Join us for the Women in JAZZ Tribute Concert featuring gypsy jazz guitarist Tessa Spaaij. During the latest edition of the beloved Women in JAZZ Tribute Concerts, on Friday 13 February, the sensational gypsy jazz guitarist Tessa Spaaij and her all-female jazz quartet Pistache will pay tribute to two extraordinary artists whose paths crossed in Paris: Edith Piaf and Django Reinhardt.

Edith Piaf and Django Reinhardt were iconic figures in the Paris music scene of the 1940s and 1950s. They met in Paris and each left an indelible mark on the music world: Piaf as the legendary chansonnière and Reinhardt as the pioneering jazz guitarist and founder of the fiery, energetic style known as gypsy jazz.

Voice of Paris
The international music icon Edith Piaf was a French singer and songwriter, best known for her performances in cabaret and modern chanson. She is widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer and one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century. In 1945, she released La vie en rose, her greatest and most enduring success.

Piaf's music was highly autobiographical. She specialised in chansons and torch ballads about love, loss and heartbreak. Born into poverty in 1915, she had anything but an easy life. At the age of 14, she went on tour with her father and performed during his acrobatic street performances throughout France, where she began singing in public for the first time. In 1935, she was discovered by a Parisian nightclub owner, and remarkably, the bandleader on her opening night was none other than Django Reinhardt.

Father of gypsy jazz
Django Reinhardt, born in Belgium in 1910, was a pioneering Romani guitarist and composer. He rose to prominence in Paris, where he initially played banjo in local gypsy ensembles before discovering American jazz – a revelation that would transform his musical style. Reinhardt became the driving force behind gypsy swing, a vibrant fusion of jazz and Romani music.

Together with violinist Stéphane Grappelli, he founded the legendary Quintet of the Hot Club of France, famous for its all-string line-up and unmistakable sound. Reinhardt's compositions and virtuosity have left a lasting mark on jazz history, and his legacy is still honoured today, including with awards bearing his name.

Join us for the Women in JAZZ Tribute Concert in the historic centre of The Hague.
Get ready for an unforgettable evening filled with great music, delicious food and fine wines. Tessa Spaaij will be performing with her Pistache Gypsy Jazz Quartet, consisting of bassist Sarah Blake, violinist Joanna Gardner and singer Francesca Vencken. These four leading ladies from the world of jazz will bring this rich musical story to life.

Reserve your table for food, drinks and live jazz via our website – don't wait too long, because our Women in JAZZ Tribute Concerts often sell out quickly.