Press Reviews/Comments on the official biography of Stephane Grappelli

Stephane Grappelli: With and Without Django 
by Paul Balmer

"… totally substantial and brilliantly written with none of those stylistic compromises, hideous colloquialisms or anecdotal distortions which ruin so many biographies (and autobiographies) of jazz musicians. Paul's literary gifts are such that we trust the author implicitly, and, even more significantly, the author implicitly trusts his readers. It is a beautiful book, immaculately researched and written with tremendous integrity and profound love of the subject. "
GRAHAM WADE Feb 2004

"L'oeuvre d'une passion" 
- 'JAZZ HOT' - Hot News, May 2003 (Paris)

"… the first full biography since Geoffrey Smith's 1987 book… Balmer's diligent research in Parisian hospital records has re-dated the caravan fire in which Reinhardt's hand was injured. And he has thrown new light on Grappelli's extraordinary childhood as a street urchin, his brief period as a protégé of the dancer Isadora Duncan, and his musical education. Many aspects of Grappelli's early life are also covered in more detail than before… his music remains clearly in focus throughout."
- Alyn Shipton JAZZWISE June 2003

"MUSIC TO MAKE YOU SMILE" 
"Stephane Grappelli …was a major artist, and as such deserves a large and detailed biography. This is such a book … there is much of interest about Grappelli's early career… the famous meeting with Django Reinhardt and it's glorious aftermath …of the greatest interest to Jazz lovers. Paul Balmer's biography is at it's best on the latter part of Grappelli's career."
- William Palmer, Literary Review June 03

" … a fascinating part of jazz history vividly retold" 
- Julian Bream, CBE

"… extremely impressive" 
- Lord David Puttnam

" … useful and interesting … fine writing … Balmer has done good research sorting the facts from the myths …"
Gramaphone, July 2003

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