yves francois et rocambu jazz has several members, we are more of a tribe than anything else, due to the fact that different sort of gigs needs a different size of band, here is a member list of tribe rocambu ...................................................................................................................................
>Yves Francois trumpet, bandleader, arranger, vocal (well, maybe animator)___________________________________________________________________
>Frank Youngwerth trumpet, vocal (animator as well) ______________________________
>Dave Ramey trombone, vocal (all brass do animate here)__________________________
>Jim Christopher clarinet, tenor and baritone sax__________________________________
>Dave Smith clarinet, alto and baritone sax_______________________________________
>Marc Smierciak clarinet, alto sax, percussion_____________________________________
>Kurt Sepmeier clarinet, tenor sax______________________________________________
>Bruce Mak guitars___________________________________________________________
>Ben Lansing guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin______________________________________
>Simon Kashama guitar, vocal_________________________________________________
> Pat McClintock guitar________________________________________________________
>Dan Nicki bass, guitar, percussion______________________________________________
>Lou Marini bass_____________________________________________________________
> Mike Tooles trap kit, congas_________________________________________________
> Tim Williams percussion, trap kit ______________________________________________
> John Knecht djembe, percussion , trap kit_______________________________________
>at times our personnel also included friends like brett bentler, ryan mayer, david boch, ronnie malley and many other excellent musiicans
Yves Francois also plays a lot of jazz music from the traditional and swing era, mostly bands led the the late great Franz Jackson (1912.2008), indeed check the cd "Blues For Hawk" on DELMARK (CD565), hopefully concert footage from Franz 95th birthday concert may get issued someday as well.
Influences
trumpet player/ bandleader Yves Francois was influenced to play music by the great love he had for the jazz music of the classic era (Louis Armstrong, Frankie Newton, Hot Lips Page, Booker Pittman, Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington etc) of jazz. he was befriended by swing era tenor saxophonist Franz Jackson (1912.2008), who recorded with Yves as well as mentored him thought the years, and , along with 2 other jazz greats from the early days of jazz (Paul Bascomb and Jabbo Smith) encouraged him to find his own "sound" as a musicians, and to work on the growl and plunger aspects of his trumpet playing. The other music Yves was influenced by was the music of West Africa and the Caribbean, music that played a role in his education about all the musics being inter related to each other, his mother, being born in Paris and raised in Africa, gave Yves (and his younger brother Marc) the knowledge of the relation Biguine (music from Martinique, best known musicians include Stellio, Al Lirvat, Abel beauregard, and Robert Mavounzy) related to traditional jazz. I could write for hours, instead, here are a couple of videos of Yves live to see the more trad jazz elements of his musical life (both with and without rocambu jazz):
first is Yves playing in Dowigiac Michigan in the summer of 2008 with his band (and ex Junior Walker and the All Stars drummer Billy "Sticks" Nicks), playing some blues jazz live:
the second is yves francois live at a jam session playing "Home" (a Louis Armstrong favorite vintage 1932), one of my favourtie songs, we will be playing more music like this in the future, as well as the highlifes and biguines. BTW catch andy schuman's cornet solo, all i can say is formidiable ( don't miss paul asaro on piano and my good friend david boch and frank gualtieri on trombones either)
and while you are at it, check us LIVE 2009 @ QUENCHER"S 2401 N WESTERN AVE first tuesday of every month
Sounds Like
... when the musicians who played traditional (eg new orleans) and harlem jazz decided to play gigs in paris, they encountered musics like biguine, cuban son and sambas. these influences, along with the (relatively) more modern sounds from west africa (highlife, congolese rumba, senegalese and guinean jazz bands of when i was VERY young) converge, they may make a sound not unlike this. please enjoy the sound samples, they would give a better guide than saying what records they sound like ... after all we play to your ears and feet, not just to the record collector yves francois happens to be, enjoy !!!
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also check our video section as well
Record Label
yves francois delmark, y f et rocambu jazz odelion
Yves Francois is a jazz trumpeter who specializes in the growl and plunger techniques, as well as other mutes (cups,derbies,felt hats and buzz mutes amongst other devices), began his musical career recording and playing with Franz Jackson (see the Delmark CD "Blues For Hawk" 565 for the work Yves and Franz did together) and Paul Bascomb. Influenced primarily by Hot Lips Page, Frankie Newton and Louis Armstrong, Yves has cut a career playing traditional based jazzy blues as well as the varied rhythms of all African based musics (biguine, rumba, highlife, samba etc).
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Rocambu Jazz was formed in 2002 as a project to preform the varied rhythms of african based musics (like highlife , rumba or biguine) with a jazz horn section replacing the vocalist as the front line of the band. The music is based on the common threads not the differences that Brazillan, Martinique, Cuban ,Nigerian, Guinean, Congolese and New Orleans music have with each other We hope that you will enjoy the varied sambas, highlifes, biguines and calypsos along with the swing, New Orleans jazz and jump blues we preform on our engagements.
yves francois et rocambu jazz's Friend Space (Top 40)
"Ticklin' The Strings" by Sweet Hollywaiians
Amazing Japanese hot string band playing 1920's, 30's, 40's style hawaiian, swing, calypso, blues, italian music and originals,featuring vintage instruments.3 songs with Robert Armstrong and Tony Marcus(from Robert Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders)
"The Sweet Hollywaiians have probably the best feel for this 20's music of any string band working today. They manage the rare feat of sounding relaxed even when their playing is hot, are top notch musicians with tasteful arrangements and a full, rich, warm sound.Plus, they have a nice gamut of tunes, from King Nawahi to Giovanni Vicari to Bobby Leecan. See them live, if you can, for an unforgettable experience. If you can't, buy their Cds!" ~ Terry Zwigoff
Join Us at the 2009 NAAFA Fashion Show & Auction Dinner
Enjoy plus-size fashions at their best while you help support and celebrate 40 years of size acceptance advocacy efforts at the 2009 NAAFA Fashion Show on July 31, 2009!
This year Washington DC will take its place as the leading plus-size fashion capital of the world as we bring you the NAAFA 2009 Fashion Show & Auction Dinner being held on Friday, July 31, 2009, at the Dulles Airport Marriott. NAAFA is the world's oldest, largest civil rights organization working to improve the lives of people of size. We turn forty years old this year and are going strong with the strength we need to build a new future. This major fund raising event for our organization will feature food, fashion, music and our well known Not-So-Silent Auction.
Plus size fashion designers from around the country will present their latest collections of inspired designs. These talented designers have a sincere desire to see women return to the truth within themselves as expressed through what they wear, giving women of any age and size the opportunity to be truly fabulous. We are happy to announce that we have award winning makeup artist, Maisie Dunbar, to assist our volunteer model participants with their makeup and hair stylists from Paul Mitchell The School Virginia to finish their looks.
Be sure to bring your wallets, checkbooks and credit cards as we will showcase vendors of fashion, accessories and furniture--all catering to the plus size audience.
The event begins with dinner at 7pm on Friday, July 31, 2009. Tickets to this exciting fund raising event are $75 each for the entire fashion-filled evening and may be purchased through July 26, 2009 online by going to http://www.naafaonlin
Only $25.00 buys you a chance to win a week in a bungalow at a fabulous Wyndham Resort in Hawaii and raises much needed funds for the work NAAFA is doing to end discrimination against people of size. This prize is a one week stay for the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday week in an Hawaiian timeshare.
Unwind during your island retreat at Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort, designed in the style of an 1880’s Hawaiian village. Palm thatched roofs, rustic bungalows and paths lie amidst flower and fruit bearing trees, palms and tropical vegetation. The resort lies on 30 acres overlooking Kahului Bay and is two blocks from the beaches of the Pacific Ocean
The two-bedroom bungalow features a king size bed in each bedroom, sleeper sofa in the living room, two private baths, whirlpool tub in the master bath, full kitchen, washer/dryer and lanai. Maximum occupancy is 6. Private sleeping area sleeps 4. Wyndham will provide our winner with a ground level, accessible bungalow.
Other amenities include two outdoor pools, two outdoor hot tubs (with steps entering pools and hot tubs), a fitness center, tennis and volleyball courts, a putting green and a children’s activities program.
It's an easy walk or drive to Kailua-Kona Village, with ocean activities and exciting night life. Also minutes away are Hulihee Palace, University of Hawaii, Onizuka Space Center and Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Park. Fly into Kona International Airport, approximately 15 minutes away.
This vacation package is scheduled for Thanksgiving week 2009, with check in at 4:00PM, November 22, 2009 and check out at 10:00AM, November 29, 2009.
Any request for change in date or location would be subject to charges by the Wyndham Resorts of approximately $20
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