Jazz Articles about Django Reinhardt

Django Reinhardt And The Illustrated History Of Gypsy Jazz

by J. Robert Bragonier
May 7, 2007

Django Reinhardt And The Illustrated History Of Gypsy Jazz Michael Dregni, with Alain Antonietto and Anne Legrand Speck Press ISBN: 10: 1-933108-10-x ISBN: 13: 978-1-933108-10-0 2007 My middle-aged son is an orthopaedic surgeon, after-hours jazz musician and lover of Gypsy swing in general (and Django Reinhardt in particular), and, a few months before I got the opportunity to review this book, I discovered it while searching for a ...

Django Reinhardt: Keep Cool: Guitar Solos 1950-53

by David Rickert
January 16, 2007

Django Reinhardt's last years are his least well known. Facing artistic obsolescence while jazz fans who once embraced him were hooked on the latest thing, Django assembled a new quintet of players schooled in bebop instead of swing to produce some records that were decidedly modern in feel. Long gone were the Hot Club with Stephane Grappelli and the band with Hubert Rostaing; instead, we get a modern combo featuring piano, drums, bass, and even trumpets and saxophones. ...

Django Reinhardt: Memorial

by David Rickert
June 10, 2006

When Django Reinhardt switched from acoustic to electric guitar, his fans, feeling betrayed, called him “Judas." However, he later used this new instrument to record Blonde On Blonde, often considered one of the greatest rock records of all time.

Actually, that was Bob Dylan. But Reinhardt's electric period, which encompassed the last few years of his life, is certainly the black sheep of his catalog. Reinhardt was still in fine form and had even incorporated elements of bebop ...

Django Reinhardt

by Tim Kirker
September 30, 2005

1910-1953In the sphere of improvisational guitarists one name always warrants mention: Django Reinhardt. He was in a class by himself and has been referred to as the Jimi Hendrix of jazz guitar. To this day no guitarist has come close to his style of playing. His tonal clarity, strength of melody, fullness of expression, enthusiasm, and jaw-dropping speed all reinforced the myth of this gypsy guitarist. His European heritage brought a unique sound to the jazz plate, incorporating ...

Django Reinhardt 1933-1952

by Ty Cumbie
December 18, 2004

Django Reinhardt Django Reinhardt 1933-1952 BD Jazz 2004

On “Blues Clair," a terrific up-tempo piece I'd not heard before the welcome arrival of this 2-CD set, Django Reinhardt delivers one of the greatest solos you'll hear on any instrument, in any style of music. Right away we hear all the elements that made his legend. He had the technique to crank up to light speed when he wanted, but he doesn't overdo the speedy ...

Django Reinhardt: Retrospective 1934-53

by AAJ Staff
July 25, 2003

The Belgian-born gypsy Django Reinhardt, a founding father of modern jazz guitar, is possibly Europe's greatest music export, being amongst the first non-American musicians to conversely influence jazz in the States. This newly issued 3-disc retrospective spreads his career into three distinct periods, from '34 to only months before he died of a stroke in '53. After discovering the music of guitarist Eddie Lang, Django had found inspiration for his renowned single-note runs. His classical-influenced playing ventured from ...

Django Reinhardt: Djangology Volume 1: 1934 -1935 / Classic Recordings by the Quintette Du Hot Club De France Volume 2: 1938 - 1938

by C. Michael Bailey
February 1, 2002

Djangology 101.

 Jean Baptiste Reinhardt was a Belgian Gypsy born in 1910 in the Benelux town of Liverchies. He would never be known as Jean Baptiste, however. Django was his moniker and his is a name that looms as larger over Jazz guitar and Jimi Hendrix does over Blues/Rock Guitar. Somewhat of a free spirit, Reinhardt lived his for his own merriment and while doing so created a catalog of music that influenced everyone Stateside from Duke Ellington to Bob ...