Grappelli, Stephane, << gruh PEHL ee, stay FAHN >> (1908-1997), a French jazz violinist, was one of the greatest jazz instrumentalists of the 1900’s. He was one of the few violinists ever to adapt his instrument to the medium of jazz and was among the first Europeans to make a significant contribution to what is essentially an American type of music. Grappelli was a leading jazz performer for more than 60 years.
Grappelli was born in Paris on Jan. 26, 1908. He was of French and Italian parentage. His mother died when he was only three years old, and he spent much of his childhood in orphanages. Reunited with his father after World War I (1914-1918), he showed an interest in music, and in 1920, his father bought him his first violin. He also began learning the piano. Grappelli studied briefly at the Paris Conservatory but dropped out because he preferred improvising (making music up as he went along) to sticking to the written music that classical performances required. Grappelli was influenced by the street musicians of Paris, but he was also enthusiastic about the sounds of jazz. He was especially influenced by the playing of the American jazz violinist Joe Venuti.
In 1933, Grappelli became a founding member of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, led by the great Belgian Romani (Gypsy) guitarist Django Reinhardt. Grappelli made scores of recordings with the quintet. From 1934 to 1939, Grappelli built his reputation with his flowing, elegant playing that seemed to combine the honeyed tones of Parisian cafe music with the grittiness of the American blues. Grappelli also gained experience as a composer and arranger. During World War II (1939-1945), he escaped to England and made several recordings in London.
After the war, Grappelli’s reputation as a jazz artist increased. He made several international tours. He secured a five-year contract to play at the Paris Hilton Hotel and often appeared in concert with younger musicians such as the French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. Grappelli revived the Hot Club style with the English guitarist Diz Disley. He also performed and recorded with the great classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and in a rare but rewarding meeting of artistic minds, he teamed up with the U.S. jazz violinist Eddie South to record Johann Sebastian Bach’s Double Violin Concerto in D minor. Grappelli made his American debut in 1968. In 1992, Grappelli published his memoirs under the title Mon violon pour tout bagage (My Violin is My Only Luggage). He died on Dec. 1, 1997.
