Joscho Stephan/Christine Tassan

His roots in Gypsy Swing, Joscho Stephan has not only absorbed this music, he also interprets it on the highest level and is actively engaged in extending its boundaries.

After performing together, great jazz musicians such as Paquito de Rivera, James Carter, Charlie Mariano and Grady Tate enthusiastically praised the talented newcomer. He has toured Australia with top guitarists Martin Taylor and Tommy Emmanuel and has performed with his own bands, trio to quintet, on numerous important European festivals in Slovenia, Italy, France, Poland and the UK and of course on all important Django Reinhardt Festivals in Samois, Langley, Mill Valley, etc. His concert appearances in New York's Lincoln Center and the American country capitol Nashville were equally well-received, as were his performances in the New Yorker jazz shrine Birdland. His debut album Swinging Strings was named CD of the month by Guitar Player magazine. His 2015 album Guitar Heroes features the best Gypsy players of today, Stochelo Rosenberg and Biréli Lagrène, and also the fingerstyle virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel. Joining Joscho at DjangoFest Northwest is the rhythm section from the Black Market Trust and the Gonzalo Bergara Quartet, featuring Jeffrey Radaich on guitar and Brian Netzley on bass.

OPENED BY CHRISTINE TASSAN ET LES IMPOSTEURES: Pioneers in a domain usually reserved for men, the Imposteures were precursors of the gypsy Jazz wave that swept across Quebec. This all-woman quartet continues to reinvent this timeless music while integrating new ideas and influences with originality and flair. From standards to original compositions, the Imposteures musical arrangements innovate, rejuvenate, and leave room for unbridled creativity from these extremely talented young women.