Joscho Stephan Trio - Four of a Kind

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:37
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:16) 1. Swing News
(3:58) 2. One for Max
(3:47) 3. Rambos Armada
(4:36) 4. Tears
(5:05) 5. Funk 22
(3:47) 6. Just a Gigolo
(2:15) 7. Limehouse Blues
(3:47) 8. Beautiful Love
(3:30) 9. It Don't Mean a Thing
(4:08) 10. Blue Moon
(2:41) 11. Valse de la Mer
(4:21) 12. They Remind Me Too Much of You
(3:19) 13. Struttin' with Some Barbecue

Young fingerstyle guitarist from Germany, Joscho Stephan belongs to a new generation of guitar virtuosos who are introducing fresh stylistic elements into Gipsy Swing.

His debutalbum was named CD of the month by the American magazine Guitar Player and critics found Joscho as virtuoso young musician working in the swing tradition of Django Reinhardt.

Stephan’s music is a mixture of slow melodic jazz and fast, jolly gypsy music. Throughout his music Stephan’s incredible skill and technique can be heard from his vibrato to his incredible runs up and down the guitar neck. Recently Stephan has completed a tour around the world with the great Tommy Emmanuel. https://www.veojam.com/players/joscho-stephan

Four of a Kind

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Joscho Stephan Trio Meets Matthias Strucken - Travels

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Gypsy Swing
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:31
Size: 116,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:43) 1. Morning Dance
(5:03) 2. Misty
(5:01) 3. Travels
(3:36) 4. Indiana
(3:27) 5. Blue Bossa
(3:43) 6. Swing Valse
(4:19) 7. Day by Day
(5:28) 8. Those who wait
(4:18) 9. Bossarona
(3:23) 10. Fresh Rolls
(4:28) 11. Roger´s Samba
(2:58) 12. Gorgeous

His roots lie in Gipsy Swing music, the style pioneered in the 1930s by the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Joscho Stephan has not merely absorbed this music, but also interprets it on the highest level and is actively engaged in extending its boundaries. Despite his youth, after four highly acclaimed CDs and a DVD he has played his way into the illustrous circle of the finest Gipsy Swing musicians in the world.

Great jazz musicians such as Paquito de Rivera, James Carter, Charlie Mariano or Grady Tate enthusiastically praised the talented newcomer after performing together.He has toured Australia with top guitarists Martin Taylor and Tommy Emmanuel and has performed with his own bands (trio to quintett) on numerous important European festivals (among others in Slovenia, Italy, France, Poland and the UK).

His concert appearances in New York’s Lincoln Center or the American country capital Nashville were equally well-received, as were his perfomances in the New Yorker jazz shrine Birdland.

Across the board, the press only has good things to say about Joscho Stephan. His debut “Swinging Strings” was named CD of the month by American magazine Guitar Player. In the words of the highly regarded Acoustic Guitar Magazine, he is the guarantor for the future of Gipsy jazz guitar.
https://www.joscho-stephan.de/en/about-joscho/

Travels

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Olivier Holland, Joscho Stephan - Gypsy Meets Groove

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:07
Size: 119.3 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz/Funk/Soul
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:13] 1. Out Of Nowhere
[6:33] 2. Song For Eore
[6:40] 3. All Blues
[3:54] 4. Smile
[4:35] 5. Don't Look Any Further
[4:53] 6. La Vie En Rose
[6:04] 7. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
[5:20] 8. Chameleon
[5:12] 9. Yardbird Suite
[4:38] 10. Bye Bye Blackbird

Bassist, composer and arranger Olivier Holland has again joined forces with Joscho Stephan to produce an album that pushes stylistic boundaries. Gypsy meets Groove skilfully combines Gypsy Jazz with elements from groove-based music such as Funk, Soul or Reggae. Here is more than just playing jazz tunes with a different feel. On GMG, modern arranging techniques have been skilfully employed to blend different musical elements into an innovative work-of art. Gypsy meets Groove marks a mile-stone with regard to stylistic development. A ‘must’ for both Gypsy Jazz- and more groove-hungry listeners.

Gypsy Meets Groove mc
Gypsy Meets Groove zippy

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Joscho Stephan Trio Meets Matthias Strucken - Gypsy Vibes

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:22
Size: 108,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. It Don't Mean A Thing
(4:11)  2. Things Are Getting Better
(3:44)  3. Linea Blanca
(5:30)  4. Seul Ce Soir
(4:01)  5. Four Brothers
(3:31)  6. Swingende Liebeserklärung
(5:25)  7. Night And Day
(3:10)  8. Brazen Waltz
(3:39)  9. Bags Groove
(4:26) 10. September Song
(3:21) 11. Three Little Words
(2:18) 12. Django

The Collaboration between Joscho Stephan (guitar) and Matthias Strucken (vibes) is influenced by the Master of "Gypsy Swing", Django Reinhardt, and the legendary Member of the Modern Jazz Quartett, the Vibraphone Icon Milt Jackson. Is it possible to combine their styles? The answer is John Lewis Composition “Django”, a Hommage to Django by the Modern Jazz Quartet in the late 50s. “Gypsy Vibes” contains Reinhardt´s and Jackson´s favourites, but also original material by Joscho and Matthias. http://www.joschoshop.com/Joscho-Stephan-Matthias-Strucken-Gypsy-Vibes-2016/en

Personnel:  Joscho Stephan - solo guitar;  Matthias Strucken - vibes;  Günter Stephan - rhythm guitar;  Volker Kamp - double bass

Gypsy Vibes

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Joscho Stephan - Acoustic Live

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:00
Size: 153.4 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[4:55] 1. Hungaria
[2:35] 2. China Boy
[4:38] 3. Sweet Chorus
[4:18] 4. Exactly Like You
[2:37] 5. Mainstreet Breakdown
[4:29] 6. Ocean
[4:54] 7. Artillerie Lourde
[2:54] 8. Belleville
[3:25] 9. West Coast Blues
[2:43] 10. La Gitane
[3:41] 11. Bolero
[3:19] 12. J'attendrai
[4:17] 13. Bossa Dorado
[2:58] 14. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
[5:59] 15. Nuages
[2:42] 16. Les Yeux Noirs
[1:53] 17. Harry Lime Theme
[4:35] 18. Minor Swing

Joscho Stephan is one of the hottest up and coming guitarists of our time. I say "Up and Coming" because I think people will be listening to his CDs for the next 100 years! If you like gypsy jazz, this kid will blow your mind. He is probably the FASTEST gypsy jazz guitarist EVER! Now, because of that, I remember what my jazz guitar teacher told me years ago-"When you try to play a lot of notes, you tend to slip into what is comfortable for you, which diminishes the 'improvisational' aspect of your solos". With that said, you hear him repeat a lot of phrases (AT MIND BLOWING TEMPOS) and some might be put off by that. Not me. I can appreciate that not everyone is going to be virtuosic in EVERY solo. Like 'we' guitarists like to say, "Man, sometimes you just wanna hear somebody SHRED!"

If I may, i would call this album a compendium on GYPSY SHRED! This guy is maniac-ally fast! I enjoyed it and if you enjoy hearing gypsy jazz at break-neck tempos, you will too.

PS-the album does have a few ballads. :-) ~Ed G.

Acoustic Live mc
Acoustic Live zippy

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Joscho Stephan - Guitar Heroes

Size: 150,1 MB
Time: 64:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Gipsy Jazz
Art: Front

01. Blues For Tommy (Feat. Tommy Emmanuel) (3:14)
02. Love's Melody (Feat. Stochelo Rosenberg) (3:21)
03. Hungaria (Feat. Bireli Lagrene) (3:59)
04. Swing 42 (Feat. Tommy Emmanuel) (4:54)
05. Double Jeu (Feat. Stochelo Rosenberg) (3:53)
06. Song For Bireli (Feat. Bireli Lagrene) (4:51)
07. Hey Joe (3:48)
08. Something (Feat. Tommy Emmanuel) (3:42)
09. Blues For Stochelo (Feat. Stochelo Rosenberg) (3:48)
10. Breezin' (Feat. Bireli Lagrene) (6:00)
11. Blue Drag (Feat. Tommy Emmanuel) (4:16)
12. Bye Bye Blues (2:14)
13. Black Orpheus (Feat. Bireli Lagrene) (4:48)
14. Seven Come Eleven (Feat. Tommy Emmanuel) (4:16)
15. Swinging Strings (Feat. Stochelo Rosenberg) (2:49)
16. Samba Pa Ti (4:19)

Feat. Tommy Emmanuel, Stochelo Rosenberg, Biréli Lagrène & Joscho Stephan Trio

Joscho Stephan is well known on the international guitar scene as one of the most creative gypsy-swing players. With a powerful tone and remarkable technical skills, he has an instantly recognizable voice on his instrument. He's also not afraid to combine gypsy swing with a lot of different styles, like klezmer, pop or classical music.

One of Joscho's longtime dreams has been to record an album of songs written by his “guitar heroes.” When he started to work on the project, he thought it would be even more fun to invite the “heroes” of the current guitar scene to the studio with him. So on this new record, Joscho is joined by three world-class guitarists -- Australian guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel, Dutch gypsy swing icon Stochelo Rosenberg, and French “guitar phenomenon” Biréli Lagréne. Together, they present Joscho's own compositions, along with famous tunes in the style of gypsy swing with rock, jazz, and funk influences. The album includes pieces written by such great guitarists as Django Reinhardt, Carlos Santana and George Harrison, plus pieces successfully interpreted by the likes of Jimi Hendrix (“Hey Joe”) and George Benson (“Breezin”).

Guitar Heroes

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Joscho Stephan - Django Nuevo

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 48:43

Size: 111.6 MB

Styles: Gypsy swing

Year: 2010

Art: Front

[3:06] 1. Stomp

[3:03] 2. So Rare

[1:59] 3. Rondo Alla Turca

[5:02] 4. If I Had You

[3:43] 5. San Vincenco

[2:29] 6. Django Nuevo

[3:25] 7. Four Brothers

[7:04] 8. You Are So Beautiful (Medley With Smoke Gets In Your Eyes)

[3:33] 9. Sway

[3:11] 10. Body And Soul

[4:06] 11. You Made Me Love You

[3:05] 12. Michelle

[3:15] 13. Song For Oscar

[1:36] 14. Revelations

Joscho Stephan, more than any other artist, has influenced modern gypsy swing with his playing: Thanks to his authentic tone, his harmonic refinement and sense of rhythm, but above all, his breathtaking solo technique, Stephan has earned himself an outstanding reputation on the international guitar scene with his playing. This master guitarist from Mönchengladbach is now honoring Django Reinhardt on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the father figure of gypsy swing. With his homage, “Django Nuevo”, Joscho Stephan towers over the abundance of current adaptations. He does not, once again, render such ubiquitously known classics as „Nuages“ or „Minor Swing”, but rather pays tribute to the master with five own compositions. By the same token, he reveals himself as a visionary by using 9 compositions by other artists to connect gypsy swing with Latin, classical and pop. The album presents, among others, Santana‘s „Revelations“, Mozart‘s “Turkish March”, and “Michelle” by the Fab Four in brand new and imaginative gypsy swing versions, with Stephan‘s father Günter on rhythm guitar, Max Schaaf on bass and Sebastian Reimann on violin. As for Joscho, a virtuoso of the Maccaferri guitar, he reveals himself to be an original interpreter and a fantastic soloist, whose explosive dynamics, filigree nuances and surprising phrasings confirm his reputation as an original innovator of the genre. With “Django Nuevo”, Joscho Stephan has managed to create a wonderful homage that the legendary master of gypsy swing would surely have been proud of.

 

Django Nuevo

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Joscho Stephan & Olivier Holland - Gypsy Meets Jazz

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:05
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:21)  1. Made In France
(4:57)  2. Morning Drop Off
(4:49)  3. Take the Train
(2:58)  4. Sleepless
(4:51)  5. Spain
(3:05)  6. Crazy Daisy
(4:12)  7. Afro Shuh
(2:54)  8. Donna Lee
(3:53)  9. Tears
(3:43) 10. Senor Carlos
(2:39) 11. Babik
(3:38) 12. Gutted

Two virtuosos of the strings sought and found each other: On the one hand, the master guitarist from Mönchengladbach, Joscho Stephan, on the other, the German-New-Zealander double bass player Olivier Holland. Ever since the 1990s, the paths of these two exceptional musicians have crossed in joint projects. The two artists always find new ideas and inspiration for their playing, which gave riseto a collaborative studio effort, where the two artists bundled their creative energies to form an exciting fusion style that also gave the album its title: "Gypsy Meets Jazz". The two musicians are joined by Stephan's father Günter on rhythm guitar, bass Max Schaaf, violinist Sebastian Reimann and percussionist Thomas Kukulies. Together they create a fascinating musical kaleidoscope with compositions by the two string virtuosos themselves and refreshingly interpreted classics by Bireli Lagrène and Charlie Parker, Chick Corea and Django Reinhardt. "Gypsy Meets Jazz" shows two brilliant trailblazers engaging in an extremely creative and highly entertaining excursion that enriches both genres in a fascinating manner.  http://www.joscho-stephan.de/en/music

Gypsy Meets Jazz

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Joscho Stephan - Swing News

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:12
Size: 122.3 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Swing News
[3:03] 2. I'll See You In My Dreams
[2:18] 3. I've Had My Moments
[4:20] 4. Caravan
[2:16] 5. Les Yeux Noirs
[2:25] 6. Crazy Valse
[2:38] 7. All Of Me
[4:25] 8. Sweet Georgia Brown
[2:45] 9. China Boy
[3:42] 10. Body And Soul
[4:04] 11. Mocca
[2:13] 12. Stompin' At Decca
[2:55] 13. Sweet Sue
[3:52] 14. November Night
[3:00] 15. Dinah
[4:43] 16. Black Orpheus

German Gypsy prodigy Joscho Stephan set the Gypsy jazz world alight with his debut album, 1999’s Swinging Strings. The CD was dazzling in its fresh playing, handful of original compositions, and the fact that the whole album was a collection of first takes. Stephan’s second CD was eagerly awaited. This new disc has its highlights as well as its letdowns. After proving that he can play guitar on his first album, Stephan now appears to want to see how fast he can play it. Some of the songs here are machine-gun melodies that lose any sense of musicality, like the breakneck version of Les Yeux Noirs that is largely a medley of every other Gypsy Jazz guitarist’s best solos and clichéd licks. Other cuts are downright bizarre in their choice of stylings. The version of Sweet Georgia Brown features a slapped electric bass solo that would be more at home on a George Clinton Funkadelic album. It’s downright strange. And then there is Stephan’s version of Caravan that is ethereal in its beauty—and worth the cost of the CD alone. Stephan can obviously play guitar with the best of them. He also has an original style when he works at being himself and not aping Django Reinhardt or the other masters. And ultimately the highlights here outshine the oddities. It will be interesting to see what Stephan chooses to do on his next album. —Michael Dregni

Swing News

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