Bireli Lagrene is one of the most accomplished jazz guitarists active today. His career, which started around the age of 10, has included performances with some of the world’s top musicians. He has shared the stage with fusion guitarist Larry Coryell, fretless bass pioneer Jaco Pastorius, and accordion virtuoso Richard Galliano. Bireli is a master of numerous styles including bebop, fusion, and swing. He is also a multi instrumentalist with phenomenal skill on guitar (electric and acoustic), electric bass, and drums.

However, Bireli’s musical roots lie in the music of Django Reinhardt. Like most Sinti children, he was immersed in Django’s music from a very young age. While growing up in the Gypsy camps of the Alsace region of Eastern France, he developed incredible technical and improvisational skill. His talent was quickly recognized, resulting in performances across Europe as a young as age 10.

This video shows Bireli, around the age of 12, playing in the traditional Django style. Watch his right hand closely, it is THE best example of the powerful Gypsy Picking technique. Bireli is joined on this performance by his brother Gaiti Lagrene and Tschirglo Loeffler on rhythm guitars. They lay down a hard “German style” pompe which is characteristic of Gypsies from Alsace.

For more Bireli Lagrene video see his excellent DVDs: Live in Paris, Live a Vienne, Super Guitar Trio and the documentary The Django Legacy.

Also check out Bireli Largene’s CDs: Move, Gypsy Project, Gypsy Project and Freinds, Routes to Django and Bireli Swing ’81 2 CDs, Live at Carnegie Hall – A Tribute to Django Reinhardt 2 CDs, New York Tango, Special Guests, Blue Eyes, Live in Marciac, My Favorite Django, Gipsy Feeling, Zum Trotz, Jimmy, Biréli & Angelo, Broadway Blues and Teresa 2 CDs, Live in Italy and Honestly 2 CDs.

The video archive is dedicated to Mary Honcoop. She generously shared her large collection of Gypsy videos with nearly anyone who asked. The video archive aims to continue her generosity now that she is gone.

The Video Archive is devoted surviving video of Django Reinhardt and other masters of the Gypsy jazz genre. If you enjoy these videos consider making a donation.

To view this video you need Real Player software. Download for free here: Real Player

Bireli Lagrene is one of the most accomplished jazz guitarists active today. His career, which started around the age of 10, has included performances with some of the world’s top musicians. He has shared the stage with fusion guitarist Larry Coryell, fretless bass pioneer Jaco Pastorius, and accordion virtuoso Richard Galliano. Bireli is a master of numerous styles including bebop, fusion, and swing. He is also a multi instrumentalist with phenomenal skill on guitar (electric and acoustic), electric bass, and drums.

However, Bireli’s musical roots lie in the music of Django Reinhardt. Like most Sinti children, he was immersed in Django’s music from a very young age. While growing up in the Gypsy camps of the Alsace region of Eastern France, he developed incredible technical and improvisational skill. His talent was quickly recognized, resulting in performances across Europe as a young as age 10.

This video shows Bireli, around the age of 12, playing in the traditional Django style. Watch his right hand closely, it is THE best example of the powerful Gypsy Picking technique. During this period of Bireli’s career he often started his performances with an unaccompanied solo guitar piece. Playing unaccompanied guitar solos is a skill that all master Gypsy guitarists possess. The tradition goes back to Django who composed and recorded numerous unaccompanied works. Bireli builds on that tradition by mixing many of Django’s ideas with modern techniques. Even today Bireli uses many of the same solo guitars techniques that he did when he was 12. Harmonics, tremolos, Django-esque voice leading and harmony, and much more. These techniques are all illustrated in the book Unaccompanied Django.

For more Bireli Lagrene video see his excellent DVDs: Live in Paris, Live a Vienne, Super Guitar Trio and the documentary The Django Legacy.

Also check out Bireli Largene’s CDs: Move, Gypsy Project, Gypsy Project and Freinds, Routes to Django and Bireli Swing ’81 2 CDs, Live at Carnegie Hall – A Tribute to Django Reinhardt 2 CDs, New York Tango, Special Guests, Blue Eyes, Live in Marciac, My Favorite Django, Gipsy Feeling, Zum Trotz, Jimmy, Biréli & Angelo, Broadway Blues and Teresa 2 CDs, Live in Italy and Honestly 2 CDs.

The video archive is dedicated to Mary Honcoop. She generously shared her large collection of Gypsy videos with nearly anyone who asked. The video archive aims to continue her generosity now that she is gone.

The Video Archive is devoted surviving video of Django Reinhardt and other masters of the Gypsy jazz genre. If you enjoy these videos consider making a donation.

To view this video you need Real Player software. Download for free here: Real Player

Bireli Lagrene is one of the most accomplished jazz guitarists active today. His career, which started around the age of 10, has included performances with some of the world’s top musicians. He has shared the stage with fusion guitarist Larry Coryell, fretless bass pioneer Jaco Pastorius, and accordion virtuoso Richard Galliano. Bireli is a master of numerous styles including bebop, fusion, and swing. He is also a multi instrumentalist with phenomenal skill on guitar (electric and acoustic), electric bass, and drums.

However, Bireli’s musical roots lie in the music of Django Reinhardt. Like most Sinti children, he was immersed in Django’s music from a very young age. While growing up in the Gypsy camps of the Alsace region of Eastern France, he developed incredible technical and improvisational skill. His talent was quickly recognized, resulting in performances across Europe as a young as age 10.

This video shows Bireli playing in the traditional Django style. Watch his right hand closely, it is THE best example of the powerful Gypsy Picking technique. Bireli’s solo meets the high standard you’d expect from a master. This video also gives us a good look at his virtuosic comping beyond violinist Florin Niculescu’s solo. Bireli uses a mix of chord punches, rhythmic syncopations, counter melodies, and tremolos to create excitement behind the soloist.

For more Bireli Lagrene video see his excellent DVDs: Live in Paris, Live a Vienne, Super Guitar Trio and the documentary The Django Legacy.

Also check out Bireli Largene’s CDs: Move, Gypsy Project, Gypsy Project and Freinds, Routes to Django and Bireli Swing ’81 2 CDs, Live at Carnegie Hall – A Tribute to Django Reinhardt 2 CDs, New York Tango, Special Guests, Blue Eyes, Live in Marciac, My Favorite Django, Gipsy Feeling, Zum Trotz, Jimmy, Biréli & Angelo, Broadway Blues and Teresa 2 CDs, Live in Italy and Honestly 2 CDs.

From the collection of Ted Gottsegen

The video archive is dedicated to Mary Honcoop. She generously shared her large collection of Gypsy videos with nearly anyone who asked. The video archive aims to continue her generosity now that she is gone.

The Video Archive is devoted surviving video of Django Reinhardt and other masters of the Gypsy jazz genre. If you enjoy these videos consider making a donation.

To view this video you need Real Player software. Download for free here: Real Player

Ninine and Mondine have been playing at Le Chope in Paris for over three decades. Le Chope is located in the flea market area of Paris. Django spent much of his youth in this area and it has always been a center for Gypsy musicians. Over the years Le Chope has evovled into a shrine for Django. Notice the many photos of Django and other famous Gypsies hanging on the walls.

Most Parisian Gypsy players after Django (1910-1953) rarely copied Django’s music verbatim. Instead, they used Django’s style as a starting point for interpretations of bebop, Latin, and traditional folk styles. Mondine and Ninine are a perfect example of this eclectic Parisian tradition. For example, Ninine performs mostly on an archtop electric, but still uses the traditional Gypsy Picking technique. Also notice that his improvisational vocabulary is an interesting mix of Django and George Benson.

For more Ninine Garcia see his CD: My Dream of Love

From the collection of Ted Gottsegen

The video archive is dedicated to Mary Honcoop. She generously shared her large collection of Gypsy videos with nearly anyone who asked. The video archive aims to continue her generosity now that she is gone.

The Video Archive is devoted surviving video of Django Reinhardt and other masters of the Gypsy jazz genre. If you enjoy these videos consider making a donation.

To view this video you need Real Player software. Download for free here: Real Player

Stochelo is only a teenager in this jam which takes place in a parking lot Gypsy camp. He is joined by the great Fapy Lafertin and what appears to be Wasso Grunholz on bass. Stochelo went on to become one of the greatest Gypsy jazz guitarists today.

For more Stochelo Rosenberg see his CDs: Gypsy Guitar Masters, Readyn able, Noches Calientes, Live in Samois, Seresta, Live at the North Sea Festival, Caravan, Gypsy Swing, Suenos Gitanos, Gipsy Summer, The Collection, Double jeu, Impressions, and Elegance.

He also appears on the Live at The North Sea Jazz Festival ’94 DVD, Gypsy Guitar Masters,  Live in Samois, Tribute to Django Reinhardt DVD, Bireli Lagrene DVD and The Django Legacy VHS.

The video archive is dedicated to Mary Honcoop. She generously shared her large collection of Gypsy videos with nearly anyone who asked. The video archive aims to continue her generosity now that she is gone.