Stephane Grappelli

Speaker 20:01

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

Stephane Grappelli0:04

Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne and this is the Desert Island Discs podcast. For rights reasons, the music is shorter than on the original broadcast. The presenter is Roy Plomley. I hope you enjoy listening.

Presenter0:27

This week, our castaway is the French chance vaginist Stéphane Grapeni.

Presenter0:32

Stepan, could you endure them with me?

Presenter0:34

Yes, I can. I'm quite happy sometimes to be alone for a long time. Maybe.

Presenter0:41

It's supposed to have a bit of imagination. Yes. Then that helps you a lot to suffer to be a half.

Presenter0:51

What would you be happiest to have got away from?

Presenter0:55

But on the call.

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Yes, this is a nice warm.

Presenter0:58

That is the most important thing.

Presenter1:01

What sort of plan did you have in mind in choosing your eight record?

Presenter1:07

Well, because I like them.

Presenter1:08

And the the Khaiman Mi

Presenter1:12

That's from Fed and J.

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moment in the past then.

Presenter1:19

What's the first one you've chosen?

Presenter1:21

I'm gonna

Presenter1:22

I think I like uh the six inch and the turban.

Presenter2:23

The opening of Beethoven's sixth symphony, The Pastoral,

Presenter2:27

Herbert von Carrian conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Presenter2:30

What's your second?

Presenter2:32

I like

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So much DP.

Presenter2:35

Yeah.

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And I will be very pleased to hear.

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If I'm alone, I'm not sure.

Presenter3:38

The best is Quilioda la que médi dun pon.

Presenter3:42

So Almonds conducting the French National Radio Orchestra.

Presenter3:46

Stefan, are you a Parisian? I'm born in Paris, yes. From a musical family.

Presenter3:51

My father was very musician, but uh didn't know anything in music.

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But he loved music and

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We used to go often in the classical concert on Sunday. That's why I

Presenter4:05

I hear that music you just help, yes. At what age did you decide you wanted to be a musician?

Presenter4:13

Well, I didn't decide anything. My father decided that for me. But it was about 10 when I started at the end of the First War when he came back from his ingitariat service.

Presenter4:26

When did you first become attached to jazz? What was the impact? Well, I mean it Well, I start to play the violin I will tell you about 10 and about 14 I start to

Presenter4:37

Well my living room with it.

Presenter4:40

And I was playing in the silent pitch here at that time. And in the interval we used to go next door where there is some record.

Presenter4:52

And we used to put a little a coin.

Presenter4:55

Yeah, to listening and I've got time to listening to a covet. I was very

Presenter5:01

surprised and impressioned by what I heard. And one of them gave me such an idea for like a music or jazz.

Stephane Grappelli5:06

Uh

Presenter5:11

What is big, but they're backend.

Presenter5:13

more known as a trumpetist than a pianist, but I think he's the first modern pianist.

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To my opinion.

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And away in the mission.

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In 1928.

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That mean

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He is the father of the whole musician. Yes.

Presenter5:36

You had rather a hard time getting started. You used to play sometimes in in courtyards.

Stephane Grappelli5:41

Yeah. No.

Presenter5:45

Bid limber walk.

Presenter5:47

Badly broke.

Speaker 25:49

Yeah.

Presenter5:52

What was the first important thing to happen in your career?

Presenter5:56

Well, the important thing was when I get away from the misery.

Presenter6:02

And when I meet Gregor, I need Gregorian, I was about 19, then I start to...

Presenter6:10

To lead the way I like. That was one of the top-down orchestras of the day.

Stephane Grappelli6:13

Doctor.

Speaker 26:14

Don't talk.

Speaker 26:15

Yeah.

Presenter6:16

That was the orchestra in France. And it was the

Presenter6:22

kind of orchestral jacket and yes a penny on the big orchestra.

Speaker 26:26

They are

Presenter6:28

with the show and a lot of things. Now really start to learn my profession.

Speaker 26:34

Mm-hmm.

Presenter6:34

with Gregor not as a violinist but as a kenya.

Presenter6:38

You were a pianist with playing. Well, I started my music carrier as a canyon played the harmoni album.

Speaker 26:45

Yeah.

Presenter6:47

We were playing for them. Yeah.

Speaker 26:49

Uh

Presenter6:49

We didn't play the walls of tango, we just played Foxcroft.

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And what you call now slow music, of course, melodic, ballad, and a lot of Fox Fraud or quick step.

Presenter7:06

T four two will be uh music like that.

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So tab your next record, what are you choosing as your third?

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Uh in the meeting?

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We can

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Uh particular solo

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Big better baked. One that influence do so much.

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Fixed by the back

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Miv.

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How long did you stay with Gregor? I say Gregor, yeah? When I stay with him about three or four years. Yeah.

Presenter8:05

At the end of my stay with him, we've been to a cabaret and one night we had a nice party and when I looked at the band I saw a validist that was a friend of mine.

Presenter8:17

And I was thinking, well, I wonder if I still play the violin like I used to in my youth.

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Poor.

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I think Yvonne.

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And I start to play the in my own way.

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And Gregor was quite amused by that. He said, you should play like that in the band.

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And that it like that I start to play the violin in the band.

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And where did you move on to after Gregor? Well, I've been to several places and one night, we were working at night, we are met where I met Jean-Guerreinard.

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who was quite interested of my playing the violin.

Presenter9:01

And I was interested in his guitar.

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And we

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We decide to meet together and

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And see

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Where and when we could play together. So that began one of the great jazz partnerships of all time, yours with Django Reid on.

Presenter9:21

He was a gypsy, and he was a gypsy, and he played with the very severe physical handicap, didn't he? His hand was Bentley Brown when he was 18.

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And he was.

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Uh physically very strong. They have a long

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finger which permit him to develop the technique with the two first fingers.

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He managed to put those dead fingers on the string A and B, which help him to do those Full code

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As it used to do.

Speaker 29:56

Mm-hmm.

Presenter9:57

And only him could do a thing like that in my opinion.

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Because uh

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I can't see anybody.

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Limit the finger possible.

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He was a genius, but he must have been a difficult man to work with, wasn't he? He was difficult because nobody understood him.

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He was illiterate.

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Uh completely, an alphabet. Yeah. I teach him to sign his name because for the contract it meant the

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I think Privilega you wear origin clacking cross

Presenter10:35

And he had a Gypsy's idea of time too, didn't he? Ah no.

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You mean he has no idea.

Presenter10:42

I used to wonder where we opened at the palladium with that in.

Presenter10:47

Riemann Minnesota was playing bignard.

Presenter10:50

You discover the Eurobiger, the snooker, the codec.

Stephane Grappelli10:53

Yeah.

Speaker 210:53

Okay.

Stephane Grappelli10:53

Uh

Presenter10:54

He discovered that and he was very happy to play that, so he forgets to be at the premiere of the palladium.

Presenter11:03

But this was of course the quintet of the hot club of France and you soon began

Presenter11:08

playing all over Europe with the drama success.

Speaker 211:10

Yeah.

Stephane Grappelli11:10

Yeah.

Presenter11:12

What would it uh

Presenter11:14

Quite interesting music together and get the jungle and massage.

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And two guitars, two more guitars and uh and a bass player.

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Let's have record number four. What are we going to have next?

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Well, uh as I told you uh

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I start to like

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Music chance.

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When I was 14 or 15.

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And at that time I was terribly impressed by Louis Armstrong.

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Well, a little later, when I was about 18, I heard the first time Louis Armstrong d'Anois, and that really was a great shock for me.

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And uh where the linen

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title coming to my memory and is uh I can't believe that you are in love with me because he thinks that in such a way

Presenter12:06

You put so much heart in it.

Presenter12:09

But you were listening to that.

Speaker 312:12

Oh your eyes are blue, your gears are dew. I never knew what they could do. I can't believe that you in love with me.

Speaker 212:18

I can't believe it.

Stephane Grappelli12:21

Now

Speaker 312:23

Oh, you're telling everyone I know I'm on your mind each time you go.

Speaker 312:31

They can't believe that you're in love with me. Oh baby, I have always placed you far above me.

Presenter12:41

Nelly Armstrong, I can't believe that you're in love with me recorded in 1930. Steven, when war broke out, you were in London.

Presenter12:49

I was in London in 1938 and I was mainly in.

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I had a very great operation.

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And we've done

Presenter13:00

Go back to Parthenon. You you played uh with Arthur Young in the swing turt, in Hackett Swing Tert? I f uh well I was I learned here.

Presenter13:11

Like Nigo Island. That was about that.

Stephane Grappelli13:13

Yes, what's the matter about that note?

Stephane Grappelli13:15

Yeah.

Presenter13:16

I was completely alone in in London and

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Broke once more. But they don't have music in your courtyard. So I must find something else.

Speaker 213:28

Come on, my friends.

Speaker 213:30

Tell them.

Presenter13:31

And I was lucky back to Panama Old Planet Suriang.

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Uh secret in Don Street.

Presenter13:40

It would be quite funny to see that big chap on the bike. Yes, he was an air raid war.

Stephane Grappelli13:45

Yeah.

Presenter13:46

So he asked me if I want to join him because he was forming a band not to hatch it. And I said, of course.

Presenter13:57

like Plants de Talis go out of the water.

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So we met and we decided what to do and we went.

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Two hatchets.

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Restaurants where I sleep for a year.

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And George Shearing was with you. Well, George Shearing enjoyed everything.

Presenter14:16

Later.

Presenter14:17

I found a sidelong dwarf hearing in the pub in Battersea. You found him?

Stephane Grappelli14:22

Danger.

Presenter14:24

In Butterfield, it was about 18 or 19.

Presenter14:28

He was playing the accordion. Yeah.

Presenter14:31

And I was very unpleasant.

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to nearly maybe on a on a corvette.

Presenter14:37

I remember a program that you and I used to do with Arthur Young and Reginald Forsyth and Elizabeth Welsh to tell it on 2 p.m. It was very amusing.

Presenter14:48

Well, after the war you were reunited with Django.

Presenter14:52

Until he died in

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ID looked at three.

Presenter14:57

He died, yeah. He died he died in 1953 in May.

Stephane Grappelli14:57

Done, yeah.

Presenter15:01

Yeah.

Presenter15:02

And since then, we haven't seen very much of you. You've been very busy, I know. You've been very... Well, I like to travel and I've been a bit everywhere.

Stephane Grappelli15:07

Whatever I meant.

Presenter15:11

I'm back again here. You've been to America, I'm back.

Stephane Grappelli15:13

European tour

Presenter15:16

There recently a fascinating television appearance with Evo de Manwit, or President Carmen to Preventin.

Presenter15:24

It looked as if you were enjoying yourself. Oh, I'm enjoying that fed mostly.

Presenter15:29

Yeah.

Presenter15:30

Why'd you not be sick?

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And it can't be fun to wear.

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And you've been touring with Sasha District? I must say it's a very fun vitamin tour.

Presenter15:41

Let's have another record, Watson, number five.

Presenter15:44

Oh.

Presenter15:45

A great shock, music and great shock again for me was to hear RT2.

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Okay. In about 1935, I think that came later.

Presenter15:57

But since I heard him.

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I never changed my mind.

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After to have such a wide

Presenter16:05

You must be expensive.

Stephane Grappelli16:06

Yeah.

Presenter16:07

And I bring with me on the island.

Presenter16:12

What do you know this? Hugh Morris.

Presenter16:45

Art Tatum playing Vorshax Humoresque. Let's go straight into your next record. Watch that. My next record is Agun Artatum.

Presenter16:55

with uh very great sexual frameworks.

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Alive now. Uh Ben Webster. Yeah. And they play together.

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In the really

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Lovely beauty, my one and only Lord.

Speaker 217:15

Uh

Presenter17:38

By one another they love

Presenter17:39

Arctatum and BedWet.

Presenter17:42

Sevan, how efficient would you be as a castaway on this desert island? Would you look after yourself?

Presenter17:48

Well, as long as it is possible.

Presenter17:51

First thing you must build a hut. Yes, could you do that? Well, no, I never did that.

Presenter17:58

Do you think you could? Always leave me not, you know?

Stephane Grappelli17:58

Do you think you

Presenter18:02

And in any case, when you are in need of something, you always find it if you have imagination.

Presenter18:14

I mean unless it is a desert island.

Presenter18:19

highly desert, you can't build anything there.

Presenter18:24

And you might. What about food?

Presenter18:29

Well, as I said, if you can find it, food and all that.

Presenter18:34

Matthew fit in the deal there.

Presenter18:36

Well, let's say it's deserted. Ah, deserted, but that doesn't mean like in the Tara, no. No, no, no. Ah, see what you mean. A a lonely island with nobody in it. Nobody but you.

Stephane Grappelli18:42

Ah, see, what's the

Stephane Grappelli18:46

Yeah.

Presenter18:49

Uh well, uh of course you can otherwise uh

Presenter18:54

Try to get some fold on issues.

Presenter18:59

Well, fish, I know they always eat anything. I'm not going to do that, but uh maybe maybe when you are hungry you must run something. Would you try to escape?

Presenter19:09

Escape. Well, if it is an island with everything and it and the country wait, you must escape. All right.

Presenter19:17

Let's have your seven prick or watch that to be.

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And not the right success any.

Presenter19:22

Well, John Calprim. Yes.

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And uh I held.

Presenter19:29

She won the battle of Coleman Hawkins, body hand for the war, and for years I loved it.

Presenter19:38

But

Presenter19:39

I held.

Presenter19:40

Full-time player, Arnovna.

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Birdie Buddy and Paul.

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And it's a different way.

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But then

Presenter19:55

Okay, that's fun.

Presenter19:57

and is greatly hampered by

Presenter20:01

Maldives Penny.

Presenter20:03

Yeah, and I love so much the way he played his tune, but the answer.

Presenter20:38

John Coltrane playing Body and Soul and that marvelous pianist you were talking about, McCoy Tyner. And now we come to your last record, Stephan. What's that to be?

Presenter20:49

I I take one novel code with me. One of your own. Yes.

Presenter20:54

Because that

Presenter20:56

You could kill my hook which was dedicated to

Presenter21:00

Akin is one of the greatest musicians I knew, Mala.

Presenter21:05

Gary Biltman.

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I box.

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And there was one person.

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After playing with him then.

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Um

Presenter21:15

very simple little tune which I call Guy.

Presenter21:20

Probably yeah.

Presenter21:21

Yeah.

Presenter21:53

Got it.

Presenter21:55

Your own recording made in 1970 in Paris. If you could take only one disc car to the age of theaters, which would it be?

Presenter22:04

Well, it's difficult to say. I like um

Presenter22:08

All the disks

Presenter22:10

And uh I will keep

Presenter22:12

Any any record?

Presenter22:16

We'd like to know what will be. Just whichever one happens to be saved. Exactly. All right. You'll be happy with any one of them.

Presenter22:24

and one luxury to take to the island with you.

Presenter22:28

We're not really here.

Presenter22:30

Well

Presenter22:31

Uh you win a joke. Yes and we're funded apparently. That's it's good practical stuff.

Presenter22:42

At Diamond, for example.

Speaker 222:43

Who's not?

Presenter22:45

Have a tribe. All right, we'll get it for you.

Presenter22:48

And one book, apart from the Bible and Shakespeare, which are already there. Good at last, would you?

Presenter22:54

Away from thy impression.

Presenter22:56

Yeah.

Presenter22:58

This is very practical.

Presenter23:00

And thank you, Stefan Gruptelli, for letting us hear your Desert Island visit.

Presenter23:05

Thank you very much to you.

Presenter23:08

Goodbye everyone.