Rag’n
Boogie
The little story of an extraordinary music
Live show for young audience
6 to 12 years old
Length 50 minutes
Sébastien Troendlé
• jeux, écriture
Anne Marcel
• mise en scène, écriture
Pascal Grussner
• régie son, lumière, vidéo
Opale prod.
• captation et montage
Noé Termine, Théo Birambeau
• réalisation
Lilo was eleven and a half, and halves are important!
In his little town in the provinces, he could hear insults and stupid
comments about “Blacks and Arabs”, and he would scuttle off to repeat them to others, like a game, like a truth in the raw.
At school he had a whale of a time with his mates, especially when they were unkind and played practical jokes on Wilson, their new classmate, whose skin was black. Lilo was learning music.
One evening, back in the house with a sheet of boogie-woogie music on his piano, Lilo sat down to play; and he worked like mad on this new piece that was much too fast for him. Suddenly he made a discovery:
the music he loved – blues, ragtime, boogie – was music created and played by black people.
Every evening, a little black musician appeared on top of Lilo’s piano,
like a Jiminy Cricket. His name was Jelly Roll Morton, and he said he’d invented jazz. This smart character, a wise man and funny at the same time, would tell Lilo the story of the kinds of music born in America in
the days of slavery and racial segregation.
That did the trick: Lilo decided he’d be a boogie-woogie ragtime pianist when he grew up, and he played piano every day, all the keys, black
and white.
Chapitres
1. Old Fashioned · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Olivier Toussaint
2. Cataract Rag · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Robert Hampton
3. Let the left hand Roll · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Sébastien Troendlé
4. Harlem Strut · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · James P. Johnson
5. The Entertainer · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Scott Joplin
6. On the Mississippi · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Harry Carroll et Arthur Fields
7. Death Ray Boogie · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Pete Johnson
8. Charlie’s Boogie · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Sébastien Troendlé
9. Chapel Street Boogie · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Sébastien Troendlé
10. The perfect Rag · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Ferdinand « Jelly Roll » Morton
11. Waiting for the Robert E. Lee · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Lewis F. Muir
12. Boogie-Woogie Stomp · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Albert Ammons
Rag’n
Boogie
Spectacle musical
Tout public
Durée 1h20
Sébastien Troendlé
• piano, écriture
Ismaïl Safwan
• mise en scène, écriture
Pascal Grussner
• régie son, lumière, vidéo
Opale prod.
• captation et montage
Noé Termine, Théo Birambeau
• réalisation
Have you heard of Cake-Walk, Minstrels and rent-parties? Do ragtime and boogie-woogie ring a bell? How could such joyful music have been born in the dramatic context of the time?...
Sébastien Troendlé has dived into the history of this musics and its
creators and invites us on a journey. To get as close as possible to what the destinies of these artists were, to better dive into their time and
the conditions in which their music blossomed, numerous archive images and films accompany and amplify this journey to the heart of an America torn, but animated by an unequaled creative bubbling.
So that in Rag’n Boogie, the forces of the music, the image and
the narration of a story with universal accents, combine in an almost
epic breath.
Chapitres
1. Arrivés d’Afrique · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Sébastien Troendlé
2. Du Gospel au Boogie · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Sébastien Troendlé
3. Du Patting au Ragtime · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Sébastien Troendlé
4. On the Mississippi · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Carroll & Fields
5. How long Blues · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Leroy Carr
6. Canadian Capers · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Earl Burtnett, Gus Chandler, Bert White
7. Le Blues de Jimmy · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Sébastien Troendlé
8. Boogie-Woogie Stomp · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Albert Ammons
9. Mississippi Rag · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · William Krell
10. Death Ray Boogie · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Pete Johnson
11. Weeping Willow · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Scott Joplin
12. Steeplechase Rag · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · James P. Johnson
13. Mary’s Boogie · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Mary Lou Williams
14. Handful of Keys · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Fats Waller
15. Waiting for the Robert E. Lee · · · · · · · · · · · · Lewis F. Muir
16. Troublesome Ivories · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Eubie Blake
17. The perfect Rag · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Jelly Roll Morton
18. Chapel Street Boogie · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Sébastien Troendlé
In a global approach to promote ragtime, boogie-woogie, and preserve this musical heritage,
Rag’n Boogie is:
a spectacular music show for all Rag’n Boogie audiences,
a spectacular music show for a young Rag’n Boogie audience, the little story of an extraordinary
music,
cultural activities (appearances in schools, media libraries, care homes…),
concerts – solo, duo or trio,
a Method, published by Editions Henry Lemoine, 2016,
music scores of ragtime pieces for piano/saxophone duos, published by Editions Robert Martin, 2016,
two albums, “Rag’n Boogie” and “Boogies on the ball” released by Frémeaux & Associés, 2014 & 2017,
“Rag & Boogie,” a book cowritten by Sébastien Troendlé and Valérie Paumier, with illustrations by
Chabouté - Ed. Les Rêveurs, 2018.
For further information go to: www.sebastientroendle.com
French pianist Sébastien Troendlé has a diploma from the City of Basel Music Academy in Switzerland, and his eclecticism constantly grows thanks to his longstanding involvement in many projects from jazz to reggae, including French songs and the blues.
His eclectic experiences
Solicited for his talents as an improviser, composer, arranger and music director, Sébastien has constantly drawn on new experiences. He has collaborated with the quintet led by Marc Ullrich, with whom he played at the Bird’s Eye in Basel and at the Mulhouse Jazz Festival (2003); his first experience as an actor came when he appeared in the play “La Chère Main de Germain” (a tribute to Germain Muller, an emblematic figure in Alsace) directed by Sébastien Bizzotto (2013); he has also appeared in the satirical revue of the Théâtre de la Choucrouterie (2011/2016). Sébastien Troendlé also wrote the arrangements for the album La Libido du Living-Room by the group Les Dessous de la Vie released in 2013.
A proven educator
Transmitting ideas has been at the heart of Sébastien’s activities ever since he began giving piano lessons at the age of fifteen. He also taught at the Haguenau School of Music for five years, and at the Basel Music Academy as a relief teacher in various classes, including piano, music theory, rhythm and ear training. With a passion for the piano, he developed his knowledge of the instrument in training with Jean Fassina (pianistic technique and finger placement) as well as studying classical piano with Francis Wirth. His skills form partof his approach as an educator, and Sébastien continues to give private lessons.
Producer: Sébastien has produced three albums by the French song-group Valiumvalse which were released on the PST label he founded in 2004, before joining the group for four years (2008–2012.)
Pianist & accompanist: In that same period he experimented in the rapports between dance and music while working as a pianist and accompanist at the Choreographic Centre of the City of Strasbourg, improvising in classes for classical and contemporary music, jazz, music awareness and initiation workshops, in addition to “training pro.”
Famara: From 2000 to 2009 he played with the Swiss reggae band Famara, appearing at major festivals and sharing the stage with such great names in reggae as Tiken Jah Fakoly, Alpha Blondy, Israël Vibration, Ziggy Marley and Gentleman. His nine years with Famara made an important contribution to his career, with over 300 appearances in France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria, plus the recording of 5 albums (for one of which he composed the music, while writing the arrangements for two others.)
Strings for Two: Between 2012 and 2015 Sébastien played with the blues duo Strings for Two he created with his friend Guy Roël, the singer-guitarist. The pair revisited country blues and its urban variety as an expert duo that played with feeling (and a steel-hard groove!) Their material included tunes by Charles Brown, Leroy Carr, Big Joe Turner, Taj Mahal, T–Bone Walker and many others.
Personal projects
“mes têtes.” In 2003 he produced his first solo album “Mes têtes,” which he released on his own PST label.
The launch was accompanied by Argentinean bandoneon player Juan-José Mosalini, and the reception was unanimous, with critics noting “the full extent of his musicality.”
The Ciné-concert of Murnau’s “Faust”. In 2013, initially due to a commission to write film-music, Sébastien would turn to composing a solo piano score for the film “Faust” directed by F.W. Murnau. After his six years at the Choreographic Centre in Strasbourg, where Sébastien improvised and accompanied dance classes, “Faust” represented a continuation of his work with sound-illustrations of movements, atmospheres and emotions.
Rag’n Boogie. This is a global project that has been developing over a decade, since 2010. As a fan of ragtime and boogie-woogie since childhood, Sébastien has been involved in promoting both styles and preserving this musical legacy.
BD-concert. For a long time Sébastien has been a fan of the universe created by illustrator Chabouté. After producing a book for children with him on the themes of ragtime and boogie-woogie (published by Editions Les Rêveurs), Sébastien is now pursuing their collaboration with music based on the comic-book by the best-selling graphic author, “Un peu de bois et d’acier” (published by Glénat/Vents d’Ouest, 2017).
With Sébastien in this new project are drummer/percussionist Frédéric Guérin (the groups Furieuz Casrols, Auditive Connection, Chapel Hill, Electrik G.E.M…), and Gabriel Goubet for the video compositing. “Un peu de bois et d’acier” is no ordinary book since the main character is a wooden bench! So the strange hero has stories to tell about life passing by… in a narrative without words, and a comic-book without a bubble.
Anne Marcel
Author, stage director, actress
After a classical music education at the Conservatoire in Tours, Anne developed her skills in multiple domains – the roles of masks and clowns in theatre, storytelling, voice, dance – when working with the likes of J. L. Cochet, C. Boso, F. Faye, G. de Facques, B. Bidaude, P. Matéo, the Licedei, Claire Dubois and Jean Macé.
As an artist associated with the “Nombril du Monde” in Gâtine for nine years, she created guided visits and traced the path through its famous sound-garden with stories for visitors young and old.
In writing and stage-direction she has accompanied shows for storytellers such as Nicolas Bonneau, in Sortie d’Usine, Inventaire 68, Un Pavé dans l’Histoire and Ali 74, le Combat du Siècle; Annabelle Sergent, in P.P les Ptits Cailloux and Achille Grimaud for Sinon Tapez Dièse; musicians jugglers and actors such as Le P’rave, Les Etablissements Morel, and the Gon-zo Collective; and worked alongside the “Son et Lumières” Ombilicolesque, and Le Mystère de St Pou with Yannick Jaulin, Jérome Rouger, Titus, Gérard Baraton and Camille Rocailleux.
Her career to date reveals her curiosity and gourmandise, and her wish to accompany artists where she perceives the need and desire to tell a story, whatever the stage art or artistic expression.
Ismaïl Safwan
Author, director, musician
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1955, Ismaïl Safwan left the country in 1960 to go to Paris with his parents, and there he discovered the French language. His love for it would never leave him.
When Ismaïl first started his life in the theatre it was as a musician. Between 1977 and 1992 he created the music for a dozen shows for the Attroupement and the Attroupement 2 (performances staged by D. Guénoun, P. Le Mauff…), as well as music for many other creations in Lyon (stage directors L. Vercelletto and D. Lardenois), Rheims (P. Le Mauff and D. Guénoun, National Drama Centre), Brussels (P. Pelloquet, National Theatre of Belgium) and Strasbourg, with numerous theatre companies.
In 1985 Ismaïl became part of the Flash Marionnettes, the company founded in Strasbourg by Corine Linden and officially “conventionné” (institutionalised by the State) in the year 2000. Safwan would be its Artistic Director until 2017, at the end of a long career (over 4000 performances on five continents) recognised by numerous awards. With the Flash Marionnettes he materialised his predilection for the language of his adoptive country: he directed some thirty new creations while writing or cowriting at least half of the productions.
In parallel with his activities as director of the above troupe he collaborated on six shows featuring the “Compagnie de l’Ange d’Or” (P. Chevalier) as a musician and also as co-author and stage co-director. He would also put his name to musical shows by the Ensemble Linéa and the Ensemble Atrium, as author and stage director. “Rag’n’Boogie,” fortunately, now comes as a natural addition to Ismaïl Safwan’s multiple contributions, visually, in writing, and musically.
