Fret and Fiddle

 

Fret and Fiddle are an award-winning group who formed in 2001 as a duo when Sally and Andy discovered they had a mutual enthusiasm for The Hot Club de France, namely, the musical legends guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli. Over the years they have expanded to a trio, a  quartet and then a quintet and now can offer a wide variety of combinations to suit any occasion or event. Their quartet play the show “Grappelli Swing” a narrated musical journey of Stephane Grappelli's musical life, which regularly tours in the Midlands and beyond.

Offering that special something that is just that little bit different, quirky and imaginative, you can hear this band play swing tunes, gypsy music, klezmer, folk, blues and even the odd Tom Waits song!

 

“Entertaining, refreshing and highly musically accomplished, you are sure to have a superb evening with them!” (Promoters of Kingsbridge Jazz)

 

Fret and Fiddle

Presents:  

“Grappelli Swing”

 

Award-winning musicians Fret and Fiddle present a musical journey of the legendary violinist Stephane Grappelli's life. The quartet will take you on a trip down memory lane of the early Hot Club days from the swinging Parisian night clubs of the 1920's, through the war years when Grappelli played at the luxurious London hotels such as Claridges, to Stephane's golden years touring into his Eighties. You are sure to be delighted by their renditions of favourites like Jalousie the famous Tango that Grappelli duetted to Yehudi Menhuin with when they appeared on the Michael Parkinson Show back in 1971. Sit back and relax to the beautiful ballads of Stardust and My Funny Valentine. Tap your toes to Cole Porter's Anything Goes and be transported back to those Charleston days and the razzle-dazzle of that swinging fiddle!

 

Sally Minchin

 

Sally began her musical career after graduating with a First Class degree from Birmingham Conservatoire where she studied with Peter Thomas and Michael Seal. She has since enjoyed a varied freelance career playing for professional orchestras, string quartets and undertaking solo work. Salene began performing in jazz groups soon after leaving college and experimented with blues, swing and folk music, developing her own unique improvising style, which was strongly influenced by Stephane Grappelli, one of her violin heroes.

“Grappelli had that certain mysterious magic in his playing that many great musicians have, but that is so elusive and challenging to capture and contain when one tries to emulate it. I never tire of listening to his soulful, melodic sound”