Quick Facts
Biography
Patrick Leguidecoq, known professionally as Romane, is a guitarist born in Paris, France in 1959 who specializes in gypsy jazz.
Life and work
Although not a gypsy by birth, Romane benefited from interactions with gypsy guitar players from an early age and especially learned from the recordings of Django Reinhardt, to whom he has remained a faithful heir through the course of his career. However, this respect does not hinder him in any way and does not prevent him from composing original pieces in the gypsy jazz genre.
His discography shows a desire not to remain rigidly fixed in the style but also to move forward, whether by the choice of musicians, accompanying instruments or the choice of whether or not to amplify his guitar. He has performed in a range of settings, from duo to sextet: for example, the group Django Vision or the Romane Acoustic Quartet. His partners on recordings range from Florin Niculescu to Didier Lockwood, Tchavolo Schmitt, Angelo Debarre and Stochelo Rosenberg.
Romane also works in the educational field, having published several methods of guitar, opened a school of gypsy swing music (the Swing Romane Academy), launched a magazine (French Guitare) and was the first director of the Village Musiques Actuelles ATLA founded by Noëlle Tatich in 1994.
His son, Richard Manetti, also pursues a career as a jazz guitarist and gypsy swing performer. They regularly perform together on national and international stages. His younger son, Pierre, is also a talented guitarist.
Publications
- Romane is the founder of French Guitare magazine, the first issue of which was published in March 1997. The title became French Guitare et Chanson in 2000 and ceased publication in the same year.
- Gypsy Jazz with Derek Sebastian (method), Paul Beuscher - Arpèges
- La Pompe with Derek Sebastian (method)
- L’Esprit manouche with Derek Sebastian, Carisch France (method), 2001
- La Guitare jazz manouche, ed. CEO (method in DVD)
Discography
- 1992: Swing for Ninine, Frémeaux & Associés 4
- 1994: Quintet, Frémeaux & Associates
- 1996: Ombre, Frémeaux & Associates
- 1998: New Quintet of the Hot Club of France (with Babik Reinhardt), Frémeaux & Associés
- 1998: Samois-sur-Seine, Frémeaux & Associés
- 1999: Impair et Valse, Frémeaux & Associés
- 2000: Élégance (duet with Stochelo Rosenberg ), Frémeaux & Associés
- 2001: Swing Guitare (reissue and regrouping of Swing for Ninine and Quintet ), Frémeaux & Associés
- 2002: Romane Acoustic Quartet, Frémeaux & Associés
- 2002: Romane & the Frédéric Manoukian Orchestra, Frémeaux & Associés
- 2003: Swing in Nashville, Frémeaux & Associés
- 2003: Djangovision, Frémeaux & Associés
- 2004: Double jeu (duet with Stochelo Rosenberg ), Frémeaux & Associés
- 2005: Acoustic Spirit (collection "special guitarists" of titles borrowed from the albums Ombre and Samois-sur-Seine), Frémeaux & Associés
- 2005: French Guitar (Romane Acoustic Quintet), Frémeaux & Associés
- 2006: Gypsy Guitar Masters (duet with Stochelo Rosenberg ), Frémeaux & Associés
- 2007: Père et fils (with son Richard Manetti ), Frémeaux & Associés
- 2010: Tribulations (with Stochelo Rosenberg and several guests), Universal Music
- 2010: Copain Django (with Marcel Campion and Chriss Campion), Frémeaux & Associés
- 2011: Roots and Groove (CD and DVD), Frémeaux & Associés
- 2013: Guitar Family Connection (with Richard Manetti and Pierre Manetti), Frémeaux & Associés
Prizes
- 1997: Sidney Bechet Prize of the Academy of Jazz
- 2013: Grand Prix of the Jazz, Grand Prix Sacem