Album

Set List my compos in mode jazz

My Sweet Swings à la Django ..with classic jazz and klezmer covers

An intense year gone already ... Here is a collection 2016 tracks released on SC , many of them in collaboration with SC friends I 'd like to thank so much here for their inspiration, creative enthousiasm and  kind patience !!!  :)
I love to think that what binds us is stronger than what seperates us (thank you Alexis for this beautiful thought I share completely) ...
 Let's continue to share the joy of playing, creating music and supporting each other in 2017 !!  Most kindly yours , Steph

2016 Tracks

I love to play "à la  Sidney" :)

Last months recreations, discovering the cloud of sounds, learning to play new real instruments (bass, didgeridoo, trumpet), having fun with my old clarinet and guitars,  andl happily learning how to make music   ! :)

Recent

Jazzy/klezmer tunes

 Italy-France SC collaboration
Guitars : Lorenzo Rovito
Double bass : Riccardo Ievoli 
Clarinets : Stephano (DDJohn)  ;-)
Please visit Lorenzo Rovito's SC page  (https://soundcloud.com/lorenzo-rovito) and listen to his amazing recordings in pure Django style ...

Nuages  (Django Reinhardt) - ft. Lorenzo Rovito

Trying to walk in David Krakauer (https://soundcloud.com/david-krakauer) giant footsteps ...This is my little zeppelinian-gipsy-klezmer funky version...Hope you like it :)
Please listen to David's most superb Klezmer - jazz version  - He is just amazing !! : https://soundcloud.com/david-krakauer/si-tu-vois-ma-mere-from-midnight-in-paris-the-big-picture-feat-krakauer
And of course Sidney Bechet's magic original : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs_DD_7C8_A
Dear SC Collab friends,  I'll be catching up ...right  after this :)))
Made with my old Noblet Clarinet Bb, guitar, bass: Steph (DDjohn)
Drum track, mix made with Cubase
Cheers
Steph

Si Tu Vois Ma Mère (David Krakauer - Sidney Bechet)

My litle Happy new year to all ..with the clarinet :))
May love, kindness and happiness be with you !!!
All the very best 
Steph

A Story Without Words

Michel Delpech passed away recently : http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20160103-famous-french-singer-michel-delpech-passes-away
This is my humble tribute to a a great composer singer and melodist who carried so well the soul of the 70's in France...this song I heard when I was very yound has imprinted me forever ..Hope you like my little version of it :) 
Original : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8EqlDIkrx8
All the very best 
Steph

Le Chasseur (Michel Delpech)

Vocals : https://soundcloud.com/ilaria-brovini
Music : https://soundcloud.com/ddjohn
Hope this full rock version makes you happy :))
Original : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyihQtBes1I

Lyrics
I've been long, a long way from here
Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos,
And drank til I was thirsty again
We went searching through thrift store jungles
Found Geronimo's rifle, Marilyn's shampoo
And Benny Goodman's corset and pen

Well, o.k. I made this up
I promised you I'd never give up

[Chorus]
If it makes you happy
It can't be that bad
If it makes you happy
Then why the hell are you so sad

You get down, real low down
You listen to Coltrane, derail your own train
Well who hasn't been there before?
I come round, around the hard way
Bring you comics in bed, scrape the mold off the bread
And serve you french toast again

Well, o.k. I still get stoned
I'm not the kind of girl you'd take home

[Chorus]

We've been far, far away from here
Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos
And everywhere in between
Well, o.k. we get along
So what if right now everything's wrong?

[Chorus]


If It Makes You Happy (Sheryl Crow)  By  Ilaria Brovini And DDJohn

Started wanting to make  a cover after listening to this  great version of this wonderful classic 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRVj7-CUtaE
but finally  decided not to do like the original ...  
Hope to share the fun of making this :)

S'Wonderful (George Gershwin)

Made with lots of love thinking of  the Eagles,  the Beatles, Ben Harper  and many other dear ones :))
Hope you enjoy my little song :)
Have a great week 
Steph 

Lyrics:
Did you ever open your mail box
Did you ever check it in the cloud
Did you ever listen to the little song 
I wrote for you

Now, I know you've got so much to do
Now, I know you're working real hard
Now, I know you don't have time for anything
Even for my little song

ooo when you come home
ooo I'll play it live for you
***
Hope it'll make you feel all right :)

Dedicated to all fathers missing their  dear little ones ...just waiting for them to come home :))

My Little Song

Today  is a very special day for all mothers in France ! Happy Mother's day in France and everywhere ! ! Can't think of a better classic for saying all this :))
Transposed (by ear) for the A clarinet from the wonderful original :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs_DD_7C8_A
My favorite jazzy -wazzy cover from D.Krakauer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN3PF2XfEDg 

Si Tu Vois Ma Mère (Sidney Bechet)

Holidays  will come up soon :) This track will eventually have lyrics one day, the idea is that you can't always get what you want :)) On Louis Armstrong mood ;-) 
Real instruments played : clarinet, trumpet and ... voice  ! 
Real fingers used with Cubase vst 
Drums : audio sample 
 Hope you enjoy !

You Can't Always Win It All (Instrumental version)

This is a hot classic song https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_Song?veaction=edit! Hot like this autumn season in France...A song of circumstance ...Discovered this gem interpreted by Django recently, could't believe I never listened to this treasure before .......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7aOnRO1v9E
This is only an attempt to cover the master my humble way , started with the guitar for the simple phrases and continued furher with the clarinet ...this is just half of the song really...
played the theme with some personal interpretation  at the end "à la Bechet " ....well "à la steph" let's say :)

Any Django lover (guitarist or other) more than welcome to add a chorus / theme on this one ..I'd be happy to send you a base track and make another version  :)
I play here real instruments (clarinet and guitar)and use Cubase vst for bass and drums

September Song (from Django Reinhardt's interpretation)

Just an old (beloved ) classic clarinet study i learned..decades ago ...thought it was interesting to jazz it up !! This is an old recorded version I thought I would come back to enrich one day ...but ah ...no time at the moment ... Hope you enjoy as it is now  !! Have a great week - Steph

Re La Fa Mi ...Sol Do Re

Wonderful biopic about an episode of Django's life released just recently ...  Got inspired from one of the tracks played at the very end of the movie 

Drums programming (Cubase), Guitar, Clarinet Bb : DDJohn (Steph)

Petite Mélodie Merveilleuse  ...

Getting ready to play live for the fête de la musique ! Hope you like this clarinet version  very much inspired from Birelli's version ..; love that one so much !!(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcX3SVKcKVo)
If your feet start tapping and your fingers want to play on whatever instrument , please feel free to play and record yourself from the base track here https://soundcloud.com/ddjohn/blues-clair-base-17-06/s-FOTsV    
...I'd be more than happy to mix in your stem to celebrate music day not only in France !!
Have a great WE
Steph
Clarinets, guitar, bass & drums programming ...by  my little fingers ;-)

Blues Clair  (Django Reinhardt)..clarinet version

Not easy to follow Django in his choruses with the clarinet !!! I did my best until the end on this beautiful track evoking the elegance of a beautiful young lady walking down the streets .... of Paris ( I imagine !)  ... All the genius of Django is here I think with the incredible feel with the melody and harmonies .  This song was recorded in 1942 with his clarinetist Hubert Rostaing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVfmme3vGPY
Hope you like my humble tribute ! Have a great week Steph
Photo from Robert Doisneau

Lentement Mademoiselle (Django Reinhardt)

After watching Django Reinhardt 's recent biopic, a little mélodie was trotting in my mind ...So I made a clarinet version of it !https://soundcloud.com/ddjohn/petite-melodie
I was very pleasantly surprised  https://soundcloud.com/canette3-frostie found some fun lyrics and vocals  and brought some new ideas ... this is now a happy friday song thanks to Kat and Sc  !! Hope you like it !! Have a great Friday :))
PS :  This is specially dedicated to WE musicians  and to beautifully singing blackbird ;-)

Lyrics and vocals by Katerina Mrazkova
Original music, arrangement, instruments (including  whistle !), mix & master by DDJohn (Steph)

Petite Mélodie - with Kat

All right I did it ! 
This is my little quick tribute to our dear French Elvis, Mr Johnny Hallyday ! 
Adieu Johnny, tu vas nous manquer ...
Music  homemade with the help of Cubase for the drums
Guitars : my old Vantage for the acoustic and my old Telecaster for the elec guitar

Gabrielle (RIP Johnny)

I'm so glad Baking Jazz Power (https://soundcloud.com/bakingjazzpower) 
 made me discover Tuba Skinny and a wonderful track from this wonderful New Orleans jazz band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2auDwCIIM3s
i've had loads  of fun implementing clarinet and bass arrangements from his wonderful track (https://soundcloud.com/bakingjazzpower/shake-it-break-it-tuba-skinny-guitar-cover)

Hope you like this version !
Steph

Shake it and break it (Tuba Skinny ) with Baking Jazz Power

This is one of those classics that swings :))https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheek_to_Cheek_(chanson)
 I'm very glad Kat (https://soundcloud.com/canette3-frostie) proposed a gipsy jazz version of it , On my side I found an amazing version with Benny Goodman ...and here we go !! 
Hope you like our Gipsy jazz version with Benny Goodman fantastic inspiration for the clarinet part !
Have a happy swinging Christmas !

Cheek To Cheek with Kat

It's Christmas soon !  Time for a jazzy cheerful tune !
I'm absolutely thrilled to present this jam on a very dear song to me and with very dear friends from SC small planet. By order of appearance for the choruses :
- Maestro BJP at the guitar solo (https://soundcloud.com/bakingjazzpower)
- Maestro Julien Apelian at the keys (https://soundcloud.com/jules-keys-1)
- Maestro Jamie Rhind also at the keys (https://soundcloud.com/jamie-rhind)
I had the fantastic pleasure to bring the clarinet solo part and to wrap this all up !
Happy a Merry  Cheerfully Swingy Christmas !

Blues Clair (D. Reinhardt)by the Christmas Hot Club de SC (BJP, Julien Apelian, Jamie Rhind, DDJohn)

Composed by Pierrou (song for my son)
All guitars Patenotte D256 - Pierrou
Clarinetts DDjohn https://soundcloud.com/ddjohn
Bass-Drum Impro-Visor ; 2nd drum DDJohn

Titi (DDJohn & Pierrou)

Just a little  track  made from the inspiration of the moment ...and playing with a multi band compressor for the first time  ...Hope you have a good time listening, have a great week , Steph :)

I 'm Coming To You Babe

It seems we need music at the moment ... This came to me this morning and is dedicated to all the musicians trying to bring  a bit of love and light in these dark times ...Hope you enjoy this homemade humble  musical trip  to a conforting blue lagoon !! All the very very best  Steph

My Blue Lagoon

This is an extended version of an old track ....sort of a "dynamic" reflection of the many uncertainties we're facing at the moment ...Be safe  Steph

All real instruments except drum parts played by myself (clarinet, guitars, trumpet, bass), home recorded and processed.
Drum loops generated with Cubase

Mais Où Va -T- On  ?

This morning's idea turned into a little  confined fun session ... Have a good week & stay safe  Steph

Beep Beep (le Grand Chambardement)

Some artists like Françis Cabrel are doing a great job playing a song"confined" every day one line... I've loved Françis Cabrel for a long time ... Georges Brassens and Jacques Brel are very present in his last covers... If only he could refer to Django Reinhardt I thought  recently ...so I guess I had to try something .. mixing styles my own way, so this is a song  kind of a Cabrel-Brassens-Reinhardt way  ;-) Hope you enjoy !

Tu sais
On n'a pas pas toujours la chance
De voir les gens qui dansent
Moi ça va tant que ça balance..
Et vive le Swing !!

Tu sais
Il n'y aura peut être pas de vacances
Il faudra, masqués, qu'on avance,
Moi entre bib et bop mon cœur balance
Et ça me rend swing

Est-ce que tu sais , tu sais tout ça ?
Tous ces doutes et ces abstinences ...
Cette sociale disturbance...
Cette inique pénitence ...
Mais quand est-ce qu'on...
Mais quand est-ce qu'on danse ?

Est - Ce Que Tu Sais

Involved in different local music associations with my clarinet  (in classic and jazzy mode) ,  I also  love to play the guitar, I love to try to create and produce music with Cubase and different other instruments at home. I love all forms of music. 
Thank you reading these lines, for your kind words , listens and all forms of appreciation and support, I'm always happy to explore,  discover new sounds  and collaborate on this unique platform with wonderful musicians  !!

2022 Collabs, Jams and Chansons :
https://on.soundcloud.com/pkz71
Proud to be inducted  in 2022 as an Official Lunatics after this:
https://soundcloud.com/cosmic-ratzzz/lunatics71-skyline-cosmic-ratzzz-ddjohn?si=aa7c346eca754497a8e4168605590197&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Still so happy to listen to this one with my french SC buddies in the memory of Georges Brassens on this one :
https://soundcloud.com/ddjohn/les-copains-dabord-george-brassens-with-le-hot-club-de-soundcloud-quebec-usa-fra?si=ec03fb2f0b8b42b1b57522bf07221d14&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
...and loving to play with friends in the marvelous style of Django Reinhardt
https://soundcloud.com/ddjohn/sets/collabs-with-lami-bjp

Album/EP featurings @ the clarinet :

https://soundcloud.com/mountain-songs/take-cripple-club-collab-with-ddjohn-download?in=ddjohn/sets/2015-1/

https://open.spotify.com/album/2XfVKVx3ZE1qUBwoUojmfW
.... and @ the guitar :
https://chrispendergraft.bandcamp.com/track/aint-seen-the-worst-of-it-yet-tribute-to-jimmy-page