"Jan Jankeje - Wedeli Köhler Gypsy Projekt
HOMAGE Á STEPHANE GRAPPELI & THE DJANGO REINHARDT SHOW"

Wedeli Köhler- Violine
Jan Jankeje- Kontrabass
Jan Jankeje's Gypsy Strings International

Wedeli Köhler- Violine, Jan Jankeje- Kontrabass und Sascha Köhler- Rhytm. Gitarre, haben in Policka (Tsch) bei diesjährigen 7-ten Internationalen Jazzfestival großen Erfolg geerntet.

Wedeli Köhler ist ein deutscher Zigeuner Jazzmusiker, der auf beeindruckende Weise vielfältige Stilrichtungen verbindet. Seine virtuose Beherrschung von Geige und Gitarre versetzen ihn in die Lage der Swinggitarre Django Reinhardts, wie auch der eleganten Geige Stephane Grappellis Gehör zu verschaffen. Rasante Swingnummern gehören ebenso zu seinem Programm wie Swing-Valse und Musette aus Frankreich. Wedeli Köhler ist ein spieltechnisch perfekter Jazzgeiger mit großer interpretatorischer Ausstrahlung. Sein unbeschwertes, lockeres Spiel, seine technische Brillianz und sein improvisatorischer Erfindungsreichtum haben ihn zu einem der besten Swinggeiger Europas, ja der Welt gemacht. Seinem Vorbild Stephané Grappelli kommt er in Eleganz und Tongebung sehr nahe.

CD WEDELI KÖHLER " Swing et folk " Jazzpoint Records CD JP 1067, Allemagne 2003 www.jazzpoint.de, Auskunft per eMail info@jazzpoint.de Voici le nouveau disque d'un vieux routier de la scène sinti d'Allemagne (son 1er LP remonte à il y a plus de 20 ans avec le Hot Club Da Sinti et un certain Tchavolo à la guitare !). Wedeli est un musicien complet : violoniste, il passe avec un bonheur égal d'un swing très grappellien (Cf. Avalon, I got rythm ou Somewhere over the rainbow) à la sensibilité et à l'expressivité de la tradition des primas hongrois où sa brillante technique fait merveille (Cf. After be tyar ou le magnifique Somewhere in my dreams) ; c'est aussi un fameux guitariste conjuguant décontraction du phrasé et sens constant du swing (Cf. Sindengo walzare, belle valse empreinte de sentiment). Wedeli explore donc ici toute la musique qu'il aime passant sans problème d'une czardas à un standard de jazz (fate, I'll see you in my dreams), d'une valse (le lumineux Wals de fantasia, l'une des trois compositions de Wedeli figurant sur ce disque, en duo avec son fils Sascha) à une relecture inspirée de Nuages ; Wedeli sait tout faire : swinguer comme un beau diable, improviser avec lyrisme et inspiration autour de la mélodie, sans effet spectaculaire mais toujours avec un niveau musical exigeant, et bien soutenu par de très bons musiciens : ses fils Sascha, guitare acoustique, et Benjamin, piano sur 3 titres et violon sur un autre pour un duo superbe avec son père à la guitare, Thilo Wagner, piano sur 4 morceaux, Will Lindfors, batterie, Jan Jankeje contrebasse et Elemer Balogh, impressionnant joueur de cymbalum (Cf. Hcigani). Un très beau disque bien représentatif du swing manouche d'Outre Rhin. (Francis Couvreux) WEDELI KöHLER : Swing & Folk CD jp 1067 : received the label " Bravos " of the TRAD MAGAZINE (France)

JAN JANKEJE WEDELI KÖHLER GYPSY PROJECT In most impressive and colourful ways, these five virtuosos merge manifold musical styles into what becomes a magnificent euphonious experience. Captivating swing tunes Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli style belong to their repertoire just as much as Musette, Csardas and strains from Russia and the Balkans. The Slovakian-born double bassist and bandleader Ján Jankeje is a well known entity admid the Sinti as well as the ”goy“ jazz scene. The European jazz community is well aware of his extraordinary artistic qualities and he is being regarded one of the top protagonists of his instrument. He can proudly claim to have discovered Pierre Lagreni already in 1979, having subsequently literally travelled the globe with him. Having performed in world’s most famous venues like the Carnegie Hall in New York and with illuminaries like Benny Carter, Stéphane Grappelli and many others, he was awarded a Honorary Citizenship of New Orleans for his extraordinary merits regarding matters jazz-musical. The violinist and guitarist Wedeli Köhler comes from a Sinti family of a great musical tradition. His grandfather was – just as many of his ancestors – a musician to the court of the Austrian Emperor. Both his parents were violinists and taught young Wedeli to play this instrument. At the age of 12, he took up the guitar, too. He grew up into a technically brilliant and artistically radiant musician. Yet it is his seemingly effortless, laid-back way of playing his instruments what establishes him as one of the worlds best and most swinging jazz musicians. In spite of modelling himself, initially, on the obvious heroes (Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, respectively), Wedeli has developed, on both his instruments, his own distinct sound and style, having found further plentiful sources of inspiration in the magnificent Sinti & Roma tradition of Mediterranean and East European countries. As for the origins of the acoustic guitarist Sasha Reinhardt, not many words have to be said, for he is a son of Wedeli Köhler. His tremendous musicality is genetically granted, yet a great effort is being put in to develop it further. However (well, at least for the time being), Sasha specialises on taking on the rôle of a rhythm guitarist. He has developed this to perfection. This as well as his superb understanding of harmonic structures and ingenious capability of enhancing these made him to one of the most esteemed and asked-for rhythm guitarists within the European jazz scene. So, it is no surprise that he is busy with many bands on stage and in studios.