He developed a virtuosity in the manouche style (gypsy jazz) and his renown rapidly exceeded the limits of Alsace, his ancestral region.

He became influential among his peers, in particular at Porte de Montreuil or Chope des Puces in Saint-Ouen, homes of tavolo-manouche swing.

While his career paused during the 1980s, in 1993 he joined the band Gypsy Tavolo Reunion with, among others, Dorado Schmitt, Patrick Saussois and Gino Reinhardt.

In 2002, he released the original soundtrack to Swing, a movie directed by Tony Gatlif where Tchavolo Schmitt played the role of Miraldo, a guitar teacher.

In 2004, Angelo Debarre joined him to produce a tribute record to Django Reinhardt called Mémoires.