DJANGO REINHARDT

Born on January 23, 1910 in Liberchies, Belgium
Died on May 16, 1953 in Fontainebleau, France

  Django Reinhardt was the first major jazzman whose base of operations was outside the United States. While playing with only two fingers, his single-string lines had a fluency and speed unmatched by the guitarists of his era. His style, sometimes called "gypsy jazz", combined swing chords and phrasing with the string-band tradition found in folk music. (It also helped influence the style of "Western swing".) He may be the first guitarist to play octaves, and recorded with the earliest jazz expatriates, including Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter. Thanks to his influence, dozens of bands still play Europe in the "Hot Club" format he pioneered.

Jean Baptiste Reinhardt was born in Belgium to a roving family of Rom (gypsies) who played music in the towns they visited. From the youngest age he was taught violin and banjo; he began public performance as a boy, accompanying accordionists and other musicians. (He switched to guitar in his teens.) In 1928 his caravan wagon burned down; his chord hand was so damaged that some fingers were fused together. On his own, Django retaught himself the instrument; because he now had to hold his guitar differently, he employed chords not often used at the time.

Reinhardt’s early work was patterned after the "musette" style of other gypsy guitarists, particularly Gusti Malha. He is said to have discovered jazz while recuperating from his burns; he bought a used copy of Louis Armstrong's "Dallas Blues" and instantly wanted to play in that manner. He tried to play swing tunes in the musette clubs … where the new style was not welcome. To meet receptive musicians, he often stopped by the Hot Club of Paris, where he met the violinist Stephane Grappelli. During an intermission in the early Thirties, Grappelli was tuning his instrument, and began a version of "Dinah". Django joined in, and they sounded like the Eddie Lang-Joe Venuti duet records. With that impromptu performance, the seeds for the Hot Club Quintet were founded.

In 1934 Reinhardt formed the Quintette du Hot Club de France, an all-string ensemble with Grappelli, bass, and two rhythm guitars, including his brother Joseph. (On some dates a horn would be added, or a third rhythm guitar.) For the next five years, on record and in a series of broadcasts eventually funded by the French government, the group became the most popular in France, and influenced many of the bands – and guitarists – that followed.

The group broke up during World War II, with Grappelli moving to England. Reinhardt stayed on the Continent, formed a new quintet with clarinet replacing violin, and led a big band for a while. (Because of the Nazi persecution of gypsies, he had to stay hidden while in Axis territory.) When the war ended, he made an American tour with Duke Ellington, who had long been an admirer. This 1946 tour was Reinhardt's only visit to the States; it was also the first time he played an electric guitar. He continued to record on returning to France, in new groups and with Grappelli, but music was becoming more of a hobby than a full-time job. He died of a sudden heart attack in 1953, three weeks after his final recording session. His style continues to influence European jazz.

Credits & Ackowledgements . . .

I wish to credit Robin Nolan with helping to understand the
"authenticity" of playing gypsy jazz guitar. Through his instruction,
plus the honor of jamming with him, my learning curve was greatly
shortened. We must also ackowledge listening such great players as
Stochelo Rosenberg, Bireli Legrene, Angelo Debarre, to name but a few.
Of course, last but not least, is the master himself -  Django Reinhardt - 
for giving us this inspired musical genre - le jazz hot!   ~Don