Jean "Matelot" Ferret

about

Matelo Ferret (aka Matelo Ferré, Matelot Ferret, Pierre "Matelo(t) Ferret, Jean "Matelot" Ferret) Before the recordings by Matelo Ferret were issued on CD in 1988, one knew little about the gypsy guitarists from the 1925-1930 Parisian cabarets, caf’conc’, and dance halls, apart from those who played jazz. Some people were of course aware that the young Django Reinhardt – a six-string banjo virtuoso – played Monti’s Czardas brilliantly as well as the legendary gypsy Gusti Malha’s elaborated waltzes, such as La Valse des Niglos. Nevertheless, as few people in those days ventured into the Parisian zone, no one knew that in his youth Django had composed tunes that had made him famous in the popular world of the French capitol. No doubt this was the reason why these deeply inventive but forgotten waltzes – Chez Jacquet, Montagne Ste. Geneviève, and others – didn’t come to light until a small record with Matelo was issued in 1960, now representing the first four tracks on this CD. In the original liner notes Charles Delaunay remarked: “Listening to these little masterpieces is enlightening about how much gracefulness, and what treasures, Django brought first to the musette orchestras, and later to jazz.” Furthermore, it is obvious that Django and his predecessor Gusti Malha’s approach to the instrument, their way of improvising accompaniment lines for accordionists, and of playing odd chromatic low notes, were a decisive factor in the elaboration of the famous Valses Gitanes. J

top songs

albums

similar artists