Django festival allstars

Samson Schmitt   
Ludovic Beier   
Pierre Blanchard   Violin
Francko Mehrstein   
Amati Schmitt   
Bronson Schmitt  
DouDou Cuillerier   
Xavier Nikq  
Special guest : ANAT COHEN

My partner, Ettore Stratta, and I are soproud of the release of thisCD which is the culmination of almost 14 years of the Django Reinhardt NY Festival in all its challenges, launched in New York at Birdland in 2000.  It caught fire, and so did the members of the Allstar cast featured on this recording.  
Early on, when they came to perform, the crowds went wild and fell in love.  The stage was a meeting place literally where Dorado and Samson, for example, first met Ludovic and Pierre.  The same is true of all the jazz guests that were part of the Festival, one of which ,  Anat Cohen, appears on the CD playing soprano sax on Django’s famous composition “Nuages” also featuring Dorado.  Each year, months after the Festival I would receive numerous calls and emails asking “When are they returning?” I immediately saw the appeal they had with the American audience and  didn’t hesitate to invite them back.  Ultimately they became a musical family.
On top of this, when Dorado Schmitt first came, he performed alongside his son Samson who was about 20 at the time,  playing rhythm guitar for his Dad, and growing up on the Birdland stage.  Years later, along came Amati Schmitt, then Bronson, also very young, playing alongside Dad and Samson who is  now a seasoned player in his own right.  The Django Festival Allstar CD is the first recording in the US where the  Schmitt gypsy family dynasty performs together, and it all happened at Birdland.
This evolution brings all the charm and talent of the musical style of Django to life with  the greatness it deserves.  While it touches on some of Django’s own music and a few US standards, most songs are original, written in the style but with a new flair and creativity bringing the music ‘to the present and beyond.’  Besides all this, they are great guys, wonderful musicians, and now part of our extended family.
What a joy this has been to see this all happen without a plan, simply living our common passion for exciting music and the creativity it can bring.  Along the way, we’ve had some of our best and happiest times, a lovefest.  We thank our Executive Producer Jack Globenfelt for coming on board in this 14th year, appreciating and understanding our excitement and joining in the journey.  Sit back, you’re gonna feel good !    
Pat Philips
Co-Producer of the Recording and Festival
1. SWING GITAN (Traditional) 3:29

2. FOR PIERRE (D. Schmitt) 3:35

3. BALKANIC DANCE (P. Blanchard) 4:03
4. NUAGES (D. Reinhardt) 6:21
5. VALSE EN EXIL (P. Blanchard) 3:31
6. EL DORADO (D. Schmitt) 5:17

7. MANOIR DE MES RÊVES (D. Reinhardt) 5:45
8. OUT OF NOWHERE (J Greene, E. Heyman) 5:40
9. CAMPING CAR (L. Beier) 4:19
10. SONG FOR ETTORE (D. Schmitt) 3:25
11. BRONSON’S SONG (B. Schmitt) 4:01
12. PAT’S WALTZ (L Beier) 3:15
13. THEM THEIR EYES (M. Pinkard, W. Tracey, D. Tauber) 5:01
14. MELISSA (D. Schmitt) 4:18
15. BOSSA DORADO (D. Schmitt) 5:40
DORADO SCHMITT
Lead Guitar & Violin
SAMSON SCHMITT
Lead & Rhythm Guitar
LUDOVIC BEIER
Accordion & Accordina
PIERRE BLANCHARD
Violin
FRANCKO MEHRSTEIN
Rhythm Guitar
AMATI SCHMITT
Lead Guitar
BRONSON SCHMITT
Lead Guitar
DOUDOU CUILLERIER
Rhythm Guitar
XAVIER NIKQ
Bass
JISOO OK
Cello
ANAT COHEN
Soprano Sax
ON TRACK
1: Lead Guitar, Dorado Schmitt
2: Violin, Dorado Schmitt
3: Violin, Pierre Blanchard
4: Lead Guitar, Dorado Schmitt
Saxophone: Anat Cohen
5: Lead Guitar, Samson Schmitt
Arrangement, Pierre Blanchard
Rhythm Guitar, DouDou Cuillerier
6. Lead Guitar, Dorado Schmitt
7. Lead Guitar, Dorado Schmitt
8. Lead Guitar, Dorado Schmitt
9. Lead Violin, Pierre Blanchard
Arrangement, Ludovic Beier
10. Lead Guitar, Amati Schmitt
Violin, Dorado Schmitt
Bandoneon, Ludovic Beier
Arrangement, Dorado Schmitt
11. Lead Guitar, Bronson Schmitt
Guitar, Samson Schmitt
12. Lead Guitar, Dorado Schmitt
Arrangement, Ludovic Beier
13. Lead Guitar, Samson Schmitt
14. Lead Guitar, Samson Schmitt
15. Lead Guitar, Dorado Schmitt
Rhythm Guitars,
Francko Mehrstein & Samson Schmitt
Cello, Jisoo Ok
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Jack Globenfelt
PRODUCERS OF RECORDING
and FESTIVAL Pat Philips & Ettore Stratta
LIVE RECORDED BY MIX MOBILE Nov. 2012 Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14
RECORDED AT City Record Studio - Paris, France/Feb. 2012 Tracks 3, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15
MIXED & MASTERED AIRCITY
(Paris - France) by Ludovic Beier / January 2013
STUDIO COORDINATORS ART
DIRECTION Ludovic Beier & Pierre Blanchard
ART & DESIGN mellen & jayne, inc.
FRÉMEAUX & ASSOCIÉS COORDINATION Augustin Bondoux
P 2012-2015 THREE’S A CROWD RECORDS / © 2015 GROUPE FRÉMEAUX COLOMBINI SAS
Under license from THREE’S A CROWD RECORDS
DJANGO FESTIVAL NY
www.strattaphilips.com
THREE’S A CROWD RECORDS
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FRÉMEAUX & ASSOCIÉS
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