French gypsy-jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel to perform at Kay Meek Arts Centre, January 24

The celebrated musician will be joined by pianist Jean-Michel Pilc

By Gail Johnson

Stephane Wrembel. Photo by Irene Ypenburg

Kay Meek Arts Centre presents Stephane Wrembel with Jean-Michel Pilc on January 24 at 7:30 pm at Grosvenor Theatre

FANS OF GYPSY jazz will know the name: Stephane Wrembel is considered one of the globe’s greatest living guitarists, with more than 20 critically acclaimed recordings to his name. And the French artist is coming to Metro Vancouver for a concert at Kay Meek Arts Centre on January 24.

Wrembel’s distinct style incorporates jazz, blues, classical, swing, flamenco, and rock music. He graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2002. That same year he released his debut album, Introducing Stephane Wrembel, which Vintage Guitar Magazine praised as “pure dazzle and dash, a stunning storm of notes that blankets the melody in a rain of arpeggiated notes”.

Wrembel’s breakthrough came with his original composition “Bistro Fada”, a Django-influenced swinging waltz from his fifth album, Origins, which became the theme song for Woody Allen’s 2011 Oscar-winning film, Midnight in Paris. Wrembel performed the track live during the 2012 Academy Awards ceremony with an ensemble led by Hans Zimmer. In 2020, he contributed the original score for Allen’s Rifkin’s Festival.

Wrembel has headlined Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Town Hall in New York City, and Lyon Opera House in France and has appeared at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Django Reinhardt Festival in France, ELLNORA Guitar Festival, and Caramoor Jazz Festival, to name a few. He has toured Canada, France, Israel, the U.K., India, and Nigeria. One of his latest projects is a three-part recording series on his own Water Is Life Records label, a triptych that features an appearance by celebrated improvisational pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, new original compositions by Wrembel and Pilc, and a selection of pieces by Django Reinhardt.

Pilc, who is a member of the jazz faculty at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montreal, has served as the musical director and pianist for Harry Belafonte. Joining Wrembel and Pilc on the Kay Meek stage are Josh Kaye on guitar, Ari Folman-Cohen on bass, and Nick Anderson on drums. 

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