DJANGO-A-GO-GO 2010, 100 Year of the Gypsy Genius Django Reinhardt: Spanish and American masters Biel Ballester and Stephane Wrembel perform the music of Django and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, with special guest Babik

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French virtuoso guitarist Stephane Wrembel is at the vanguard of the Gypsy Swing renaissance in the US. He seems to have channeled both the technique and the fire of Django Reinhardt and has - quite literally - written the book on Gypsy Jazz: Getting into Gypsy Jazz, published by Mel Bay. His latest cd, Barbès Brooklyn, has Stephane and guests playing a mixture of standards and original,updating the classic Gypsy swing repertoire and reminding his audience that Stephane's music is solidly anchored in the present.

 Stephane Wrembel grew up in France where, for years, he studied guitar with the manouche (the French Gypsies). He has also gotten deep into various American vernacular musical styles - from Blue Grass to Jazz. He has performed and toured and recorded with such luminaries as Mark O'Connor and David Grisman (with whom he recorded the album Gypsy Rumble) and performed with Lionel Loueke, Les Paul and Angelo Debarre. He is a regular guest at Djangofests and festivals both in Europe and in the US.

Biel Ballester studied classical guitar at the prestigious Luthier School in Barcelona, Spain. There he spent two years under the instruction of teacher/concertist Alex Garrobé and four years with teacher/concertist Fernando Rodriguez. Complimenting his formal musical studies, Biel has also taken guitar master classes from respected musicians such as José Tomás, David Russell, Aniello Desiderio, Manuel Barrueco, Marco Socias, Hopckinson Smith and Jordi Savall (the last two specializing in Baroque music). Biel finished his curriculum at Barcelona's superior conservatorium in the year 2000. Subsequent demand for his awe-inspiring style and technique have enabled him to perform in several countries such as Spain, France, Holland and Germany including multiple appearances at Barcelona's International Jazz Festival, The International Jazz Festival of Terrassa, and the International Guitar Festival of Mallorca. Making waves on both sides of the Atlantic, two of Biel's tracks featured here were selected for inclusion on the Various Artists compilations, Django Festival Volumes 3 & 4, produced by Hot Club Records in Oslo, Norway, placing the Catalan guitarist in the company of international jazz stars such as Jimmy Rosenberg and Angelo Debarre among others. A young talent holding great promise, Biel Ballester is on the short list of possible artists slated to perform at several upcoming international Django Reinhardt Tribute Festivals including those in the United States.

Babik (pronounced Bah-Beek) is a progressive Gypsy Jazz band inspired by the legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt.  One of those rare musical ensembles that can truly reach across generational and stylistic lines to create a fan base that is as diverse as their musical influences.  At their concerts it is not uncommon to see a white-haired 75 year-old grandmother dancing next to a purple-haired 20-something. 

Babik has the ability to bridge passionate jaw-dropping virtuosity, with a toe-tapping danceability that keeps its audiences enthusiastically engaged.  The group’s ability to connect is evident in the way crowds clamber to clap, dance, and cheer along with nearly every performance.

With their latest release, “American Gypsy”, the band showcases ten original compositions and three standards that both honor the roots of Gypsy Jazz while exploring a wide range of styles such as Jazz-fusion, Klezmer, World and Latin Music.  The result is an amazingly coherent, expansive, and ambitious vision of Gypsy Jazz that will excite jazz and music lovers alike.