Entertainment 2017
Gala Swing Quartet, four friends and musicians, make their guitars, violin and bass vibrate to swing and gypsy jazz rhythms.
This young formation that interprets at times unusual arrangements and songs, as well as its own compositions, also knows its classics and delivers them freely.
Alexis Desmarais, self-trained guitar player, Alexandre Florentiny acoustic bass player, trained at the “Institut Musical de Formation Professionnelle” (IMFP), Gaspard Doussière, violinist, trained in the “Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood” (CMDL), Tom Valdman, guitar player, also trained at IMFP.
Highlights
2016
It’s a pivotal year for the quartet with the arrival of a new band member, two international tours and the preparation of a third album. In the wake of welcoming new member Tom Valdman in to the group, the
band embarks on a Hungarian tour on the occasion of the Festival musique de l’Europe.
In June, the band flies to Sri Lanka and gives a series of six concerts across the island as part of the French Spring Festival organised by the French Alliance.
2015
The Quartet sharpens their repertoire thanks to multiple performances
which include :
playing as the opening act for French artist Sanseverino at St Maximin,their first Hungarian tour, Jazz dans le Verdon, Montauroux Guitar Festival, and a joint concert with Clair de Lune Trio.
2014
Gaspard Doussiere joins the band in August and the Gala Swing Quartet’s music develops new sonorities thanks to the violin. The band records their second album “Place Richelme”.
2012 & 2013
The band is founded in Aix en Provence in its original form with : Greg Martin, Alexis Desmarais, Julien Michelozzi and Alexandre Florentiny. They reveal and share their gypsy jazz repertoire in the town’s streets, squares and markets.