The Official Django Reinhardt Thread

[storymilo]

Originally Posted by Engine

No. The man is enormously popular - beyond popular, he's an idol. Countless jazz fans and guitarists worship him. He is a legendary historical figure and an unbeatable master at his craft. Not just a master of his technique but one of those magical musicians who has so much talent and soul that his music is practically impossible to recreate - even if the imitator has all five fingers and technical perfection. Someone like that can't be considered underrated. There's not too many musicians from the 1930s who are still talked about today at all.

No offense, story - it's cool that someone as young as you appreciates him but underrated is the wrong word.

Oh

I actually don't think I've ever talked to anyone about his guitar abilities, or looked anything up about him at all, so I was pretty much basing that on the fact that someone once remarked they didn't think he was a good guitar player... I don't even remember who now. I'll say he's appreciated as far as guitarists go then.

[right-track]

Originally Posted by storymilo

I'll say he's appreciated as far as guitarists go then.

Now it's you that underrates him.
To do him justice I recommend you say "he's in a class of his own".
And if you appreciate guitars look up Manouche, or Gypsy Jazz on youtube and be suitably amazed.

On these boards there is nowhere near enough love;

[Flower Child]

Count me in as another devout fan.
In fact, I'm plum simply starry-eyed over Django.

As soon as I heard the genre 'gypsy jazz' I knew this cat would be right up my alley. The only reason I came across him was that I was looking for The New Orleans Jazz Vipers version of 'Blue Drag' and couldn't find that but instead came up with Django's little rendition. It seems like I have discovered all of my favorite bands completely by chance like that. Anyway, it was love at first note. I knew nothing about him, or anything about his paralyzed fingers, but yet it only took me a few songs to get to the point where I was dying to know about the man who could make this unbelievable music.

Like everyone else, I feel his story is just unreal.
You know you hear about gypsies and caravans and such, but that gypsy way of life couldn't get any further away from what I know. It may as well have happened on another planet. So listening to his music really just engulfs me in that gypsy atmosphere that I would have never been able to experience otherwise. he is an amazing guitarist, yes, but its that atmoshpere I really love.

[Engine]

Originally Posted by Flower Child

Like everyone else, I feel his story is just unreal.
You know you hear about gypsies and caravans and such, but that gypsy way of life couldn't get any further away from what I know. It may as well have happened on another planet. So listening to his music really just engulfs me in that gypsy atmosphere that I would have never been able to experience otherwise. he is an amazing guitarist, yes, but its that atmoshpere I really love.

For me Django's music reminds me more of Paris and hedonistic urban nightlife from the early-mid 20th century.

For Gypsy atmosphere/music from that time - you should watch the movie "The Man Who Cried". It features a real gypsy band that plays traditional gypsy music

The band is in the movie - here's a short song

[Flower Child]

Originally Posted by Engine

For me Django's music reminds me more of Paris and hedonistic urban nightlife from the early-mid 20th century.

For Gypsy atmosphere/music from that time - you should watch the movie "The Man Who Cried". It features a real gypsy band that plays traditional gypsy music

The band is in the movie - here's a short song

I have a bad feeling if I ever watched that movie I'd be packing up my little hobo satchel and heading for a caravan in no time.

Thanks for the heads up on this show, sounds great. I watched a thing about gypsies just the other day and I think all they do all day is dance and sing and cook. All at the same time

[quiqueguitar]

Django! One of the most influential guitarists of the 20th c. I had the fortune to see his buddy violin player Stephan Grapelli playing live shortly before he died. He was kicking ass at 80!

[blastingas10]

Just bought a 2 disc album of his. I am really enjoying it, he is amazing. Certainly one of the greatest ever.

[bahama]

I recall the very first time I heard one of his recordings many years ago. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before. Very similar to the first time I heard Art Tatum on a recording. Just jaw dropping. This was before I knew anything about his physical setbacks with his left hand

[Goofle]

My mums partner had this with his collection of guitar books. Pretty excited to go through it.

[Frownland]

^Good luck with that, god knows I've tried.