Sun. 9/27, 11:30 am–1:30 pm
| Age | Adult |
| Event Type | Workshop |
| Department | Guitar |
| Day | Sun |
| Instructor | Paul Mehling |
| Status | inperson event |
Explore the technique, sound, and swing feel of Django Reinhardt–style jazz guitar. This workshop focuses on the essential elements of the tradition, including la pompe rhythm guitar, rest-stroke picking, characteristic scale and arpeggio vocabulary, chord voicings, and approaches to improvisation.
Participants will work on the details that give the style its distinctive character: phrasing, articulation, tone production, rhythmic placement, and the relationship between accompaniment and soloing. Individual feedback and one-on-one evaluation will help players identify specific areas for improvement and develop greater technical control and stylistic fluency.
About Paul “Pazzo” Mehling
Paul “Pazzo” Mehling, leader of The Hot Club of San Francisco, is a central figure in American Gypsy jazz. Inspired by Django Reinhardt from an early age, he immersed himself in swing and Gypsy jazz, studying in Paris with guitarist Serge Krief.
A multi-instrumentalist, Mehling has performed on guitar, violin, and bass in settings ranging from Dixieland jazz with Jake Stock and the Abalone Stompers to touring with Dan Hicks and The Acoustic Warriors.
In 1990, he founded The Hot Club of San Francisco, now one of the leading Gypsy jazz ensembles in the United States, with more than 15 albums and international appearances, including the Festival de Jazz Django Reinhardt.
A pioneer in Gypsy jazz education, Mehling produced the first instructional videos devoted to the style and continues to teach and perform with a deep commitment to swing and tradition.