Bratsch

France-based acoustic band Bratsch merges Central European gypsy traditions with the harmonic and improvisational languages of bebop, post-bop, and free jazz. Although the group’s name comes from a viola once used to support Tsigane singers, its members evoke the ringing sonorities of cymbaloms and percussion through guitar, accordion, and clarinet.

Guitarist Dan Gharibian and violinist Bruno Girard established Bratsch in 1975. Raised in an Armenian household, Gharibian drew inspiration from the Armenian, Russian, Greek, and Oriental repertoire his grandparents cherished; after performing in teenage rock groups, he developed a deep admiration for Django Reinhardt’s music at fourteen. Girard began violin lessons at nine yet declined to learn notation, choosing instead to rely on memory. Following his biology degree, he devoted ten years to scientific work while treating music as a part-time pursuit. Bratsch first explored a worldwide spectrum of idioms that encompassed Arabic and South African sources before narrowing its emphasis to gypsy jazz. Accordionist François Castiello and clarinetist Nano Peylet complete the lineup.