by Len Lear 

The New York Times recently wrote that Stephane Wrembel, 46, is “perhaps the most creative improviser in Gypsy jazz today, Mr. Wrembel plays the guitar with a rich and colorful lyricism." Rolling Stone magazine has called him “a revelation.” Watching him play his own recent composition, “Apocalypse,” on YouTube, one is simply mesmerized as Wrembel’s fingers move with lightning speed up and down the guitar like the feet of the greatest flamenco dancer.

Wrembel, who has been labeled by many critics as “one of the finest guitar players in the world,” will perform with his band Saturday, March 7, 7:30 p.m., at the Venetian Club, 8030 Germantown Ave. in Chestnut Hill. Born in Paris and raised in Fontainebleau, the home of Impressionism and Django Reinhardt (1910-1953), the first jazz talent to emerge from Europe and possibly the most significant, Wrembel first studied classical piano at the age of four, according to his website. Last week we conducted the following interview with Wrembel:

•How and when were you first introduced to Gypsy jazz? 

“First of all, I never call Django’s music Gypsy Jazz. I found it very reductive and inaccurate. Django Reinhardt is my main influence. He is to guitar what Bach is to keyboard. His command of the guitar and music in general is extremely vast. His knowledge of harmony and rhythm is in the same level as Chopin or Debussy. I was immersed in Django’s music since I was born, but it was really at about age 17 when I decided to really explore guitar that I started to discover his musical universe with more depth.”

•In addition to Gypsy jazz, what other musicians and composers do you admire the most?

“My musical taste is very broad. I love, of course, Ravel, Debussy, Chopin, Bach, Mozart...but also Pink Floyd, Coltrane, the Beatles, Miles Davis, Ralph Towner, Dire Straits, Hildegard Von Bingen...”

•Of all the cities where you have played, which one is your favorite and why?

“I love all cities and all experiences! I don’t have a favorite city or a favorite show. I found cities very similar after a while, and I see concerts as a tapestry, each show being a thread on it, giving the ensemble beauty, proportion and balance. Concerts are à part of a whole life experience.” 

•Do you find a difference in audiences in Europe and in the U.S.? If so, what is the difference?

“The European audience is more quiet and used to classical performances, more ‘polite.’ The U.S. audience is way more playful and demonstrative, more interactive. One is a bit more introverted. The other extroverted.” 

•How did the gig at the Venetian Club come about?

“My friend Barry Wahrhaftig from Hot Club Philadelphia is organizing it. I’ve played there once, and it is a great room for acoustic concerts. I’m really looking forward to it!” 

•What was the most difficult thing you have ever done?

“Producing my festival, ‘Django a Gogo,’ at Carnegie Hall with a guitar camp. It was a touring festival, and I really wanted to elevate it to new heights, so I brought the greatest players from Europe, got the greatest Hall and had to learn as I went everything about visas, promotion and so on. I literally didn’t sleep for months, hitting deadlines after deadlines. it was a fantastic experience, extremely difficult but very rewarding. The outcome was so extraordinary, it absolutely compensated for the hardship.”

•If you could meet and spend time with anyone on earth, past or present, who would it be and why?

“Carl Gustav Jung. I constantly read and study his books. I can’t think of anyone who understood and explained human nature in a more accurate way. His books are a source of never ending joy and learning. Dreams, art, religion, poetry, philosophy, dancing, tarot, astrology, science, psychology — everything is part of the same thing. He has a way of writing that is so fluid and simple and also very entertaining. It’s very surprising. And when you read his books, you immediately start to see new things in people. I would have loved to learn from him directly, because there is only so much one can learn from a book. A human carries an energy, a vibration that cannot be replaced by words. This invisible language is the foundation of the master-pupil relationship, which is in the end the only way to learn art and mastery.” 

For more information about the March 7 performance, call 215-247-9858 or visit www.venetianclub.org or stephanewrembel.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com