DjangoFest Mill Valley returns to the Throckmorton Theatre this Labor Day Weekend! The 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.
GISMO GRAF
Gismo Graf, the 25-year-old shooting star of gypsy swing, has taken his place among the world‘s leading guitarists. Gismo proves that gypsy jazz is much more than just a marginal phenomenon of the jazz scene. The young artist connects gypsy jazz with pop, bossa nova, swing and his own expressive compositions. Gismo has appeared at many festivals throughout Europe and has shared the stage with some of the top jazz legends performing today. Often he performs as a Trio, with his father and mentor Joschi Graf on rhythm guitar and celebrated mast musician Joel Locher on double –bass. Gismo combines technique, virtuosity, rhythmic rigor and charisma. LISTEN >
CHRISTIAAN VAN HEMERT
Christiaan is one of the premier violinists in the current gypsy jazz scene and often performs as a guest of the Rosenberg Trio and alongside Stochelo Rosenberg in different groups. He has played with countless high profile gypsy jazz artists among which are, Mozes Rosenberg, Paulus Schafer, Fapy Lafertin, Tchavolo Schmitt, Roby Lakatos and many others. Besides his activities as a performer he is well known as an educator, teaching at the Rotterdam University of the Arts and in a host of educational videos online. He often hosts workshops worldwide both on violin and guitar and is an expert in the so called ‘Dutch Style’ of gypsy jazz. Together with Stochelo Rosenberg, he maintains and teaches at the online tuition site The Rosenberg Academy.
TOMMY DAVY
Whether it’s French waltzes, poignant interpretations of gypsy folk music or the swinging standards of the Hot Club of France, guitarist Tommy demonstrates technical mastery, compositional creativity and sensitivity beyond his years. At just 25 years of age, he has toured nationally with David Grisman, Stephane Wrembel, Angelo Debarre and Robin Nolan, and has performed internationally with the greatest masters of the Gypsy Jazz Genre, such as Opus 4, Florin Niculescu, Tcha Limberger, Lolo Meier and Andreas Oberg. His vast repertoire also includes Romanian, Hungarian Yugoslavian and Russian traditional folk music. Tommy Davy and his ensemble have been featured at Djangofest Northwest, Djangofest LA, Djangofest San Francisco, Djangofest Colorado, Music By The Sea at Bamfield and NY Birdland’s Django Reinhardt Festival Tour. His devotion to his music has taken him to far away destinations such as Japan, Germany, and France, as well as across the USA and Canada. Dedicated to musical outreach, especially in working to combine genres to draw in those who might be less familiar with jazz and classical music, Tommy has performed for many underprivileged audiences through Street Symphony, a non-profit organization affiliated to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He also teaches and presents workshops of jazz manouche technique and practice.
SIMON PLANTING
Dutch double bassist Simon Planting studied Classical bass at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Jazz at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam before embarking on a professional career that has seen him perform in concerts and festivals around the gobe. Simon has compiled an impressive discography with artists like Mathilde Santing, Fapy Lafertin, Jimmy Rosenberg, Stephane Wrembel, and John Jorgenson as well as several Gypsy Jazz tributes and compilations. He quickly became established in Dutch radio and television in a ten-year association with noted pianist/arranger Cor Bakker. In 2009, Simon joined the legendary John Jorgensen Quintet. Along the way he has also performed with top Jazz Manouche guitarists such as Angelo Debarre, Dorado, Tjavalo and Samson Schmitt, Gonzalo Bergara and other Jazz greats, Larry Coryell, Bill Frisell and Howard Alden to name a few.
Opening Band:
EVAN PRICE TRIO
Evan Price is steadily gaining recognition as one of the world's most confident voices in extra-classical string playing. As a young competitive fiddler he won his share of awards, having been named the U.S. Scottish Fiddling Champion, the Kentucky State Fiddle Champion, Canadian Junior Fiddle Champion, and Canadian Novelty Fiddling Champion. He also performed with some of the masters of fiddle lore—Stephane Grappelli, Johnny Frigo, Claude "Fiddler" Williams, Johnny Gimble, Buddy Spicher, and Vassar Clements—as well as a diverse array of pop icons from Stevie Wonder and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Robert Plant to comedian, Steven Wright.
Joining Evan will be bassist Owen Clapp and guitarist Jordan Samuels.
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
