MICHEL WARLOP

Michel Warlop (January 23, 1911 – March 20, 1947) was a French jazz violinist. He was a contemporary of Stephane Grappelly, with whom he played often.

Warlop was one of France's early native stars on the violin; he accompanied singers Maurice Chevalier and Germaine Sablon  in the mid-1930s, and worked with Stephane Grappelly and Django Rheinhardt from 1934 to 1937. In the second half of the 1930s he played in the Jazz du Poste Parisien and with accordionist Louis Richardet, as well as with Grappelly and Eddie South in 1937. He worked extensively with American expatriates, including Garland Wilson  (with whom he recorded as a duo in 1938), and visiting musicians such as Coleman Hawkins. Warlop played on approximately 400 recordings. Jacques Helian said of him: “At this time, Michel Warlop was one of the best in Paris…” The Swing label was formed in 1937 by Charles Delauney. He had Warlop provide accompaniment on 13 recordings in 1937 and 1938. Django was enthusiastic about Warlop’s abilities as both a musician and as an arranger. At the same time, Warlop raved to everyone about Django’s abilities and personality and to the violinist, Django was the greatest guitarist in the world.

MICHEL WARLOP trio & Orchestra

with DJANGO REINHARDT

ANDRE' PICO (tr), ANDRE' LAMORY (cl, as), JEAN MAGNIEN (as), CHARLES SCHAAF (ts, cl), MICHEL WARLOP (vln, arr. leader), DJANGO REINHARDT (gt