Saw him in Australia with the Diz Dizley trio when he was about ,84. Came out by himself at one stage and played piano for about 10 minutes, Sensational.

,,Great,, is an understatement , Grapelli on keyboard is the pure Magician. He is being missed by many of us.

Heard him live at 83 years of age, playing amazing violin, and also piano... musician of the highest caliber

"Been a jazz fan all my life - never knew he played piano .

@UncleBoratagain

4 жыл бұрын

john choquette Same, until reading his wikipedia page yesterday.

I heard Grapelli live twice in my life, both times my facial smile muscles hurt. I had been smiling for the whole hour he played!

He started his musician career as piano player in cafes of Nice, France. He is a genius ..... nothing more nothing less

So effortless and natural. A genius.

Thank you so much for posting this. To think that I thought I knew jazz pianists... and never I suspected that not only Grapelli also played the piano, but so well, too! There is a lot of Art Tatum in his playing but I can also hear Erroll Garner, plus a nice impressionist touch. You have my deepest respect, Mr. Grapelli!

@rosalynkaplan8756

4 жыл бұрын

Jacob Zimmermann Thank you for educating me!

@jeffreycraven8154

2 жыл бұрын

Mr. Grappell still lives in his recordings. We get old, but when we join with our treasured instriments; me I'm 24 years old again. Check out the Album, "S'wonderful: 4 Giants of Swing". LP, a 1977 "Flying Fish" label release. Maybe it was later transferred to CD; but that album; all string jazz, it's one of my favorites.

@jamesjrosamilia1348

Жыл бұрын

I saw him in concert in about 1984 and he played a gorgeous piano solo like this between two violin - guitar sets. I can't verify but I either heard or read that he began his musical career on piano but after hearing Art Tatum he decided, essentially, "what more can I say" and switched to violin.

@eduardoguedes7286

Жыл бұрын

And don't you "smell" any Oscar Peterson?

He plays the piano like it’s a violin.👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️❤️❤️🎹🎹🎹

I got to see him playing violin and piano - it was heavenly! 😇

Saw Stephane Grapelli at Richmond in the 80s. At the interval he came on and played like this for 10 minutes, solo, then resumed part 2 of his concert on the violin. Fabulous memories evoked by this video. Thanks for posting.

Unreal. I've been a fan for years and would never have believed he could be such an accomplished pianist........ Great! Just plain great........

Stephane was another gift from God to the world! He gave so much beautiful music!

... and with his eyes shut .. Just like when he plays the violin! .. A true musical genius`

George Shearing no less, said Grappelli was a great pianist and once surprised him by playing Debussy beautifully. A great musician.

"Effortless" is the first word that comes to my (non-native english thinking) mind. A true musical genius. The kind of musical genius that comes around about every second century. Absolutely outstanding. RIP, Maestro.

I never knew he also played the piano...and so well too!

Of the 19000 who viewed this clip, just 478 gave it the THUMS UP. Something terribly wrong somewhere. Rare footage. I am blessed. Wonderful exhibition by the maestro. Rounds off his medley with 2 of my favourites, Satin Doll and Tea for two. Age hasn't diminished the nimbleness of his fingers. Enjoyable progressions and key modulations reveal strong Jazz influences, much to my delight. Jazz Singers, Thank You for sharing this wonderful, piece of music

@clarencemendonca579

4 жыл бұрын

@Violin Accordion Thank You Sir. Ignorance is bliss. None so blind, as those who will not see. None so deaf as those who refuse to hear. Please yourself.

@jonathanryan4497

4 жыл бұрын

@Violin Accordion Your comment reminds of the definition of a Gentleman: A man who can play the Accordion - but doesn't.

Stephen Grapelli, one of my favourite jazz musicians! Fallen in love once and forever! ❤️☺️

OK I surrender. Had no idea he played piano. And here I thought I did. Wonderful stuff thanks for posting!

@adrianfundescu5407

4 жыл бұрын

There are better recordings from when he was younger.Pretty impressive.

@joesmith34

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah me neither..He s brilliant.

@tgbedini

4 жыл бұрын

There's an apocryphal story that, when he was getting into jazz, he wanted to be a piano player, but he heard some Art Tatum records, and decided to concentrate on violin. Clearly, he kept his chops on the keys. I was lucky enough to see him in the mid 70s, and he devoted a couple tunes to piano during the concert. Incidentally, in his band he had a young, but already brilliant Mart in Taylor on guitar.

@oldgittarist

4 жыл бұрын

@@tgbediniYes I saw him too with the Diz Disley trio with Martin Taylor. This recording could be from that period.

@RobCatterton

4 жыл бұрын

I would imagine that you play very well -- everyone plays differently -- and no one plays like these guys -- Tatum, Oscar, a handful of others -- endless technique -- yet one does not need all of the embellishments to get one's point across!

Saw him in Melbourne Dallas Brooks Hall mid 70s. Played fantastic violin as expected and surprised everyone with equally fantastic piano playing. Such joy and musicality in everything he did. Was an inspiring concert. Loved it.

Such an immense surprise!...But then again, when you think about it, he was a Tatum contemporary. I dearly love to find videos of Mr. Grappelli during the last decade of his life. It inspires me to hold onto my own work as an actor, because when you really listen, the man is more creative than ever. The video at his oldest, I found, was recorded in 1994 at age 86. And I sat, simply charmed and rueful that I never saw him in concert. My loss...But then we have things like this...Just miraculous stuff....

Reminiscent of Art Tatum, what a wonderful musician. I was lucky enough to meet and chat with him after a concert, my eldest son is named after him.

I was fortunate to see this man perform live. What luck!!

Had the privilege of hearing Grappelli on his only visit to Auckland. One note, one shining lustrous note he played to start the performance. Like a shining star it was, had the audience spellbound. We were hooked.

I heard Grappelli play this on the piano as an interlude from his amazing violin, around 1980 in North Carolina. He had been my inspiration for playing jazz on the violin, and I was fortunate to meet him after his concert in Las Vegas in the early 90's, and share that his record back that was given to me in 1972, let me know that jazz could be played on the violin. I never heard a jazz violinist with such an elegant style combined with phenomenal technique and creativity. Not surprisingly his improv on piano is often similar to that on the violin. With me, it is sortof the same relationship with the jazz piano that I play.

When you're a genius on one instrument you're probably great on two others. He was.

Had no idea he played the piano too! - pure musical genius! :-))

Knew him always as a violin jazz virtuoso... what an amazing surprise it was to find out he was such a genius on piano as well... shall always remember him

Well, every day is a school day! Had no idea Mr. Grappelli was a gifted pianist. It wasn't my kind of music but some people are truly blessed. Just the odd cursory glance, amazing!

Totally unbelievable! I never realised he was such a piano virtuoso!

Man, he was a genius, he breathed and lived jazz and music; a musician to his very core, and an amazing person. ❤

Seen him perform many times.my father loved him....he would have been amazed to see this performance.....who knew he could play piano!

@roysbryant

4 жыл бұрын

Nigel. Brown. I took my dad to see him in Southend on Sea many years ago and after he came back on stage after a short break, he sat down at the piano and played like that, well we were just gobsmacked. What a fantastic man. My dad used to put one of his records on and try to keep up with him on the violin. Great memories.

Amazing Art Tatum playing style by one of the most talentuous violinist of this era !

@gmgroucho77

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely Tatumesque.

I always knew about his brilliant violin but this really comes as a very pleasant surprise. And what a fine pianist he is too! Thanks for posting.

He's playing as if to pay hommage to all the greats he idolized. Great stuff!

I'm 53 been practicing my whole life and couldn't hold a candle to this guy didnt know he played piano just like jaco pastorius did a duo with graphelli it makes me so envious

@AGuideToInterestingStuff

4 жыл бұрын

Did you mean Jaco did a duet with Toots Thielemans ?

I had the great fortune to witness a concert of Stephan's with the 'Dis Dizzley Trio' in the mid 1970's, thank you Jan for that wonderful gift hope you are doing well my love, it was amazing, this man was a treasure of musical expression.

He's credited on the Django/Hot Club albums with piano solos, but there wasn't any indication that he could play like this. Amazing.

I sw him twice, in London, and in France, many years ago. Grappelli played with Django, who was a true genius, a tremendous musician, but never forget he was himself among the top musicians...

WOW! The man played the piano like he played the violin. FANTASTICALLY!

I wish i could play like this, so relaxed and confidant!Bravo!

La chance de l'avoir vu 2 fois dans les années 80 ,il jouait toujours 1 ou 2 morceaux , grand souvenir...

Доброго времени суток! Друзья! Слушала и смотрела в интернете последнее время джазового скрипача бесподобного Стефана Граппелли!!! Оказывается он ещё и прекрасный пианист- виртуоз джазовый!!! Случайно сегодня это обнаружила!!! Какое счастье!!! Хочется подробней узнать о его творчестве, биографию. Спасибо!!!

@KonstantinChervyakovkoStantes

4 жыл бұрын

Людмила Трофимова аминь)

@user-oj7ut1vt1b

4 жыл бұрын

@@KonstantinChervyakovkoStantes Константин Червяков! Как понимать ваше АМИНЬ?

@KonstantinChervyakovkoStantes

4 жыл бұрын

Людмила Трофимова в хорошем смысле) есть такая тенденция в интернете, когда согласен с каждым словом, говоришь: «Аминь». Да будет так)

I read that he answered an ad for a saxophone player and learned on the job.

What an incredible musician on violin or piano is Stephane Grappelli - listen to that I think HE is one of the greatest on BOTH instruments - I met HIM at a gig HE was doing at Reno Sweeney's night club on 13th street in Greenwich Village - New York City - my home town - Back in September 1976 - And actually got to jam with HIM for 30 seconds on the very same tune that HE and DJANGO REINHARDT 1st ever jammed on - - back stage in December of 1934 in Paris , France - the tune DINAH - with DIZ DISLEY'S 1932 Maccaferri guitar - right before HE went on for the band's 2nd set - then met up with HIM again in 1978 at Royce Hall at UCLA in Los Angeles + HE remembered me wow what an honor ,Joe Nania a.k.a. Hollywood Joe oe

To hear Mr. Grappelli play the piano is a great gift. Thank you Mrs. Thejazzsingers Jazz in Holland. Merci bien, moito obrigado. Molto grazie. Muchas gracias. De todo corazon.

@dianamariamische5300

3 жыл бұрын

😊

What a fantastic artist he is

@davidwhyberd7612

4 жыл бұрын

He was an amazing pianist. I had no idea he was that brilliant and virtuosic. I know a great trumpet player who is also a brilliant jazz pianist. If you are very gifted, it is often the case that an artist is gifted in another field. Opera singer Tito Gobbi, one of the greatest singing actors ever, was a gifted artist. Felix Mendelssohn was also a wonderful painter.

I have been totally blown away fascinated. This is to demonstrate the power of music, Her practice, the love for Her. This is one of the most incredible pianist on Earth.

@mikewinburn

4 жыл бұрын

I'd add Ocsar Peterson to that list :)

0:00 [1] *Time After Time* - Jule Styne (m) & Sammy Cahn (w) 1:58 [2] *Louise* - Richard Whiting (m) & Leo Robin (w) 3:30 [3] *Satin Doll* - Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn (m) & Johnny Mercer (w) 5:26 [4] *Tea for Two* - Vincent Youmans (m) & Irving Cesar (w)

The man was so full of music...just great

It was known, from the 1930's , that Steph was a trained and classy concert standard pianist, as well as a violinist who chose to use that skill mostly with Django. Steph accompanied Coleman hawkins on many records, and others, in a plain manner.

Throw in a little "Every Little Breeze Seems to Whispers Louise", and toss in some stride piano on "Satin Doll" and "Tea for Two".. why not? Wow, that was great!

Deluxe Stéphane Grappelli, no puede tocar todo así!!!!!....lo amo!!!💕💞💝💟💓❤

Great! What a wonderful surprise ... Thanks for this post!

The beauty of the blues. Wonderful.

Probably the best musician ever.....

Complete surprise to me.A brilliant pianist as well? Magic.

@lyndamcardle4123

4 жыл бұрын

And to me....it should be expected of course, just never seen any footage of him playing piano.

Non sapevo che Grapelli suonasse il piano, e come lo suona! Una bravura da fuori classe, come lo era per il violino

Great to see. Well, who knew? Such a talent.

Oh my Goddess! How beautiful!! And this is a total surprise! As good on the piano as the violin!

Ohhhh what a rotter!.....been playing piano for years and about 20% as good as this, never mind violin! He reminds me of Oscar Peterson on the keys. Cheers for posting this x.

@rosalynkaplan8756

4 жыл бұрын

The Oscar Peterson reference . . . Wow!

INSTANTLY like... Wonderful sound, playing, style. Great. Unique.

Amazing the great S. Grappelli..

what a delightful experience, thank you!!

Who knew! Beautiful piano!...would have been interesting to hear him playing piano and violin on a double tracked album. Thanks for posting!! Have subscribed.

Holly shit ! He's a fucking great and complete musician. God bless him.

People throw the word genius around pretty lightly these days. this man was a true genius of the highest musical order every bit the equal of and partner for Django..

@hollywoodjoe123

Жыл бұрын

yes indeed

What a great man! Unbelievable talent!

helt OTROLIGT .. han ska ju spela .... jaahhaaa - toppen - tack för de !

Thank you so much for the reactions its for the master himself

Hate to admit it - I had no idea! Made of music, through and through!

I had no idea! He sounds somewhere between Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum! Incredible playing!

@rosalynkaplan8756

4 жыл бұрын

Wow! You made me think!

@brucesmith3740

3 жыл бұрын

Kind of ahmad jamal to me

Makes me cry.👏🏼👏🏼🎹🎹

he was amazing!!!! thank you for share

He did a couple albums playing only the piano, solos. He comes from Art Tatum, which he was a close friend of.

His sense of time is so beautiful. 🖤

Oh my what? Isn’t he a genius of violin? This is so impressive!

Many children of his age were provided with music lessons by their parents. Parental support is almost never acknowledged in biographies. It's as if the authors never considered who paid for the instruments, the lessons, the music, the travel and attire for recitals and concerts - as well as masterclasses and music camps. Piano was Grappelli's first instrument. Pianists were often encouraged to play an orchestral instrument to off-set the confining social restrictions of keyboard study. An aside - Charles Mingus was an accomplished pianist - perhaps the first to ever make a totally spontaneous composition recording, many years before Keith Jarrett's famous endeavours.

@adrianfundescu5407

4 жыл бұрын

All wrong.He started piano sometimes much later ,after violin.But he had a period of activity as pianist only after which he came back to violin.

@newyorkfilharmonik110

4 жыл бұрын

A lot of parents were task masters. I know scores of pianist who hated piano because they were forced to take lessons and not learn to love music. The parents paid for the lessons because it was their dream not the dream of the child. Some of them just wanted to live off the talents of their children. That's documented though classical history too. If a parent is left out it's for a good reason.

@homzymusic

4 жыл бұрын

@@adrianfundescu5407 If that is true according to Grappelli's biography, it still doesn't change the results. Many orchestral instrumentalists were encouraged to learn piano. Many conservatories require a fairly advanced level of piano as a 2nd instrument in the curriculum. The point being that Grappelli was a well trained pianist and a lot of professional experience as well.

@homzymusic

4 жыл бұрын

@@newyorkfilharmonik110 Besides hiding behind a "nom de pixel", your complaint sounds autobiographical. I know a lot of bad music teachers - acting like dictators and taking over a child's life. This is not a good parent's fault. However, I know scores of people who learned music as a child, but their parents told them they had to get a "real career" - to go to business school, or become a doctor or lawyer - and they regretted not going into music, or another art world, for the rest of their lives.

@newyorkfilharmonik110

4 жыл бұрын

@@homzymusic Not autobiographical. I just know a lot of my friends who just didn't play piano after they didn't have to take lessons. But back then, there was only piano. No digital pianos with different kinds of pianos and weighted keyboards. Either you had a piano or you didn't. So maybe that's it too. Between tuning and lessons on the appropriate instrument, it isn't cheap. Students can barely afford college much less a grand piano. And as for my name, this is my second account and it has a different purpose than my first account, which bears a contrived name. This name is so I'm not confusing anyone into thinking I'm a musician. Dictionaries define musicians as those who earn a living playing music. I'm a music lover, thus the spelling of philharmonic that can be allowed without confusing me with an orchestra. I'm not promoting myself so I don't need to put my real name out to the real world. Google has it if someone needs it.

Great Stéphane, Grappelli Genius 💞💞💞💞💞💞

As good as with the violin! Grappelli was an outstanding musician!

What a discovery I made today!!! Such an amazing pianist Stéphane is....... If i would only listen to the music, without knowing who was playing, I might confuse him with Oscar Peterson. And that only, is quite a compliment!!!

I had no idea too about Grappeli playing the piano so marvelously!

Wonderful musician

what a surprise! But it is obvious: he is a one in a kind...

Sending this link to so many. Just set back to view it now.....

Incredible. Should have recorded more on piano. Would have been great to have an album where he does duets with himself -- piano and violin. Like what Bill Evans did.

@chrisSkordPiano

4 жыл бұрын

were does bill evans do this?

@brandgardner211

4 жыл бұрын

Christos Skordoulis He has an album, I think it's called Conversations with Myself, or something like that.

@chrisSkordPiano

4 жыл бұрын

@@brandgardner211 thanks

@brandgardner211

4 жыл бұрын

Chistos Skordoulis Sure.

@rosalynkaplan8756

4 жыл бұрын

Brand Gardner Thanks for your insight! ❤️

Amazing !!!

Who will ever know, where Stephane's musical heart REALLY lay, but, I JUST WONDER, was it with the piano. Maybe someone already knows. His playing is very advanced on both violin and piano. But on piano, he has the entire orchestra, so to speak, at his fingertips

@hudsony777

Жыл бұрын

He's wonderful here but second to none on violin. I saw him once in the 70s. It was like meeting God.

Absolutement incroyable!!

I knew he was a great pianist. But never saw this video. However, his total command of the instrument begins to explain his incredible invention on the violin and his endless outpouring of ideas of genius - most classical violinists (like me) don’t have a fraction of his masterful gift for music-making.

Stephane on piano! I am awestruck.

Marvelous !!!!

Astonishing!

I would give anything to sing Satin Doll to his playing

Mamma mia, quant'era bravo! You can listen to Stéphane Grappelli at the piano in one take on the Lp 'Young Django' on MPS label (1980). Simply beautiful

Real amazing,never knew before playing piano this famous violist.

There are many Jazz musicians who play several instruments. Such a genius may not choose the instrument to express his music. As for me, to my regret I cannot play even one instrument well.

Figures! Many of the great instrumentalists were/are fine pianists. For a master improviser like Stephane, all that harmonic knowledge from piano playing gives his violin a wide palette to transverse.

Stephane. Unbelievable.