…my grandfather Zoltan Fischman, Jim Henson, JRR Tolkein, Django Reinhardt (also…Bireli Lagrene, Boulou and Elios Ferre, Matelo Ferre, Joseph Reinhardt, Lulo Mike Moro and Sascha Reinhardt, Stochelo Rosenberg/Rosenberg Trio, Don Vink, Titi Bamberger, Angelo Debarre, Lulu Reinhardt, Joe Bawaleno, Tshavolo Schmidt, Dorado Schmidt, Moreno, Fapy Lafertin, Ian Date, Robin Nolan, Stephane Wremble, Romane, Fato and Yayo Reinhardt, Yorgui Loeffler, Basily, Joscho Stephane, Matcho Winterstein, Paulus Schafer Gipsy Band, Jimmy Rosenberg, Ritary, Orkest Polytour, Jo Privat, Oscar Aleman, pretty much the entire crew from Samoreau and Samois..) Stephane Grappelli (…Florin Niculescu, Costel Nitescu, Roby Lakatos, Martin Weiss, Titi Winterstein, Schnuckenack Reinhardt, Stuff Smith, Joe Venuti, Eddy Lang, Svend Asmussen, Jean-Luc Ponty, Didier Lockwood, George Washingmachine, John Rose, Billy Bang, Mark Feldman, Eyvind Kang)…Giora Feidman, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Masada, New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, Budapest Klezmer Ensemble, Kroke, The Klezmatics, Taraf de Hadouks, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Saban Bajramovic, Boban Markovic, Goran Bregovic, Bratsch, Les Yeux Noir, Paris Combo, Buena Vista Social Club, Afro-Cuban All-Stars, Sierra Maestra, Cubanissimo, Paco de Lucia, Tomatito, Vincente Amigo, Gerard Nunez, The Assad Brothers, Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern, Pinchas Zukerman, David Oistrakh, Fritz Kreisler, Jascha Heifetz, Shlomo Mintz, Maxim Vengerov, Gil Shaham, Nigel Kennedy, John Zorn, Bill Frisel, Mike Patton, Uri Caine, Dave Douglas, Steve Coleman, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, The Residents, Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa, Aphex Twin, Danny Elfman, Ennio Morricone, Nina Rota, Astor Piazolla, Bartok, Stravinsky, Sibelius, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Benny Goodman, Arty Shaw, Charlie Christian, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Albert Aylor, Herbie Hancock, Richard Galliano, Tin Hat Trio, Primus, Portishead, Beck, Bjork, Prince, Radiohead, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Metallica, The Beastie Boys, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Southpark, Simpsons, Ren and Stimpy, Warner Brothers cartoons, Monty Python, Star Wars, Mel Brooks, Larry David, Billy Connolly…
This being myspace 'ere we go wif da personal story..I'm born in Sydney, my mother was born in Casablanca, Morocco and my father in Siofok, Hungary although he grew up in Israel. My parents came to Australia when they were kids and both me and my brother grew up in a fairly traditional Jewish household surrounded by a lot of music and art. Three of my grandparents were from Hungary and one grandmother was from Poland although she grew up in Austria. My grandfather on my mother's side was by far the most defining influence on my youth, in a lot of ways he was the ‘black sheep’ of the family and we still don't know his entire history except that he did a lot of fighting during the war, ditched Hungary when he was 18 and after moving to France as the saying goes "became more French than the French." He played in cafe orchestras in Paris (I think) and Marseilles (definately) during the 1920s and 1930s and worked professionally as an engineer and occasional sculptor. He was also friends with Edith Piaf. Virtually every photo of the guy that we have is of him playing the violin and I grew up totaly entranced by him playing old Yiddish songs, Hungarian Gypsy czardases, Mozart and just generally the music from the salons he had frequented in his younger years. The story goes that his brother (who along with his entire family he left behind in Hungary before the war) was a great violinist in the wings who performed Brahms violin concerto at the Budapest Opera House when he was 18 only to die tragically two days later from the avian flu that swept Europe in the early part of last century. My grandfather inherited his brother's violin which is still in the family and he played this violin till his death at the age of 96 (he lasted one night in a temporary nursing home and spent the evening playing to the other patrons before he passed away) as well as another little violin - which is the violin I play - that my mum bought him for $500 in a junk shop..which he also loved..in Australia I have my mum and my brother and there is no other family here whatsoever. What little is remaining of our family today reside in Israel, Hungary and the US...
I tell this whole family spiel for a reason cause I guess the family aspect or my 'roots' is something that's very important to me and always has been. A lot of the music I play is influenced by my experiences as a Jewish-Australian musician living in the diaspora, by my travels, friends and co-musicians I hang with as well as some of the amazing people from many different cultures and countries that I've met and continue to meet over the years. I've spent most of my life studying a lot of Classical music and in times past played in way too many youth orchestras for my own good - it's still a pretty major influence. My former violin teacher of 12 years described my playing music outside of Classical as “turning to the dark side.” (She was joking…I think…:p
I generally tend towards European/Jewish jazz influenced bands and have been playing with a lot of the same guys for a number of years both in Australia and Europe. My main Australian-based musical projects are:
"The Asthmatix" - experimental-hip hop quartet made up of violin/effects, keys/melodian/effects (Daniel Pliner) and scratching/vinyl tweaking by DJs Asparagus (Andre Mylnsky) and Mickey Morphingaz (Micha Walter). ''Kingston Avenue meets Utica, an instrumental mix of jazz and Jewish melodies combined with funk grooves, Chassidic children’s vinyl, turntablism and virtuosic playing.."
"Zohar's Nigun" - kabbalistic inspired experimental-rock-jazz quartet made up of violin/vocals, keys/piano (Daniel Pliner), drums/percussion (Alon Ilsar) and electric bass (Tina Harris/Tony Buchan). "Four Jewish guys, four very different understandings of an ancient yet ever metamorphising culture and heritage.."
I'm heavily heavily into the music of Django Reinhardt and in europe am often performing and recording with close friend of mine German-based Sinti composer and guitarist Lulo Reinhardt whose ever-evolving and totally unique music includes a lot of latin, free-form and jazz influences. Lulo recorded and released a new CD of his original Gypsy-Swing inspired originals a few years ago along with US guitarist Doug Martin, bassist Harold Becher, drummer/percussionist Uli Kramer and myself on fiddle and this CD has been released with the German label Toca Records - phenomenal band and a really great bunch of guys all good friends and top musicians regularly on tour both within and outside of Europe..
In Sydney I play a lot of Gypsy-Swing and jazz with long time mates guitarist Nigel Date, bassists John Maddox and Stan Valacos, accordionists Eddie Bronson and Phillipe Witwer drummer Tim Bradley and vocalist Ida Travota around the traps and in Melbourne with clarinettist Chris Tanner and guitarists Jules Brunton and Peter Baylor along with a whole crew of other great musicians. Also sit in as of late with the fantastic "Gypsy Swingers' based in Brisbane - flamenco/Gypsy-jazz guitarist Cameron Ford's baby. Some other great bands I can be seen playing with include Nadya and her 101 Candles Orkestra, Fuego Lento, Buddy Bolden Revival Orchestra and On The Stoop. If interested in contacting me directly please feel free send an email - mail@danielweltlinger.com :)
Great to hear from you Daniel, love your sound, and hope to work with you at some stage. Pleassse don't loose your sense of humour... and remember sure there's a good book there somewhere!! IN SUPPORT OF GREAT LIVE MUSIC, even IN MY SOLITUDE!! All the best, Ava
Thankyou so much for your kind words :) It is still a work in progress but it is coming together. You sir are indeed masterful. Thankyou for your music!
SALUT DANIEL JE SUIS TRES CONTENT DE TE COMPTER PARMI MES AMIS! J'ESPERE QUE ON SE REVéRRA TRES BIENTOT!!! SI TU PASSE A FORBACH TU NOUS TELEFONE!! MERCI TIMBO.
Yeah Impressions is rocking. That was a great recording session at Stan's. We nearly got a CD out of it I reckon. I'm in Brisbane with the Swingers and we're heading down to Bellingen and Sydney today. 4 of us in Monica's van. Christ! Hope all is well for you brother. talk soon.
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