With its upbeat swing of guitars, violin and the occasional clarinet or saxophone, jazz manouche is the music of Paris's Gypsy periphery that made it to the big time. This year marks the centenary of the birth of legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt and Paris has been paying homage to the inventor of Gypsy jazz.
In the northern 18th arrondissement, near the banlieue of Saint-Ouen where Django's family moved their caravan from Belgium when he was a boy, a square was renamed Place Django Reinhardt in a ceremony to mark his birthday on 23 January. Other centenary celebrations include a performance of the Django 100 group of modern stars of jazz manouche at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées on 14 March and a centenary edition of the Django Reinhardt Festival in June at Samois-sur-Seine, south of Paris.
The clubs where Django made his name with violinist Stéphane Grappelli and their Quintette of the Hot Club of France in the 1930s and 40s have for the most part either shut or turned into more modern jazz venues. Today, in a France where Gypsies remain outcasts, the best manouche musicians – young and old – can still be found on the city's outskirts. But Django's Minor Swing continues to echo across Paris's café-jazz scene every night. Here are a few cafes to watch jazz by.
La Chope des Puces (Espace Django Reinhardt)
Paris's temple to Django Reinhardt, this bar in Saint-Ouen is near the spot where Django lived - and where he was badly burnt in a caravan-fire in 1928, losing the use of two fingers on his left hand which led to his distinctive jazz phrasing. Next to the Marché aux Puces, the flea and antique market that is a Sunday-afternoon must for visitors, the bar plays host every weekend to the guitarist Ninine Garcia, head of Paris's premier family of jazz manouchists. Fans share tables or stand at the bar sipping espressos and examining the cases of guitars played by former jazz greats on the walls. Behind the tiny bar is a restaurant/concert venue filled with fairground memorabilia that serves a standard French carte on weekends. Backstage is a lutherie (maker of string instruments) and jazz school teaching manouche chord-progressions to Django-wannabees. This great clip from La Chope des Puces 1965 should get you going.
122 rue Rosiers, 93400 Saint Ouen; +33 (0) 1 40 11 02 49. lachopedespuces.com. Jazz manouche every Saturday and Sunday 2pm - 7pm. Metro: Porte de Clignancourt.
Bouquet du Nord
Inhabiting the corner of a busy intersection near Gare du Nord, every Friday this brasserie plays home to some of the best and most authentic practitioners of jazz manouche. Violinist Stéphane Grappelli lived opposite and used to come in for a drink; the older men who play here, some of them tziganes (Gypsies), knew and played with him. Well-lit with friendly staff busily working the large counter, the musicians work their magic next to the cake cabinet. There is a large terrace where you can sit watching the traffic in true Parisian style. Come early to listen while you dine, or later to get these ageing jazz maestros all to yourself.
85, rue de Maubeuge, 70010; +33 (0) 1 48 78 29 97. Concerts every Friday from 7pm – midnight. Jam possible for experienced players. Metro: Gare du Nord.
La Locandiera
Rue Oberkampf is a buzzing focal point for nightlife in eastern Paris. At the northern end is this Italianate restaurant and bar, with red curtains half-hiding the street, bookshelves along one wall and rows of slatted wooden tables. In the early evening, the jazz acts as background to the dining, but grows into a boeuf (jam session) later as other musicians join in with the regulars. An underground cave hosts comedy and theatre other nights of the week. Another restaurant/bar further down the road, Styx, also does jazz manouche on Monday nights.
145 rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris. +33 (0) 1 56 98 12 18, la-locandiera.abcsalles.com. Jazz manouche every Tuesday from 9pm and every other Saturday. Jam possible. Open until 2am. Metro: Ménilmontant
La Chope de Château Rouge
Sitting on the fautline between the cobble-stoned streets of Montmarte and the North African community of Paris's lively north-east corner, this bar/brasserie is a local gem. Large windows open on to a busy street and inside a guitar has been roughly painted on to a mirror that lines one wall. Listening to jazz here is an intimate and very French experience. Musicians sit in the centre of the room, joking with the locals, manouche-lovers and a handful of tourists. Experienced players can bring their instruments and have a boeuf. The bar staff are friendly and will try hard to squeeze you on to a table, or find a spot at the bar.
40 rue de Clignancourt, 75018; +33 (0) 1 46 06 20 10. Jazz manouche every Tuesday 9pm – 1pm. Jam possible. Metro: Château Rouge.
L'atelier Charonne
Opened in 2008 by a lover of jazz manouche, this bar and restaurant near the Bastille is a welcome addition to those looking for a more sophisticated dinner-jazz experience. Red strip lights give it an upmarket feel, and it is populated by couples and groups of French jazz enthusiasts. The bar serves a set menu for €35 (main and starter or dessert) to tables set in front of the small stage, but you can sit and listen for free nearer the bar. There is jazz every night – (check the website for a detailed programme that includes Django's grandson David Reinhardt) – and it's a good idea to book ahead for dinner table.
21 rue Charonne, 75011; +33 (0) 1 40 21 83 35, ateliercharonne.com. Concerts every day from 9pm – midnight. Metro: Bastille or Ledru-Rollin.
Clarion de Chasseurs
This bar and restaurant is touristy, but plays jazz every night from some of Paris's best musicians in the heart of Montmartre. It's a good place to stop once you're done watching the caricaturists plying their trade in the Place de Tertre. The jazz numbers are traditional Django favourites and the musicians lap-up the applause as their intricate guitar solos waft out across the square. A tip: it's cheaper to have a drink inside than on the terrace.
3 Place de Tertre, 75018; + 33 (0) 1 42 62 40 08. Jazz manouche every night from 9pm. Open until 2am and (3am on weekends). Metro: Abbesses or Anvers
Further information
djangostation.com – excellent resource on upcoming jazz manouche gigs in Paris.
festivaldedjangoreinhardt.com – home to the festival held every June in Samois-sur-Seine, where Django lived after the war until his death in 1953