Django meets French Chanson
Award-winning violinist Eva Slongo, guitarist Jimmy Grant and Double bassist Simon Planting present an intimate and swinging duo rooted in the gypsy jazz tradition of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. Their music draws equally from European jazz, Eastern European folk influences, and classic vocal jazz, resulting in a sound that feels both timeless and accessible to modern audiences.
Their repertoire includes French chanson, swing standards, and original arrangements that evoke travel, nostalgia, and joy. Whether presented in a listening-room jazz club, concert hall, or outdoor summer series, Eva and Jimmy offer a warm, dynamic performance that emphasizes groove, melody, and connection.
Tickets for this event are $33 GA, $28 for OCA members. Doors open at 6:30 PM, refreshments available. Art Gallery open during intermission Contact us to request ADA seating, info@occidentalcenterforthearts.org
About the performers:
Jimmy Grant, hailing from Northern California, discovered Django Reinhardt's vibrant sounds while touring with his dad’s bluegrass band. His unique style, shaped by influences like Bach and Joe Pass, was honed under the mentorship of guitarists Jim Nichols and Howard Alden.
Jimmy has performed with renowned artists such as David Grisman, Gonzalo Bergara, and many more showcasing his talent at prestigious events like Djangofest Northwest and The New York Hot Jazz Festival, as well as venues throughout the US & Europe.
As an educator, he teaches across the U.S. and hosts "Camp Django" in Ashland, OR. He contributes to "Gypsy Jazz Secrets Magazine" and has recorded two albums. His original composition "Insomnia" was a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition.
Eva Slongo was born in Switzerland to a family of classical musicians. She first trained as a professional classical violinist.
One day, by chance, she tried to improvise with musicians in a bar; she felt such euphoria that she spent a sleepless night … It was then that she decided to do everything she could to practice improvisation on the violin.
After her classical diplomas, she changed direction and started from scratch … She studied jazz violin with Pierre Blanchard in Lausanne, then with Didier Lockwood in Paris, where she decided to stay and live for music. She also practiced improvisation on vocals, which led her to create her very noticeable unique color: improvising on the violin and scatting simultaneously.
In Paris, Eva Slongo met renowned musicians from the world of gypsy jazz with whom she shared the stage: Biréli Lagrène, Wawau Adler, Sébastien Giniaux, Ninine Garcia, and many others …
In 2011, she won the Prize for Best Improvisation at the Stéphane Grappelli International Violin Competition sponsored by Didier Lockwood. In 2016, she obtained the 2nd prize of the Golden Jazz Trophy with her quartet.
After all these years of experience, she was led to give masterclasses internationally. She needed to share more of her learning of the jazz violin, but struggled to find the time and method to do so. Her first pregnancy forced her to slow down concerts… but it led her to do what she would never have imagined: create a new educational concept on the internet, the blog “Learn Jazz Violin” which has become the 1st Google search result in French jazz violin, and finally a method “The new way to learn jazz violin.”
Eva Slongo’s new album “Souffle” was recorded in collaboration with pianist Giovanni Mirabassi, with whom she shares the stage regularly.
Dutch double bassist Simon Planting studied classical bass at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and jazz at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. Now based near San Francisco, he has performed internationally with artists including Mathilde Santing, Fapy Lafertin, Jimmy Rosenberg, Stephane Wrembel, and John Jorgenson, and is a fixture on the Djangofest circuit.