Django's Legacy


lalimacefolle
Moderator
Joined: 09/25/01
Posts: 1,887
lalimacefolle
Moderator
Joined: 09/25/01
Posts: 1,887
08/11/2003 3:47 pm
Hi guys!
Some people here may know Django Reindhart. If you don't, well, catch up, he's the first "guitar hero", and was cited as a big influence by many greats, such as BB King, etc.

Yesterday night, I went to a concert, with Romane, the world's best specialist in Django's style. As a show opener, there was "Django's Memory", that consisted in Django's only Grandson (I had seen Babik, Django's son, around 5 years ago, and this one, David Reinhardt, his his only child, Babik died 2 years ago)
I was totally amazed at how fluent this 16 years old kid was... He played amazing bop lines, great chords, and he had the "feel" of gipsy jazz.

I only put this thread here so that you guys might chek some Django.. You won't be disappointed. (get "nuages" "sweete georgia brown" "les yeux noirs" "manoir" those are my favorites)
# 1
Incidents Happen
Registered User
Joined: 12/23/01
Posts: 1,625
Incidents Happen
Registered User
Joined: 12/23/01
Posts: 1,625
08/11/2003 5:49 pm
Many people here know that Django Reinhardt is atop my list for favorite guitarist of all time, I absolutely love Django's style. I've yet to see a guitarist as good as Django.

~Incidents
# 2
Enslaved2Metal
New Member
Joined: 07/30/03
Posts: 28
Enslaved2Metal
New Member
Joined: 07/30/03
Posts: 28
08/11/2003 6:21 pm
Seriously, If you haven't heard Django's music, people can honestly say that you're missing out, to say the least...
...Only one of us walks away...
# 3
chris mood
High Bandwidth
Joined: 08/31/01
Posts: 1,319
chris mood
High Bandwidth
Joined: 08/31/01
Posts: 1,319
08/12/2003 2:08 am
For some reason I could never get into him, maybe because all the recordings are of such bad quality.
# 4
Fruitbat
Registered User
Joined: 07/24/03
Posts: 121
Fruitbat
Registered User
Joined: 07/24/03
Posts: 121
08/12/2003 9:11 am
Originally posted by chris mood
For some reason I could never get into him, maybe because all the recordings are of such bad quality.


You can pick up some pretty decent remastered comps these days like the 'Swing de Paris box set, put out this year. 103 toons. In Europe the gipsy jazz scene is pretty popular.Its worth checking out current great players like Fapy Lafertin, Bireli Lagrene.

What's most amazing about Django was that he could only use his index and middle finger on his left hand as the other 2 were burnt in an accident.
# 5
lalimacefolle
Moderator
Joined: 09/25/01
Posts: 1,887
lalimacefolle
Moderator
Joined: 09/25/01
Posts: 1,887
08/12/2003 11:07 am
The gipsy Jazz revival is pretty crazy over here.
Chris, if you wanna check out some good recordings, get some Romane's CDs "Impair et Valse" is quite good, there are the tabs, and the playbacks, so you can check out some of his licks.
I have heard that John Jorgensen (Hellecasters, Elton John) was actually shooting a movie as Django, any info here?
# 6
chris mood
High Bandwidth
Joined: 08/31/01
Posts: 1,319
chris mood
High Bandwidth
Joined: 08/31/01
Posts: 1,319
08/12/2003 3:07 pm
I've heard some impressive young players on the gypsy jazz circuit...my friend was playing me a cd of some kid who also, like django, grew up as a gypsy and was playing since he was like 4. He won some big competition when he was like 14 or something, and he was like 19 on this recording (Live at Birdland) and was quite amazing. I seem to like the newer players better then django himself.

The one thing I didn't like about Djangos music is that everything the rhythm section plays sounds like 1/4...it's just chomp chomp chomp w/no articulation. I also find the term Gypsy "jazz" a little misleading, it lacks a lot of the qualities that make jazz what it is. I find it is much more closely related to american bluegrass music, not to mention Django is usually hailed as a hero among the virtuoso flat pickers.
# 7
lalimacefolle
Moderator
Joined: 09/25/01
Posts: 1,887
lalimacefolle
Moderator
Joined: 09/25/01
Posts: 1,887
08/12/2003 3:11 pm
Actually, I also thought that the rhythm was always the same thing. Actually it is ;)
But for seeing it live, it's actually much more a fast "123123" than a "1 1 1 1 1" quite weird to explain, but it sounds like a train to me...
The younger players pretty much quote what Django did. I saw Bireli Lagrene last time on TV, and he wouldn't play with two fingers because it would be disrespectful to Django's memory (too much aping) but musically, they try to stay close to what he did. Maybe it really is the sound that bothers you!! :)
# 8

Please register with a free account to post on the forum.