Guitar
For years a DiJ regular, multi-instrumentalist William Brunard has been absent for more years than we care to count. But that’s all in the past and the prodigal artist will be received with open arms this year as bassist for the Gwen Cahue Quartet. Welcome home, William!
Young Brunard took to jazz manouche after hearing Tchavolo Schmitt. Born into a family of musicians, William was schooled as a teenager by Ninine Garcia in Paris; he was still focused, at that point, on the guitar. It was the guitarist Frangy Delporte who steered Brunard toward the bass — a fateful nudge, it turned out. In the years since, William has become the go-to bassist for a Who’s Who of Gypsy jazz luminaries, including Angelo Debarre (William was instrumental, so to speak, in bringing Angelo and his son Raangy to DiJ some years back — thanks William!).
(William Brunard/Undecided (C.Shavers))
But if his rock-solid support has earned him first-call status, William has also stepped out as bandleader. When he decided to record his first CD as leader not long ago, the many greats he had supported came out to return the favor — the musicians for the “Django Stories” sessions included Angelo, Bireli Lagrene, Hono Winterstein, Nous’che Rosenberg, and more. That roster says worlds about William’s standing in the rarefied world of top-rung jazz manouche.
(William with DiJ alums Angelo Debarre and Adrien Moignard at Samoreau)
(Antoine BOYER, Sébastien GINIAUX & William BRUNARD – “What is this thing called love?”)
Although he will be performing as a bassist in our concerts, William will be teaching guitar at Django in June this year. Another rare opportunity for any student of Gypsy Jazz guitar living on this side of the Atlantic. Come and get it!