1978 film '' Get Out Your Handkerchiefs'' won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards. Career His 1996 film '' ...

, 1974) and ''

May Fools ''Milou en mai'', released as ''Milou in May'' in the UK and as ''May Fools'' in North America, is a 1990 film by Louis Malle. The film portrays the impact of the French revolutionary fervor of May 1968 on a French village. ''Milou en mai'' wa ...

'' (

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a filmmaker difficult to pin down", Malle made document ...

, 1990). Grappelli made a cameo appearance in the 1978 film ''

King of the Gypsies The title King of the Gypsies has been claimed or given over the centuries to many different people. It is both culturally and geographically specific. It may be inherited, acquired by acclamation or action, or simply claimed. The extent of the ...

'' with mandolinist David Grisman. Three years later they performed in concert. He also made a 1975 cameo as a violinist in ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

'' season 2, episode 8. In the 1980s he gave several concerts with British cellist

Julian Lloyd Webber Julian Lloyd Webber (born 14 April 1951) is a British solo cellist, conductor and broadcaster, a former principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the founder of the In Harmony music education programme. Early years and education Julia ...

. In 1997, Grappelli received the

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...

. He is an inductee of the ''

Down Beat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'' Jazz Hall of Fame. Grappelli continued touring up to the last year of his life; in 1997, although his health was by then poor, he toured the United Kingdom in March and then played concerts in Australia and New Zealand, giving his last public performance in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

, New Zealand, before returning to Paris via Hong Kong. He made his final recording, four tracks with the classical violinist Iwao Furusawa, plus guitarist Marc Fosset and bassist Philippe Viret, in Paris in August 1996 (released as ''As Time Goes By: Stéphane Grappelli and Iwao Furusawa'').

Personal life and legacy

In May 1935, Grappelli had a brief affair with Sylvia Caro that resulted in a daughter named Evelyne. Sylvia remained in Paris with her daughter for the duration of World War II. Father and daughter were reunited in 1946 when Evelyne travelled to London from France to stay with Grappelli for about a year. From 1952 to 1980, he shared much of his life with a female friend, Jean Barclay, for whom he felt a deep brotherly affection. Grappelli never married, however, and it is widely accepted that he was gay; in 1981 he met Joseph Oldenhove, who would be his companion until his death. Grappelli died in Paris on 1 December 1997, suffering heart failure after a series of minor cerebral attacks. His funeral, on 5 December, took place at the Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Paris, within sight of the entrance to the Lariboisière Hospital where he had been born 89 years earlier. His body was cremated and his ashes entombed in the city's

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

. He is the subject of the documentary ''Stéphane Grappelli – A Life in the Jazz Century''.

Discography

Albums

* ''

: Django Reinhardt, the Gypsy Genius'' (1936 to 1940, released in 2005,

Bluebird The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous passerine birds in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. Bluebirds lay an ...

) * ''Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt the Gold Edition'' (1934 to 1937, copyright 1998) * ''Unique Piano Session Paris 1955'' (1955, Jazz Anthology) * '' Improvisations'' (Paris, 1956) * ''Feeling + Finesse = Jazz'' (1962, Atlantic) * ''Afternoon in Paris'' (1971, MPS) * ''Manoir de Mes Reves'' (1972, Musidisc) * ''Homage to Django'' (1972, released 1976, Classic Jazz) * ''Stéphane Grappelli'' (1973, Pye) * ''Black Lion at Montreux with the Black Lion All-stars'' ( Black Lion), recorded 4 July 1973 * ''Just One of Those Things!'' (1973, Black Lion) Recorded live at the 1973

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...

with Marc Hemmeler (p), Jack Sewing (b),

Daniel Humair Daniel Humair (born 23 May 1938 in Geneva, Switzerland) is a Swiss drummer, composer, and painter. He is widely renowned and became a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1986 and Officier in 1992. He has played with many jazz perf ...

(d) * ''I Got Rhythm!'' (1974, Black Lion) with The Hot Club of London ( Diz Disley/ Denny Wright/ Len Skeat), recorded at the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts European classical music, classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by ...

, London, 5 November 1973 * ''The Talk of the Town'' (1975, Black Lion) with

Alan Clare Alan George Clare (born Alan George Jaycock; 31 May 1921 – 29 November 1993) was a British jazz pianist and composer. Family Singer Bloom Rose Houtman married Alan Clare in 1947. Alan and Bloom lived for most of their marriage in Holland Park ...

* ''Satin Doll'' (1975, Vanguard) * ''Parisian Thoroughfare'' with

Roland Hanna Roland Pembroke Hanna (February 10, 1932 – November 13, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and teacher. Biography Hanna studied classical piano from the age of 11, but was strongly interested in jazz, having been introduced to i ...

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(1975, Arista/

Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

) * ''

The Rock Peter and the Wolf ''Peter and the Wolf'' is an album adapting Sergei Prokofiev's ''Peter and the Wolf'' by Jack Lancaster and Robin Lumley released in 1975. It features a rock arrangement of Prokofiev's music. Performers on the album include Jack Lancaster, Rob ...

'' (1976, RSO) * ''+Cordes'' (1977, Musidisc) * ''Steph 'n' Us'' (1977, Cherry Pie) with

Don Burrows Donald Vernon Burrows (8 August 1928 – 12 March 2020) was an Australian jazz and swing musician who played clarinet, saxophone and flute. Life and career Donald Vernon Burrows was born on 8 August 1928, the only child of Vernon and Beryl an ...

& George Golla – AUS #38 * ''Live at Carnegie Hall'' (1978,

Signature A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, Handwriting, handwritt ...

) * ''Uptown Dance'' (1978, Columbia) * ''Young Django'' (1979, MPS) with

Philip Catherine Philip Catherine (born 27 October 1942) is a Belgian jazz rock guitarist. Biography Philip Catherine was born in London, England, to an English mother and Belgian father, and was raised in Brussels, Belgium. His grandfather was a violinist i ...

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist, widely considered the "godfather of fusion". Alongside Gábor Szabó, he was a pioneer in melding jazz, country and rock ...

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (; 27 May 1946 – 19 April 2005), also known by his abbreviated nickname NHØP, was a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, the son o ...

* ''Stéphane Grappelli '80'' (1980, Happy Bird) *''

Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark ''Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark'' is an album by jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, recorded live in 1979 and released in 1980. Reception Writing for AllMusic, music critic Scott Yanow wrote of the album "By the time the 71-year-old ...

'' (Pablo Live, 1980) * ''Live at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

'' (1983, Dr Jazz) with Diz Disley/

/ Brian Torff * ''Vintage 1981'' (1981, Concord) * ''Just One of Those Things'' (1984, EMI) * ''Grappelli Plays

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

'' (1984, Musidisc) * ''Fascinating Rhythm'' (1986, Jazz Life) * ''Live in San Francisco'' (1986, Blackhawk) * ''Classic Sessions: Stéphane Grappelli'' with

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began t ...

and

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer ...

(1987, RTV) * ''Stéphane Grappelli Plays

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

'' (1987, GRP) * ''The Intimate Grappelli'' (1988, Jazz Life) * ''How Can You Miss'' with Louie Bellson and Phil Woods (1989, Rushmore) * ''Jazz 'Round Midnight'' (1989, Verve) * ''My Other Love'' (1991, Colombia) – Grappelli performs on solo piano * ''Stéphane Grappelli in Tokyo'' (1991, A&M) * ''Bach to the Beatles'' (1991, Academy Sound) * '' Live 1992'' (1992, Verve) * ''85 and Still Swinging'' (1993, Angel) * ''Live at the Blue Note'' (1996,

Telarc Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the label has had a long assoc ...

) * ''Crazy Rhythm'' (1996/2000, Pulse) * ''Parisian Thoroughfare'' (1997, Laserlight)

Collaborations

* Stéphane Grappelli and

Adelaide Hall Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death. Early in her career, she was a major figure in the Harlem Ren ...

, 1939,

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Studios, London, " You're Blasé" by

with Stéphane Grappelli and Arthur Young and his Swingtette * Stéphane Grappelli/

/ Bill Coleman: ''Bill Coleman with Django and Stéphane Grappelli 1936 to 1938'' (released 1985, DRG) * Stéphane Grappelli/

/ Svend Asmussen/

: '' Violin Summit'' (1967, Polygram) * Stéphane Grappelli and Hubert Clavecin: ''Dansez Sur Vos Souvenirs'' (1978, Musidisc) * Stéphane Grappelli and

Barney Kessel Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923 – May 6, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist. Known in particular for his knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies, he was a member of many prominent jazz groups as well as a "first call" gu ...

: ''Remember Django'' (1969, Black Lion) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: '' Paris Encounter'' (1969, Atlantic) * Stéphane Grappelli and Joe Venuti: ''Venupelli Blues'' (1970, BYG Records) * Stéphane Grappelli and Barney Kessel: '' Limehouse Blues'' (1972, Black Lion) * Stéphane Grappelli and Gary Burton: ''Paris Encounter'' (1972, Atlantic) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Hobo's Blues'' (1972, Columbia) * ''

– Stéphane Grappelli Quartet Vol. 1'' (1973, America Records) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Jealousy'' (1973, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and Alan Clare: ''Stardust'' (1973, Black Lion) * Stéphane Grappelli and Baden Powell: ''La Grande Reunion'' (1974, Accord) * Stéphane Grappelli and The Diz Disley Trio: ''Violinspiration'' (1975, MPS) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Fascinating Rhythm: Music by George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter'' (1975, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and Slam Stewart: ''Steff and Slam'' (1975, Black and Blues) * Stéphane Grappelli and Bill Coleman: ''Stéphane Grappelli/Bill Coleman'' (1976, Classic Jazz J 24 recorded 1973) * Stéphane Grappelli and

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

: ''Stéphane Grappelli meets Earl Hines'' (1977, Black Lion) * Stéphane Grappelli and The George Shearing Trio: '' The Reunion'' (1977, MPS) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Tea for Two'' (1978, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and Bucky Pizzarelli: ''Duet'' (1979, Ahead) * Stéphane Grappelli and David Grisman: ''Live at Berklee'' (recorded in Boston, Massachusetts, 20 September 1979) * Stéphane Grappelli and Martial Solal: ''Happy Reunion'' (1980, MPO) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Strictly for the Birds'' (1980, Angel Records) * Stéphane Grappelli and David Grisman: ''Live'' (1981, Warner Bros.) * Oscar Peterson/Stéphane Grappelli/

/ Mickey Roker/

: '' Skol'' (1982, recorded in Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark, 6 July 1979) * Stéphane Grappelli with Marc Fosset: ''Stephanova'' (1983, Concord Jazz) * Stéphane Grappelli with L. Subramaniam: ''Conversations'' (1984,

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway, railway line, canal or border, boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks like Mileage sign, mileage signs; or they c ...

) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Bringing it Together'' (1984, Cymekob) * Stéphane Grappelli and Martin Taylor: ''We've Got the World on a String'' (1984, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and Stuff Smith: ''Violins No End'' (1984, Pablo) * Stéphane Grappelli and

Helen Merrill Helen Merrill (born Jelena Ana Milcetic; July 21, 1929) is an American jazz vocalist. Her first album, the eponymous 1954 recording ''Helen Merrill (album), Helen Merrill'' (with Clifford Brown on EmArcy), was an immediate success and associat ...

(1986, Music Makers) * Stéphane Grappelli and Vassar Clements: ''Together at Last'' (1987, Flying Fish) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Menuhin and Grappelli Play Berlin, Kern, Porter and Rodgers & Hart'' (1988, EMI) * Stéphane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty: '' Violin Summit'' (1989, Jazz Life) * Stéphane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty: ''Compact Jazz'' (1988, MPS) * Stéphane Grappelli and Martial Solal: ''Olympia 1988'' (1988, Atlantic) * Stéphane Grappelli and Joe Venuti: ''Best of Jazz Violins'' (1989, LRC) * Stéphane Grappelli and Yo Yo Ma: '' Anything Goes: Stéphane Grappelli & Yo-Yo Ma Play (Mostly) Cole Porter'' (1989, CBS) * Stéphane Grappelli and

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

: '' One on One'' (1990, Milestone) * Stéphane Grappelli and L. Subramaniam: ''Conversations'' (1984, Milestone) * Stéphane Grappelli and Claude Bolling: ''First Class'' (1992, Milan) * Stéphane Grappelli and

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, jazz pianist, and singer. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to ma ...

: ''Legrand Grappelli'' (1992, Verve) * Stéphane Grappelli and Martin Taylor: ''Réunion'' (1993, Linn) * Capelino featuring Stéphane Grappelli: ''La Copine'' (1993, Munich Records) * The Rosenberg Trio featuring Stéphane Grappelli,

Jan Akkerman Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch guitarist. He first found international commercial success with the band Focus (band), Focus, which he co-founded with Thijs van Leer. After leaving Focus, he continued as a solo musician, adding ja ...

& Frits Landesbergen: ''Caravan'' (1994, Polydor BV) * Stéphane Grappelli and

: ''Flamingo'' (1996, Dreyfus) * Stéphane Grappelli/ Carl Hession/ Frankie Gavin/Marc Fosset: ''Frankie Gavin 2003–2004 Collection/The Grappelli Era'' (2003)

Film scores

* ''Les valseuses'' (''Going Places'') (1974) * ''Milou en mai'' (''May Fools'') (1990)

References

Bibliography

External links

Obituary

Stéphane Grappelli's Biography & Discography
at AllMusic.com
Stéphane Grappelli's Discography
at

Discogs.com Discogs ( ; short for "discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''The N ...

"My Other Love" – the piano
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grappelli, Stephane 1908 births 1997 deaths Musicians from Paris French people of Italian descent People of Lazian descent Swing violinists Continental jazz violinists French buskers French jazz violinists 20th-century French violinists 20th-century French male musicians French male violinists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Gypsy jazz violinists French gay musicians Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Electric violinists French male jazz musicians French jazz bandleaders Quintette du Hot Club de France members Bluebird Records artists MPS Records artists Black Lion Records artists Flying Fish Records artists 20th-century French LGBTQ people DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members