User:EllenZoe/sandbox/Stephane Wrembel

Stéphane Wrembel is a French born jazz guitarist best known as a composer and performer of Gypsy Jazz, but is also heavily influenced by world music.

David Fricke at Rolling Stone magazine called his music "a revelation."

Early life
Wrembel was born in Paris, France on February 27, 1974 and studied classical piano from age four in Fontainebleau, France, winning prizes in the Lucien Wurmser competition and at the National Conservatory of Aubervillier, before taking up piano then moving to the guitar at age sixteen inspired by Pink Floyd's David Gilmore's playing.

He developed his guitar style by studying amongst countryside gypsies who played that way, and later, while attending the American School of Modern Music in Paris, Wrembel went to the Django Reinhardt Festival in Samois, France which inspired him further to study composition arranging, jazz and contemporary classical music. As a result, he became known for the Gypsy Jazz-style made famous by Reinhardt. Upon graduation, Wrembel was awarded a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music.

Wrembel currently lives in New York City.

Career
Wrembel has issued several albums, under his own name and as The Stephane Wrembel Trio. In 2002, he released his debut album, Introducing Stephane Wrembel. Vintage Guitar magazine praised the recording as "pure dazzle and dash, a stunning storm of notes that blankets the melody in a rain of arpeggiated notes. REFERENCE NEEDED HERE Gypsy Rumble, was released in 2005, includes David Grisman among its guests. The following year he released the Barbes-Brooklyn album.

In 2011, his song "Big Brother" was featured on the soundtrack for Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Around the same time, Wrembel wrote and performed the score for Aasif Mandvi’s ("The Daily Show with Jon Stewart") 2010 independent film, Today’s Special.

With the release of his fifth album, Origins, came Wrembel's most recognizable song, "Bistro Fada." That song was created when Allen’s producer requested “a work that would reflect the magic of Paris” for the Oscar Award-winning Midnight in Paris. Wrembel performed the song on the 2012 Academy Awards show as part of Hans Zimmer's All-Star-Band with Esperanza Spaulding, and Pharrell and later it was included on an album of the musical performances from the show. The soundtrack of Midnight in Paris won a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack that year as well.

Dreamers of Dreams was Wrembel's next album, where he expanded his style to include influences of his travels through Africa, Asia, Europe, and Central America.

In 2016, Wrembel released two live albums culled from his extensive touring--Stephane Wrembel Band Live in Rochester and Live in India. Since the beginning of his career he has headlined venues such as Lincoln Center, played major festivals including High Sierra Music Festival, among others, and shared dates with master violinist Mark O'Connor, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, The Roots and more. The Gitane guitar company has even named a model after him.

Wrembel created a small event in 2004 called Django a Gogo at the Barbes Club in Brooklyn, New York. The intent was to honor Django Reinhardt's music. By 2017, it expanded around the United States, culminating in a concert in March at Carnegie Hall that included Wrembel, Al DiMeola and Larry Keel. Prior to the Carnegie Hall event, DiMeola and several others joined Wrembel for a weeklong music camp in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Also in 2017, Wrembel released The Django Experiment I and The Django Experiment II, musical interpretations of Reinhardt's compositions.

On January 23, 2018, Wrembel released The Django Experiment III conjunction with Reinhart's 107th birthday. He is accompanied with frequent collaborators Thor Jensen (guitar), Ari Folman Cohen (bass), Nick Anderson (drums) and Nick Driscoll (saxophone, clarinet). The Django Experiment III was recorded, and mastered by Eric Ritter at The Windmill Recording Studio in New York City.

In 2017, Guitar World magazine named Wrembel one of "Seven Contemporary Jazz Guitarists Worth Checking Out."

Awards

 * 2012 Clio Award winner for Best Original Song Used in a Commercial as commissioned by Gentleman Shaver
 * Featured in "Gigs Composite" by director Cree Fertita, winner of 2007 Emmy Award for Advanced Media: Arts and Entertainment
 * Lucien Wurmser Prize
 * National Conservatory of Aubervilliers prize
 * Composer for the 2012 Grammy Award-winning soundtrack "Midnight in Paris" (Grammy winner for Best Compilation Soundtrack at 55th Annual Grammy Awards)