Louis Vola; Legendary Jazz Bassist

Louis Vola, the founding bassist of the legendary Quintette du Hot Club de France, which produced such giants of jazz as guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli, has died in Paris, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. He was 88.

The quintet was formed in 1934 in connection with the Hot Club of France, which had opened in Paris two years earlier. It grew from sessions between Reinhardt, Grappelli, Vola and guitarist Roger Chaput. All belonged to Vola’s band, which was then playing at the Hotel Claridge. With the addition of a third guitarist, Joseph Reinhardt, the quintet performed publicly for the first time on Dec. 2, 1934, and began a series of about 200 recordings.

Although personnel and instruments changed, the quintet remained popular through the 1930s as a major force in French jazz. After the war the group re-formed with its original members, but it disbanded in 1949.

Vola was born in the Riviera town of La-Seyne-Sur-Mer, and went on to play bass in Ray Ventura’s orchestra. He also backed up Benny Carter and Duke Ellington and the French singers Charles Trenet, Yves Montand and Georges Brassens.