Baro Ferret

Pierre Joseph "Baro" Ferret (1908–1976) was a gypsy jazz guitarist and composer. He was known by his gypsy nickname "Baro," which meant "Big One" or even "King" in Romany. Through his brother Jean "Matelo" Ferret, Baro met Django Reinhardt, and the two men became both friends and rivals. From 1931, the Ferret brothers, along with their third brother Etienne "Sarane" Ferret, and cousin René "Challain" Ferret, were favorite sidemen of Reinhardt. Baro recorded around 80 sides with Reinhardt. The Ferret brothers played with musicians including Didi Duprat.

Baro retired as a full-time musician during World War II and devoted himself to running bars and to black market businesses during the German occupation of Paris, an activity he continued into the early 1970s.

As a composer, Baro's "valses bebop" were years ahead of the times. His works such as "Panique...!," "La Folle" ("The Madwoman"), "Swing Valse" (written with Belgian-French button accordionist Gus Viseur), and "Le Depart de Zorro" were modernistic, surreal, and dark, part Musette, part modern jazz.

His nephews, Jean "Matelo" Ferret's sons Boulou and Elios Ferré continue to perform gypsy jazz.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1908 (Rouen), Died 1978

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1939

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar

Notes: Sometimes listed as Pierre Ferret.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 0LA1059 10-in. 5/4/1936 Oriental shuffle Quintet of the Hot Club of France Jazz/dance sextet instrumentalist, guitar  
Gramophone 0LA1062 10-in. 5/4/1936 Limehouse blues Stephane Grappelli ; Quintette du Hot Club de France ; Django Reinhardt Jazz/dance sextet instrumentalist, guitar  
Gramophone 0LA1290 10-in. 10/15/1936 Nagasaki Stephane Grappelli ; Quintette du Hot Club de France ; Django Reinhardt Jazz/dance sextet instrumentalist, guitar  
Gramophone 0LA1291 10-in. 10/15/1936 Swing guitars Stephane Grappelli ; Quintette du Hot Club de France ; Django Reinhardt Jazz/dance sextet instrumentalist, guitar  
Gramophone 0LA1292 10-in. 10/15/1936 Georgia on my mind Quintette du Hot Club de France ; Freddy Taylor Jazz/dance ensemble, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Gramophone 0LA1293 10-in. 10/15/1936 Shine Stephane Grappelli ; Quintette du Hot Club de France ; Django Reinhardt ; Freddy Taylor Jazz/dance sextet, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, guitar  
Gramophone 0LA1294 10-in. 10/15/1936 In the still of the night Quintet of the Hot Club of France Jazz/dance sextet instrumentalist, guitar  
Gramophone 0LA1702 10-in. 4/21/1937 Exactly like you Quintette du Hot Club de France Jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, guitar  
Gramophone 0LA1704 10-in. 4/21/1937 You're driving me crazy Quintette du Hot Club de France Jazz/dance quintet instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia (U.K.) CL6987 10-in. 3/2/1939 Valse des niglots Trio de Guitares Pierre Ferret Guitar trio instrumentalist, guitar  
Columbia (U.K.) CL6988 10-in. 3/2/1939 Ti-pi-tin Trio de Guitares Pierre Ferret Guitar trio instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 4969 10-in. 3/21/1939 Swing 39 Quintette du Hot Club de France instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 4970 10-in. 3/21/1939 Japanese sandman Quintette du Hot Club de France instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 4971 10-in. 3/21/1939 I wonder where my baby is tonight Quintette du Hot Club de France instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 4973 10-in. 3/22/1939 My melancholy baby Quintette du Hot Club de France instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 4975 10-in. 3/22/1939 Twelfth year Quintette du Hot Club de France instrumentalist, guitar  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ferret, Baro," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110764.

Ferret, Baro. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110764.

"Ferret, Baro." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110764

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