Four of a Kind Joscho Stephan

• 1 Swing News 03:16
• 2 One for Max 03:58
• 3 Rambos Armada 03:47
• 4 Tears 04:36
• 5 Funk 22 05:05
• 6 Just a Gigolo 03:47
• 7 Limehouse Blues 02:15
• 8 Beautiful Love 03:47
• 9 It Don't Mean a Thing 03:30
• 10 Blue Moon 04:08
• 11 Valse de la Mer 02:41
• 12 They Remind Me Too Much of You 04:21
• 13 Struttin' with Some Barbecue 03:19
• Total Runtime 48:30

Info for Four of a Kind

Moments of happiness: In 2006, I was a guest for the second time with my trio at the guitar festival in Patrimonio, Corsica. The second formation of the evening included Costel Nitescu on violin, who was unknown to me at the time. His irrepressible joy of playing and virtuosity, in the uptempo numbers, impressed me at the time just as much as his take on the slower pieces, where his sensitive improvisations and great tone were in the foreground. After our gigs we both met backstage and jammed together, Costel was also impressed by my playing, so we decided to "do something together". As is so often the case, nothing came of it at first. It was only 13 years later that a musical coincidence brought us together again. In 2019, I played a gig with Sven Jungbeck near Paris, where the organiser wanted to bring Sven and me together with two French colleagues on bass and violin. At the last minute, the originally planned violinist dropped out due to illness, and Costel stepped in instead. After a fantastic concert, I seized the opportunity this time and agreed with Costel that we would invite him for some concerts in Germany. My long-time partners Sven Jungbeck (rhythm guitar) and Volker Kamp (double bass) were immediately taken with Costel's playing, and quickly the idea of a joint album was born. Costel fitted seamlessly into our well-rehearsed trio, so that we immediately had the feeling of being one unit. This led directly to the title of this album - "Four of a Kind". The 13 numbers were recorded in only one and a half days. We hope you have as much fun listening to them as we had recording them in the studio.

Joscho Stephan, solo guitar
Sven Jungbeck, rhythm guitar
Costel Nitescu, violin
Volker Kamp, double bass

Joscho Stephan
His roots lie in Gipsy Swing music, the style pioneered in the 1930s by the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Joscho Stephan has not merely absorbed this music, but also interprets it on the highest level and is actively engaged in extending its boundaries. Despite his youth, after four highly acclaimed CDs and a DVD he has played his way into the illustrous circle of the finest Gipsy Swing musicians in the world.

Great jazz musicians such as Paquito de Rivera, James Carter, Charlie Mariano or Grady Tate enthusiastically praised the talented newcomer after performing together.He has toured Australia with top guitarists Martin Taylor and Tommy Emmanuel and has performed with his own bands (trio to quintett) on numerous important European festivals (among others in Slovenia, Italy, France, Poland and the UK).

His concert appearances in New York’s Lincoln Center or the American country capital Nashville were equally well-received, as were his perfomances in the New Yorker jazz shrine Birdland.

Across the board, the press only has good things to say about Joscho Stephan. His debut “Swinging Strings” was named CD of the month by American magazine Guitar Player. In the words of the highly regarded Acoustic Guitar Magazine, he is the guarantor for the future of Gipsy jazz guitar.

Booklet for Four of a Kind