Green Arrow Radio

Peter Dominguez grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and began performing with the Music for Youth Orchestras and his father; pianist and vocalist Frank DeMiles. Peter went on to study with Roger Ruggeri and Richard Davis at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and with Dr Lucas Drew at the University of Miami. Peter served as Professor of Double Bass and Jazz Studies at Michigan State University from 1984-96, and continued studies with Robert Gladstone while substituting with the Detroit Symphony. The former Principal Bass with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and the American Sinfonietta, Peter was Professor of Jazz Studies and Double Bass 1990-2020 at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He is currently Professor of Double Bass and Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He continues to perform with an impressive array of Classical, Jazz, and Latin artists throughout the Americas and Europe. His teaching includes national and international classes, adjudication of international competitions, artistic direction of the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassist Inc annual conference in Madison Wisconsin, and the director of the Milt Hinton Institute for Studio Bass. Peter’s recordings include ‘How About This’ (2010) & ‘Groove Dreams’ (2017) performed on Milt Hinton’s famous 1790 bass. Another solo recording entitled ‘Bass Salute’ (2023) featuring Richard Davis’s 1855 Lion Head double bass.

I had the chance to catch up with Peter about the upcoming event as part of the 2024 Madison Jazz Festival. On June 13th from 7-9pm at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Peter, who is the producer of the new documentary: String Theory: The Richard Davis Method, will be screening & participating in a Q&A (and perhaps he may let the Lion Roar?!) about the documentary and the life, career & legacy of a legend, Mr. Richard Davis. We go deep into the creation of this endeavor – including a great tale from an original screening in Milwaukee highlighting the maGic of The memories include the different ways Mr. Davis would inspire students to try and even that level of success into a double-bass equality with other more prominent instruments, it was not a ‘traditional’ teaching method many have said, but clearly it is all about the results, the people and the wholistic education art provides both student and society. Peter is also going to be playing with his long time friend Gerri DiMaggio on the Terrace, June 15th at 3pm, so we touch base on what is gonna go down when that goes down.

Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist & Engineer, Raul Midón established himself as a first-call session singer upon graduation from the prestigious Studio Jazz program at the University of Miami in 1991. He sang background vocals on more than 60 Latin recordings, many Grammy winning. In 1999 he was asked to join the touring band of Shakira. During that time, he was creating his own original music and was signed to a development deal with Warner Chappel. He left Shakira’s band to move to NYC to pursue his own career. Within a year he debuted at Carnegie Hall with the Movie Music of Spike Lee. Spike engaged him to write the end credit song for “She Hate Me.” At the same time Raul was signed by legendary producer Arif Mardin to his label under the Blue Note moniker, Manhattan Records. Raul has worked with countless legends in the industry including Bill Withers, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Terence Blanchard, & Dianne Reeves to name several. He received 2 Grammy nominations back-to-back in 2017 & 2018 for his albums “Bad Ass and Blind” & “If You Really Want” in the Best Jazz Vocal Category. Since moving to the DMV he established himself as an accomplished recording engineer, recording all the vocals for both of the aforementioned in his home studio. In 2019 he was invited to speak at his high school Alma Mater Santa Fe Prep and also was given the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Miami. In 2021 he was awarded the Disability Rights Ambassador of the year award, presented to him in a virtual ceremony by his friend and colleague Jason Mraz. During the COVID lockdown, Raul continued to collaborate with colleagues and appears in a duet on the Grammy winning album “Mendo” by Alex Cuba. He chose to pursue a long-time dream of recording a guitar duets album with some of his favorite guitarists including Mike Stern, Dean Parks, Lionel Loueke, Julia Bailen, Stephane Wrembel, Alex Cuba and more. This album ‘Eclectic Adventurist’ was released on his own label, ReKondite ReKords on 11/11/ 2022, to acclaimed reviews. He continues to tour, write, record and is working on a novel, ‘Tembererana’, and he is also back in strong 2024 with a brand new album to share, ‘Lost & Found’.

I had the pleasure of re-connecting with Raul ahead of his June 8th event at Cafe Coda as part of the 2024 Madison Jazz Festival. We get into what that show should be like as he is heading here after just releasing a brand new record, Lost & Found. We get into how that album went from ideas to release, working in his own studio and which tunes off the album seem to be hitting just right with audiences. Some even to his surprise. We get a chance to learn a little more about the person Raul is as we chat in depth about his fascination and practicing of the HAM radio. His love and respect of this communication wizardry certainly reignited a spark within this G. We also talk about ding the National Anthem recently at an OKC Thunder playoff game and is approach to performing the anthem – check it here. well, you know me, it would not be a good talk if we didn’t get a moment to talk about a level of cool, like Raul being honored as the Disability Rights Ambassador a few years back.

Stephane Wrembel is one of the finest guitar players in the world. The breadth & range of his playing & compositions are unmatched. This prolific musician, composer, educator, & musical director has released a steady stream of music since 2002 making his mark as one of the most original guitar voices in contemporary music. He has headlined Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Town Hall in NYC & The Lyon Opera House in France. He has toured and/or shared stages with master violinist Mark O’Connor, Sam Bush, Stochelo Rosenberg, Esperanza Spalding, & Al Di Meola. He has dazzled audiences at Montreal Jazz Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Django Reinhardt Festival in France, Ellnora Guitar Festival, Caramoor Jazz Festival & many others. Born in Paris and raised in Fontainebleau, the home of Impressionism & Django Reinhardt, Stephane 1st studied classical piano, at the age of 4. But in his mid-teens, he discovered that he had an affinity for guitar and then he found out about Django and fell in love w/the very strong impressionist feel in his music. Django, long regarded as one of the most influential musicians/composers of all time, was a Sinti, so Wrembel immersed himself in Sinti culture and started learning the atmosphere of what it really means to play Sinti-style guitar. He learned from the masters such as Angelo Debarre & Serge Krief. After graduating summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2002, he released his debut album, Introducing Stephane Wrembel. He moved to NYC in 2003. Before long, word of this remarkable European transplant began spreading among fellow musicians in the robust New York music scene. Both Gypsy Rumble (2005), which includes mandolin legend David Grisman, and 2006’s Barbes-Brooklyn found favor with critics. Oscar-winning director Woody Allen used one of Gypsy Rumble’s tracks, “Big Brother,” in his 2008 film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Hiss fourth album, Terre Des Hommes, was released the same year. In 2003, Wrembel created his own annual event, Django á Gogo Music Festival & Guitar Camp, bringing together some of the finest musicians in the world to celebrate the Sinti guitar style to perform in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall & The Town Hall. This weeklong event held in his hometown of Maplewood, N.J. & NYC is now being produced in Los Angeles, Canada & beyond. Wrembel’s breakthrough came with his original composition “Bistro Fada,” a Django-influenced swinging waltz on his 5th album Origins that became the theme song for Woody Allen’s 2011 Oscar®-winning film, Midnight In Paris. It was included on the Grammy®-winning soundtrack for the film. Wrembel performed the irresistibly catchy “Bistro Fada” live during the 2012 Academy Awards® ceremony with an all-star ensemble led by Hans Zimmer. In 2016, Wrembel released two masterfully recorded live albums: Live In India and Live In Rochester. From 2017-2021, Stephane released The Django Experiment I -The Django Experiment VI under the nom du plume The Django Experiment. These 6 volumes were recorded with long-time collaborators Thor Jensen on guitar, Ari Folman-Cohen on double bass, Nick Anderson on drums& Nick Driscoll on saxophone and clarinet, live in the studio, evoking new interpretations of Reinhardt’s music as well as songs by other jazz composers. In 2019, Wrembel produced Les Yeux Noirs, the debut CD by Simba Baumgartner, Django’s great-grandson. Baumgartner, who lives in the countryside in France, was one of the special guests at Django á Gogo 2019 & 2023. That same year, he released Django L’Impressionniste putting the spotlight on 17 little-known preludes for solo guitar Reinhardt recorded between 1937 and 1950. Wrembel is the first interpreter who has performed all of these pieces and collected them in one definitive masterwork. It took 4 years to meticulously transcribe the songs. He released a beautifully printed/bound book of sheet music in April of 2021. In November of 2021, he debuted his specialty group Django New Orleans, a 9-piece NYC-based band, with 8 sold-out shows at Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club. The following year his specialty program Shades of Django sold out two nights in The Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Now, in 2024, he is doing another something he has never done, recording a triptych album with a duet of guitar & piano with Jean-Michel Pilc. Following the success of these shows, Wrembel released Django New Orleans in May of 2023 in conjunction with the Django á Gogo festival. And while he is now considered one of the preeminent master guitarists in the world specialized in the Django Reinhardt style, this wonderful human keeps transcending & expanding. His music incorporates jazz, blues, classical, swing, flamenco and rock. All of these influences come together as a genre identifiable only as Stephane Wrembel.

I had the pleasure of catching up with family to the proGram, Stephane Wrembel ahead of his May 21st event at the Bur Oak here in Madison, presented by the Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest. We get into the event here with the quartet and what types of things to expect. We will be in store from something off the new and amazing triptych album with Jean-Michel Pilc. We get deep into that new trilogy with meaning and how the two artist have taken that new energy and become close friends, not only for their musical creation. I would be remiss if we didn’t take a moment or two to let Stephane brag and boast a little it about the 2024 Django-A-Gogo and my my my, there’s a lot to be proud about once again. I am proud to call Stephane a friend as when we talk, and you’ll hear it aGain, there’s a rhythm and ebb & flow to us as well, and you’ll feel that personal connection I bet when you plug into the records and most definitely when you catch him in any of his projects live.

Photo by Jason Goodman