DjangoFest Mill Valley returns to the Throckmorton Theatre this Labor Day Weekend! The Gypsy Jazz festival will feature four days of incredible concerts, workshops and parties, and culminates in the ultimate “djam” performance. This will mark the festival’s 14th year in Mill Valley, and it promises to, once again, bring together some of the world’s best and brightest musicians.
Tonight features a concert by the young French guitar duo Antoine Boyer & Samuelito. Antoine Boyer & Samuelito met at the Conservatoire de Paris in Gérard Abiton’s classical guitar class. They soon started to play together and developed a new duet repertoire combining different influences and techniques (jazz, flamenco, classical, pop…). They played their first concert together at the Issoudun Guitar Festival in 2014. In 2016, Antoine & Samuelito performed at the Django Reinhardt Festival (Samois) and DjangoFest Northwest (Seattle). That same year, they won the 4th European Guitar Award in Dresden.
ANTOINE BOYER
Antoine Boyer drank from the most authentic sources of gypsy jazz, being a disciple of such masters as Mandino Reinhardt and Francis-Alfred Moerman. Antoine has performed at all the major gypsy jazz festivals throughout Europe and the United States. He has shared the stage with such renowned musicians as Philip Catherine, Angelo Debarre, Stochelo Rosenberg, Christian Escoudé, Raphael Faÿs, Tim Kliphuis, Jon Larsen, Adrien Moignard, Robin Noland, and Paulus Schäfer. His second CD, Leské received numerous awards including French music magazine Trad Mag’s “BRAVO” award. Following the release of this third CD, Sita, which received Jazzman Magazine’s “Revelation” award, Antoine was elected “Revelation Guitarist 2012” by Guitarist Acoustic magazine. He is the first gypsy jazz guitarist to receive such distinction. Winner of the 2015 Montigny Classical Guitar Contest, Antoine has also been nominated “Révélation Guitare Classique 2016” by Guitare Classique magazine. Antoine regularly performs with Samuelito; as a duet, they won the “4th European Guitar Award” in Dresden 2016. Currently, he studies classical guitar with Gérard Abiton in Paris.
SAMUELITO
Samuel Rouesnel (“Samuelito”) is one of the most recognized flamenco guitarists in France. Born in 1993, he began playing classical guitar at the age of seven at the Conservatoire de Caen in Normandy. Samuelito became fascinated by world music, particularly flamenco, which led him down a dual classical/flamenco guitar path. His first concert was on the national stage of Caen at the age of 16. The televised concert marked the beginning of his international career. Deeply rooted in the flamenco tradition, both as a performer and composer, this young guitarist has created a style that is all his own. His unique style and incredible musicianship has earned him numerous awards including “so14 favorite!” in Calvados 2017 and “Revelation 2013” by Guitarist Acoustic magazine. He has also won first place for both flamenco guitar and classical guitar in the Albi International Competition.
Opening Band:
BARRIO MANOUCHE
Barrio Manouche performs a repertoire of original instrumental compositions with a unique sound that is difficult to classify yet is instantly recognizable. They are deeply influenced by a range of musical traditions, from the swing of Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet, to the hot jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, the gypsy soul of Eastern Europe, and the flamenco of Paco de Lucía, to the avant-garde sounds of Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, and John Coltrane. The ensemble has been recognized for its surprise concerts, innovative style, complex technique, and their passion for their musical improvisation.
The group’s international roots shine brightly in their music. With members from Spain, Quebec, France, Brazil, and even California, Barrio Manouche plays what is perhaps the truest definition of World music, taking their audience on a magical journey. Or, as the band’s rhythm guitarist and Bay Area local Alex Zelnick says, “We are a melting pot of cultures and musical backgrounds brought together by our love and ideal of musical and artistic expression.”
Javi Jimenez – Guitar
Alex Zelnick – Guitar
Cyril Guiraud – Sax
Magali Sanscartier – Violin
Gary Johnson – Bass
Luis Jimenez – Cajón
TICKETS
Advance General Admission – $40
Day of Show General Admission – $45
Reserved Seating – $65
Weekend Concert Pass (includes Reserved Seating for all 4 concerts) – $199 | BUY HERE
