Parisian “jazz manouche” revivalist, Daniel John Martin returns to the Mother City stages in February 2024. Andrew Lilley will accompany the jazz violinist on keys, with Nick Ford joining them for the first time on bass. KEANETSE MOKHOTHU called the maestro at his home in Paris to find out more about him.
DJM, what was the inspiration for your return to Mzansi?
One can never forget the South African skies. I left the country when I was 14 on Christmas eve and arrived in Paris on a very cold, dark Christmas night! Ever since, I have missed that particular light and have been craving for it intensely, especially in the last few years.
My wife suggested a trip back to SA a few years ago. She loves the country now, especially Cape Town. We returned again last year and I made contact with some South African musicians. I decided to come back again this year to start a project that I would like to see go further.
Please enlighten us on your musical relationship with Andrew Lilley.
I met up with Andrew in 2023. We played at The Blue Room and The Piano Bar. I really enjoyed his playing and knowledge of jazz music and its history. I particularly appreciate his personal story as a young South African jazz musician having to hide to play with musicians from the African community. I had it easy in Paris where jazz had been present for a long time.
How did bassist Nick Ford come to join your ensemble?
I first contacted Romy Brauteseth, a counter bass player in Johannesburg. She could not make it down and suggested I look up Nick Ford. I am quite used to scouting musicians on the web so we got in contact and luckily he was free for the gigs. I am asking Nick to scout out a drummer as I would like us to be a quartet for the two Blue Room concerts.
How would you describe your style of jazz?
As a violinist, I am very lucky to be a Parisian. The French capital became the centre of European jazz ever since Stéphane Grappelli started playing with Django Reinhardt in the 1930’s. They formed the famous Quintet du Hot Club de France, a string ensemble with violin, three guitars and a double bass, which gave birth to a unique style of jazz.
Being created outside of the US made it an exception of its own!
Then Jean-Luc Ponty arrived in the early 60’s followed by Didier Lockwood in the late 70’s early 80’s. By that time jazz on a violin became considered as a French speciality. It was the first real “French touch!”
There are quite a few of us now and the younger generation is incredible. I personally started by following in Didier Lockwood’s steps in the 90’s. He took me under his patronage for a while. I was into the fusion style incorporating electronic effects etc.
With time I started getting more interested in the so-called gypsy jazz revival – basically the Hot Club de France style. Again, my geographical position enabled me to play with all the major artists in the genre. I started playing on Parisian boats with the legendary Romane. We would play two sessions per day.
Much later I organized what was to become the “Nuits du Swing Gitan Aux Petits Joueurs”, where I played every week for 10 years. People still talk about those nights today, they were epic!
Of late, I am more and more interested in my acoustic sound projection and technique.
I am a big fan of Nicolo Paganini. I practice his music every day. I recently was lent a modern Italian violin which I have fallen in love with! Paganini’s violin was made by a famous luthier called Guarneri which he called the “Canon” because of its “big” sound. A few days ago I was practicing while staying at a London hotel and a man appeared holding a violin case… He offered me to try it. It was actually the famous Arthur Grumiaux Guarnerius – a violin sold at 9 million dollars!
Well, I really enjoyed trying it out, but my modern Italian did not seem bad at all compared to it!
So, to answer your question Keanetse, to describe my style of music to South African jazz aficionados, I would say, it is a long history, a heritage and passion for the violin and improvisation. A true love for our predecessors in jazz but also, further back in time, heroes from the romantic era like Paganini. To explain this, let me tell you a brief story about Paganini.
One day a monarch was so pleased with what he had just heard that he asked Paganini to play the piece again. To which the violinist promptly responded; “Paganini non ripete!” and left.
This created a scandal and Paganini had to flee the city the next day.
It was not because Paganini was too proud or pretentious. He meant that he interpreted his compositions very freely, often adding variety to his melodies and thus, never repeating himself!
In this sense, he was a real improviser like a lot of great composers of his time.
He once composed a concerto at the request of Napoleon’s sister in one afternoon. He simply wrote the musical background for the orchestra upon which he improvised that same evening.
Although jazz is a 20th century invention, improvisation has been present in music ever since we started making it. So, I guess a jazz violinist’s stature is one which delves a bit further back in history than most other instrumentalists. We generally have a classical background before developing a jazz culture.
What process do you follow when composing?
Every morning, sometimes before coffee, I sit at the piano and see what comes out. Otherwise, if I am somewhere outside and an idea arises, I whistle it into my smartphone recorder.
At the moment I am preparing a recording of my compositions with the great jazz and blues artist Robben Ford. This will be for an electric quintet with a string quartet and a singer. There is a lot of writing involved.
I wrote nearly all the string quartet arrangements in one straight. It is a creative phase you get into and then it just works like that for a time before slowing down again.
I think it is the same for all musicians.
Being in a hurry can also be good sometimes. At one time, I was working at a project where the theme was given to me the evening and I would write and record the music during the night before the producer arrived in the morning to collect it.
Actually, some of my best melodies came out of that!
I am a sentimental! I tend to want to work with people I like. It is not always the best choice but I am also quite lucky that it sort of works out most of the time! I tend to let the bass player choose the drummer or vice versa as it is important that they bond.
Any albums or projects to look out for?
I have difficulty appreciating my own work. There are too many things I would do differently today when I listen to my records. A lot of them were done with very little money so I do not have the best of technical devices for the sound. Sound is so important to a violinist! I think what I prefer is live performances.
Probably, my favourite record is the one I recorded alongside Patrick Saussois, another famous guitarist and a fabulous guy, who passed away shortly after the record came out. It is a live recording of a concert in a little club in London back in 2009. It is titled Live at le Quecumbar. Another one is Parisian Impromptu. A record we did in one session without knowing what we were to record beforehand. There is a sense of musical freshness that comes out of it. My next recording with Robben should be exciting!
What can revellers look forward to at your performances?
Revellers! Party time! Well, jazz is a music of the moment.
On this occasion, they will be listening to a true jazz session where all the musicians will be playing together for the first time. We do not know what we will play or what will become of the moments we share. We just hope that beauty will come out of them.
That is what we will be driving for anyway.
Daniel John Martin Live in Cape Town
Grub & Vine Blue Room
Friday, 16 February 2024, 9pm
R200 for the evening
103 Bree Street, Cape Town
Tickets Quicket
Grub & Vine Blue Room
Saturday, 17 February 2024, 9pm
R200 for the evening
103 Bree Street, Cape Town
Tickets Quicket
Who: Violinist Daniel John Martin
Albums: Papillons, Parisian Impromptu, Double Cream, Urban Gypsy
Social media: Instagram – @Daniel John Martin, YouTube – Daniel John Martin
WS
