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Django Reinhardt 2

Page history last edited by John Messenger 12 years, 1 month ago

DJANGO REINHARDT


  • The "accident":  at age 18 Django was involved in a house fire that severly burned half of his body.  His injuries paralysed his right leg as well as the third and fourth fingers on his left hand.  With the help of his brother, Joseph Reinhardt, Django taught himself to play guitar with only his remaining first and second fingers and managed to learn to walk again with the aid of a cane.
  • Between the ages of 19 and 22 Django fell in love with jazz music, especially the music of Louis Armstrong, whom he called his "brother".  It was during this time that he met Stephane Grappelli and formed his famous Quintet.
  • The Quintette du Hot Club de Paris was one of the few jazz groups that only used string instruments.
  • During World War II he would stay in France and continue to play music.  Though jazz music was banned by the German army, Django would still continue to play, but he also took the time to write parts of a symphony with help from an assistant.
  • After the war he would travel to the United States and reform the Quintet for a short time in 1946 with Stephane, and also play with Duke Allington and his Orchestra.
  • In 1947 he would return to France and live a very unpredictable life.  At times he would show up to a concert forgetting his guitar.  Before he reitred in 1951, he recorded one last album with Stephane called "Djangology".  This would become his most famous recording and would live on after his death in 1953.
  • His grandson David Reinhardt is a guitarist who tours today playing his grandfather's music.

"Djangology"
 
Django in 1951 
 
Django and Duke Ellington 1946
 

"David Reinhardt Trio"

 
 
 
 

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