About

WHYY Show, 2011

WHYY Show, 2011

     I wanted to start a blog for a few reasons. I thought that it would be helpful to have have a centralized place to post my CD and concert reviews, interviews, transcriptions, lessons, etc. Some of the material here was was published previously in places like Just Jazz Guitar Magazine. Sort of a clearinghouse, if you will for my ever-growing pile of material. [I may throw in an occasional gig story from time to time]. Also, I have a Patreon page: http://www.Patreon.com/GuitarWithBarry  Be sure to check it out. Lots of material posted there, charts, transcriptions, etc., and most are free downloads, but please try to support my work by becoming a patron! 

    My name is Barry Wahrhaftig, [War-hof-tig],  I’m the lead guitarist &  founder of the Hot Club of Philadelphia. I have studied with players like Stephane Wrembel, Fapy Lafertin & Howard Alden. My goal here is to try to make the path clearer for students of Gypsy Jazz Guitar, especially newbies and mid-level players. I’d also like to help to promote my friends who have dedicated themselves to playing Gypsy Jazz Guitar, Stochelo Rosenberg, Dorado & Tchavolo Schmitt, and also some non-guitarists, accordion virtuosos like Ludovic Beier, Dallas Vietty. The members of the Hot Club of Philadelphia are; Jim Stager-Bass, Zack Devine & Gabe Furtado – guitar. Our violinist is  Joe Arnold, Phyllis Chapell is our featured female vocalist. We have also recorded and performed with Denise King and clarinetist Bob Butryn. The band works as a quartet most often, with a guest like Phyllis, but we have added drums, trumpet, clarinet, etc. for events and shows as needed. You can get booking info and hear the band, see videos and order our CD at www.HotClubPhilly.com    

80 thoughts on “About”

    1. admin Post author

      Phyllis, Thanks! I have a page for my charts, lessons & transcriptions up now.
      [This way, everyone can have access to the right changes, no excuses]!

      Reply ↓
    2. Wolf

      Thanks Barry for the opportunity…where we can share our thoughts, have a conversation and meet people (Jeno) from our home country…We very much look forward to checking out your calendar…
      Happy New Year! Zsanette & Wolf

      Reply ↓
  6. Dallas Vietty

    Glad to see your entry to the blog world. I have always found your transcriptions and musical perspective to have great value. I look forward to checking back regularly to see what you write about!

    Reply ↓
  10. Mike Menkevich

    Hi Barry,
    Good to see you starting a blog and becoming an advocate for the gypsy guitar style and the great swing music scene.
    Here is a question for you. Why do the gypsy guitars have position markers on the fretboard at 5,7, 10 and 12 frets, while most newer guitars do not mark the 10th position, but mark fret 9 instead? I notice that most vintage guitars also use the mark at 10. Makes sense to me, to go from the tonic A at 5 to D at 10.

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      Mike,

      Thanks. Looking forward to posting some pics and videos of your guitars here.
      As for the fret markers, It’s a Euro vs Americano thing. I’m used to having
      5, 7, 9 & 10 marked, [I’m a creature of habit]! BTW, be sure to sign up for my newsletter,
      if you haven’t already. Talk soon!

      Reply ↓
  14. Chet Arrista

    This is Awesome! Sure there’s a few other places with some of this content…but finally we have a nice place the come that has it all! Great job…I’m an instant fan…and I plan on being a frequent visitor! I look forward to future content and making new friends on this blog. Kudos and thanks for taking the time to share your many years of experience, knowledge, gifts and above all…your talent.
    Best –

    Chet

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      Chet,
      Thanks. I just started it, so there will be much more content to come,
      [especially as I get more proficient at WordPress[!]
      I have quite a bit of transcriptions and material for studying
      Gypsy Jazz that are still in notebooks. So little by little I’m putting them into digital form.
      Be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Talk soon,
      -B

      Reply ↓
  17. Paul Smith

    Wow, Barry, haven’t even begun to cruise around – congratulations, and thank you for doing this! – Paul

    Reply ↓
  19. Menno van der Reijden

    thanks Barry for pointing out your blog on those FaceBook pages. So far so good. You’ve come from a distance and put your neck on the block with this WordPress thing. The postings are great, but I’m biased. Keep up the good works and more over . . . . keep swinging . . . .

    cheers,
    😉 Menno

    Reply ↓
  20. Jean Ann Rodriguez

    The other morning I was coming into an awakened state to the word “Childbloom” over and over. Imagine, after all the years. You taught my son, John Cline, in Waco, Texas. He was 5 years old at the time. Would love to talk to you again. John is still in the music biz (?) , but thru writing and recording. What a change from the old days.

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      Jean Ann,
      Wow, that was many Moons ago! Great hearing from you. Happy to hear that John is still involved
      with music. [I’ll send you my contact info].
      Cheers,
      -B

      Reply ↓
  21. edenli

    HEy, I whould like to recommend on a great site of great gypsyjazz guitar lessons.
    there are also many free lessons as well!
    have a good week,

    Eden

    Reply ↓
  22. Michael Nikolidakis

    Hey Barry,

    Cool blog, and good on you to share the transcriptions and lessons with the community of us folks who can’t seem to get enough of Django’s brand of jazz! I really enjoyed your interview with Stochelo. I was seriously hooked on that Djangologists CD for a while there! So much great stuff there.

    Cheers,
    Mike

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      Mike,
      Thanks, and you’re welcome. Happy to share info and to try to help build the community.
      Stochelo is brilliant, [even better live]! Djangologists is a great recording.
      Talk soon. [See you at the gig on Saturday]!

      Reply ↓
  23. Els de Groen

    Dear Barry,
    We are happy to welcome you and your band on Khetanes, global site of artists and scholars, that promotes Romani culture: music, dance, poetry and much more. As you will see, there are many famous guitar players and other musicians on the site, all inspired by Django Reinhardt. You will be in good company!
    Many thanks for joining!
    Els

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      Els,
      Thanks, Fa plaschair! Welcome to my blog. Happy to support you and all my friends in the Romani
      culture.
      Tavas Baxtalo!
      -B

      Reply ↓
  24. Jack Globenfelt

    Great service you are providing,Barry
    I look forward to your review of Django Festival Allstars 2012—live from Birdland and more. It’s a historic recording and I trust you will enjoy it!

    Jack Globenfelt
    President
    Three’s a Crowd Records

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      Jack, Cool, thanks! I just posted my review. Great work!
      Stay in touch, and please feel free to help get word out, and sign up for my newsletter.
      -B

      Reply ↓
  25. Johnson

    thanks alot…its realy awesome.your videos are very helpfull for all new students who want to learn jazz guitar..and want to become good player..all the best for your way.

    Reply ↓
  30. Alexander Bomba

    Dear Mr.Wahrhaftig
    we are a Gipsy Band from Germany called “Rehan Syed Ensemble”
    We are playing festivals and jazz clubs in germany and released our new CD “Fussissimo” last Month.
    We were wondering if we could send it to you, so you listen to it if you have time and interest and maybe write a review with your opinion. We played concerts with Wawau Adler, Gismo Graf and played on festivals with Thomas Baggerman,Fapy Lafertin,Lollo Meier and will be playing with Josho Stephan soon.
    If you want, you can send us your adress and we will ship it over the great sea 😀

    Best wishes and greetings from Germany
    Alex Bomba from the Rehan Syed Ensemble

    Reply ↓
  32. Brian Summers

    Hi Barry,

    Thanks very much for the phone call last week and look forward to the workshop at the Philly Folk Fest so we get a chance to meet. AND, I get a free lesson on Le Pompe! Haha
    Also thanks for the lessons tab here on Le Blog!

    Brian

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      Brian,
      You’re welcome. Nice talking with you as well. See you at the Philly Folk Fest on Aug 15,
      1-2 at the Cultural Tent. BTW, we’ll probably be doing more playing than teaching,
      just between you and I[!] Anyhow, see my website for details; http://www.HotClubPhilly.com

      Barry

      Reply ↓
  33. max magee

    Looking forward to checking out your site, I was at the workshop @ the Philly Folk Fest. Thank you, let me know about the guitars for sale.

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      Max,
      Very cool, you’re welcome! Good hearing from you. I’ll send you an email,
      Re, guitars.
      Talk soon,
      -B

      Reply ↓
  34. Jean Pierre Pin

    Hey Barry! Nice Idea.
    Very sympathetic to share your work with all of us.
    I will put this page in my favorite and i’m looking forward
    to know more about your jig and of course your transcription.
    Joyeux Noël Mon Ami.
    JPP

    Reply ↓
  36. Joe Medeiros

    Hi Barry

    As a former Philly-born guy now living in LA I’m pleased to have found out about you. I am a long-time guitarist having played years ago at the Jersey Shore club scene in rock bands. Now in my later years, I have dedicated myself to learning gypsy jazz and I’m happy to have discovered another resource to help me learn.

    Reply ↓
  39. Rolf C Hopkinson

    Many thanks for your recommendations Barry! Although I have been playing guitar since my early teen years, back in the mid-60s, I still consider myself only an intermediate guitarist. To me, it is a lifetime pursuit of excellence and I am always meeting better players than myself which keeps me humble. Back in the late 1970s I was a DJ on a student radio station in Alberta and had the pleasure of conduction an interview with Stephane Grappelli, whose violin playing I had long admired – we talked at length about Django of whom I always held the greatest respect for. One day perhaps, you might play Dmetrious Jazz Alley in Seattle and I would certainly make the short trip across the water to see you there. Otherwise we have a grand little jazz club in Victoria, BC – Hermann’s. I’d love to see you guys play.

    Reply ↓
  40. Cynthia Klenk

    Hi Barry,
    So glad I found you! I have been play for many years – a lot of blues, rock, etc. In fact Stevie Ray Vaughan is tatt’d on my left shoulder and my license plate is BLUZWMN. But Django has always both fascinated me and intimidated me – That said, I really want to dive in – no time like the present!. – and I think you can help me. My problem is my eyes are terrible (I am nearsighted, and well, at 72 years old that doesn’t help either). So where do we begin? at Le Pompe? I can read music but with my eyes its no longer easy – Same for piano. So I wind up just sort of closing my eyes, letting them rest and feeling the music. But for Gypsy I have to pick it up, I think written, until I can internalize it. I really think you can help me do this. I have 12 guitars, but the one I think I want to use for this is the Ovation, which I have strung with silver D’Addario gypsy strings. I could use the Taylor 514CE too – ANY and I mean any help, thoughts or ideas would be very much appreciated. Have a wonderful and Covid safe day. All my best, ~ Cindy

    Reply ↓
  41. Kjell Goyer

    Thankyou Barry
    I play jazz on nylon fingerstyle
    I have a jazz 4tet ( gtr bass, trpt, vocals )
    and found your gypsy guitar transcriptions really valuable and good to get away from those horn bebop lines
    Kjell Goyer from the LAND of OZ.
    When we can travel I hope to get over for a Master class
    Regards
    Kjell Goyer

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      Kjell,
      Very cool!
      I have met a few other Aussies at the Django Fest in France.
      Look for Cameron Jones on Facebook.
      BTW, I have a YouTube channel and a Patreon page;

      Check it out and become a Patron if you can.
      Lots of cool material!
      -B

      Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      David,
      We have clips on YouTube, and 3 CD’s recorded so far.



      Look for The Hot Club of Philadelphia on YouTube.
      Also, please check out my Patreon page, there is a lot of cool content there. Please consider supporting my work by subscribing;
      http://www.Patreon.com/GuitarWithBarry
      -B

      -B

      Reply ↓

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