Adrien Chevalier
Gypsy Jazz 5
New Album!
"Greenpoint Blues" is Adrien Chevalier's new album, inspired by the energy of the Gypsy Jazz repertoire and the roots of American Jazz standards, from the music of Django Reinhardt to Jerome Kern and Sonny Rollins.
This project is born from the desire to reunite these accomplished musicians, companions of many international tours and musical adventures, around our passion for traditional Jazz and with fresh ideas.
Adrien Chevalier is accompanied by:
. Roberto Gervasi on accordion from Sicily
. Dennis Pol on lead guitar form Italy/Greece
. Brad Brose on rhythm guitar from California
. Julian Smith on bass from Chicago
Recorded and mixed by Amos Rose at Spaceman Studio
Photo: Amos Rose
Adrien Chevalier is born in Provence, South of France, into a family of violinists, he began his musical education at the Avignon Classical Conservatory, where he studied for 12 years before moving to Paris: there he developed his passion for Gypsy jazz and Eastern European music.
He co-created Pad Brapad, a musical ensemble specializing in Balkan folklore, with whom he performed all over Europe, participating in the most renowned Word Music festivals. Adrien then settled down in the French capital and joined the Grüss Circus orchestra, while also studying at the CMDL jazz school with master violinist Didier Lockwood.
In 2011 he moved to New York City where he co-founded the Avalon Jazz Band with singer Tatiana Eva-Marie, an authentic French jazz band, with an international following and internet success. Adrien continued his work as a film composer (Canal +, France 3…) and founded the Hot Club of New York with whom he performed at the New York Hot Jazz Festival in 2014. Adrien Chevalier often collaborates with renowned artists and tours regularly in Europe, South America and Asia.
In 2015 he Created with Welsh Jazz Harpist Benjamin Creighton Griffiths the Transatlantic Hot Club, touring a few times a year all around the world.
In 2020 he started his new Balkan Project, music deeply dear to his heart, the Sedi Donka Balkan Band, by introducing his New York Jazz friends to this style, and bringing a fresh sound to these traditional Easter European tunes.
Adrien is currently releasing his new album inspired by Gypsy Jazz, Swing and American standards.
Dennis Pol is a jazz guitarist and composer based in New York City.His style incorporates elements of bebop, gypsy jazz, contemporary jazz, blues, jazz fusion, and he cites Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt and Biréli Lagrène as having the biggest impact on his music.
Dennis was born in Campobasso, Italy and raised in Megara, near Athens in Greece. He grew up listening to Eric Clapton, the Beatles and Pino Daniele with his parents who were rock and blues fans. Though they were not musicians themselves, his father Leonidas and his mother Massimiliana wanted him to learn the guitar: they gave him his first instrument when he was six years old.
Dennis’ interest in music took a drastic turn in 2010 when he started studying jazz guitar with Vasilis Arsenides and Yiotis Samaras. His life changed after hearing Wes Montgomery’s solo on No Blues, which he transcribed and learned note by note, and soon afterwards he discovered Biréli Lagrène’s Live Jazz à Vienne, which completely captivated him. At age eighteen, he enrolled at the prestigious Conservatorium van Amsterdam, went on to win first prize at the Bucharest International Jazz Competition with the AG Quintet in 2017, and completed his BFA in performing arts in 2018.
In 2019, Dennis released his debut album, New York City, featuring Alina Engibaryan on vocals, Omer Ashano on violin, Joe Bussey on bass, and Josh Kaye on rhythm guitar. In 2021, he recorded his second album Dig! as a duet with bassist Kimon Karoutzos – with liner notes by legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter. His third album, Guitarology, is a guitar duologue between Dennis Pol and fellow Greek jazz guitarist George Koutsi with liner notes by Neal Miner, the great New York native jazz bassist and owner of Gut String Records. Standards at the Honey Road Studio, is Dennis’ fourth album in a trio setting with Dimitris Angelakis on vibraphone and Kimon Karoutzos on the upright bass. On this album Dennis plays ten of his most favorite jazz standards and one original composition of his. Dennis is currently touring with singer Tatiana Eva-Marie, featured in her latest project Djangology – a tribute to the compositions of Django Reinhardt – with an album release planned for January 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Roberto Gervasi is born in Mussomeli, Sicily. He is a jazz accordionist grown up in a family of musicians for generations. He had his first approach to the instrument at an early age under the guidance of his Grand father Giovanni Catanese. Later he will study piano harmony and music theory with his brother Enzo Gervasi, conductor, saxophonist and composer. A sincere lover of his own Sicily, its traditions and its music, at the age 11 years old he joined the Terrazzani di Trabia, a traditional Sicilian group consisting of 30 dancers and 10 musicians, with whom in the following 10 years he performed in several international ethno music festivals in Europe.
In 2009 he joined the jazz school of the Brass Group in Palermo, where he will study piano and jazz improvisation under the guidance of maestro Giuseppe Vasapolli. In February 2011, together with the D quartet group, he recorded his first work named Ossessa. The disc will receive numerous acclaim from critics and the press, in 2011 he won the Absolute First Prize in the competition of Jazz music "Pippo Ardini".
In 2015 he joined "Sulle Orme di Django" which organizes the “Mediterranean Jazz Meeting in Petralia Sottana, An international event that increasingly attracts the attention of all fans of the genre from all over the world.
In 2012 he moved to France to study the traditions of the Gypsy culture manouche, and in particular the music of Django Reinhardt. There he met and played with the most significant manouche families, musical heirs of Django Reinhardt, like Dorado Schmitt, Tchavolo Schmitt, Stochelo Rosenberg, Thca Limberger, Paulus Schaffer with whom he often plays in France.
In 2014 he returned to Italy and met the harmonica player Giuseppe Milici with whom he is often on tour around the world, with their show "New York Tango". In 2016 he moved to New York attending the jazz music masterclasses of great Jazz pianist Barry Harris. In 2017 in New York he recorded an album with Avalon Jazz Band, a tribute to swing French from the 1930s.
In December 2017 he plays at Minton's in New York, the place where the Bebop, and The Players and many other jazz clubs and festivals in the big apple. Over the years he has collaborated with: Hadrien Vesjel, Giuseppe Milici, Nicola Giammarinaro, Gianni Cavallaro, Gabriele Mirabbassi, Giorgio Rosciglione, Adrien Chevalier, Stjepko Gut, Enzo Gervasi, Stochelo, Rosenberg, Samson Schmitt, Tchavolo Schmitt, Dorado Schmitt, Angelo Debarre, Karoline Bugala, Gael Rouilhac, Olivia Sellerio, David Riondino, Pippo Pollina, cochi Ponzoni, Irina Lancova, Yannis Constans, Camille Wolfrom, Francesco Buzzurro, Teo Ciavarella, Iskra Menarini, Paulus Schaffer, Tcha limberger, Leigh Baker, Duved Dunayesky, Tatiana Eve Marie, Vinny Raniolo, Brandi Disterheft, Michael Valeanu, and many others. As a Jazz Accordionist, Roberto Gervasi has developed a sound over time personal, inspired by the great boppers such as Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Clifford Brown and his mentor Frank Morocco. Roberto Gervasi currently carries out an intense concert activity with his show "My Jazzy Accordion", and with many other projects, both in Italy and abroad
Brad Brose is from Hollywood, California, and has performed with some of the best swing musicians that the U.S. has to offer. After playing in swing dance clubs and for festivals across the USA, Brad decided to move to France to study Europe's greatest contribution to jazz: Jazz Manouche. Based in Paris, he played along with the most respected jazz manouche artists such as Tchavolo Schmitt, Stochelo Rosenberg, Romane, and many others in the all of the legendary gypsy jazz clubs and festivals all across Europe. He has now brought back all of that musical tradition back to New York where he plays all the way from upstate to down state. Based out of Brooklyn, he also plays banjo in more traditional American jazz settings in New York as well as the west coast.
Julian Smith grew up in a jazz household whose circle included music luminaries such as trumpet great Nat Adderly, bassist Walter Booker, drummer Jimmy Cobb, arranger/saxophonist Bob Belden, and Frank Sinatra. Those jazz legends were just a few of the influences that fueled Julian’s desire to become a jazz musician.
Julian graduated from Berklee School of Music in 2008, where he was a recipient of the North American scholarship and studied with Hal Crook, Lin Biviano, Dave Santoro, and John Lockwood. Julian was the recipient of Illinois Arts Council grants in the years 2002, 2003, and 2004. He was awarded a Masters of Music in Jazz Performance at Rutgers University, where, as a teaching fellow, he directed two jazz combos. He studied with Mike Richmond, Vic Juris, Stanley Cowell, Ralph Bowen, and Conrad Herwig. He lists Jaco Pastorius, Ron Carter, Sam Jones, Dave Holland, Scott LaFaro and Paul Chambers as his greatest influences.
For the past fifteen years Julian has lived and performed in New York, playing with groups that range from Frank Sinatra Jr. to straight-ahead jazz to French and Balkan traditions to Mark Tremonti.