Django Reinhardt, ils nous parlent de la légende

Joli Gadjo

See below link to an interesting article from l"Express journal about Django Reinhardt as seen by other actors and musicians.
I understand Google Chrome web browser has a built-in translator if you need it.

http://www.lexpress.fr/culture/musique/django-reinhardt-ils-nous-parlent-de-la-legende_1169683.html

Teddy Dupont

Bireli Lagrene talking about Django:-

"Django, he invented a sound, a musical style. I cannot stand that his music is reduced to "gypsy jazz." Django does not play traditional tunes! He listened to Brahms, Debussy, Ravel and jazz. Moreover, when Django arrived in Paris in the 1930s, the old gypsies did not like him: they found his music too modern".

(That's my translation so it may not be perfect but I'm sure the essence of it is correct).

Django was much more than gypsy jazz as it is currently perceived. The present day obsession with the gypsy connection is grossly overstated and misplaced.

roch@rochlockyer.com

Thanks for this quote!!!!!!!!!
I am new to this "gypsy jazz" style per say but have studied the aforementioned masters and this has been my argument/dialogue when discussing my admittedly limited historical knowledge of Django (though I just finished Dregni's great read) What attracted me to Djangos beauty has been first and foremost the depth of his musicality...the more I listen the more clearly it reveals itself...and In my own human experience the only way to go from ignorance to knowing is through ones own internal process with any given external topic. I don't think any amount of debate helps reveal the mystery of the expression of any great artists voice...this only serves to polarize and create "genres". Beyond genres is the body of work that a force such as Django left as an accidental document of his life's expression and utterly singular voice...accidental as it is just a byproduct of existing...producing so one could maintain existence from the basics of eating, to the extravagance of throwing a wad of cash down for the nicest car in the showroom.....But there is no artist who discovers their voice in a vacuum. When I first listened to Coltranes Love Supreme I was also way into Stravinsky's Firebird Suite at the time and had the thought that the two were somehow very linked...soon after (this is maybe 10 years ago) I read in a article that there was a period that when Trane and Doplhy were hanging out they would spend their days before gigs at the library pouring over the scores of Stravinsky, Ravel, Debussy and the like...It's all linked....
So while stating my limited capacity as a human to ever see the whole picture, I am certain that playing the same canned licks over tunes that are beat to death and played in the same keys over and over would be the opposite of striving to emulate a tidal wave of musical force such as Django.
Just my 2cents..
THanks again for the great Quote Teddy

Lango-Django

Just read the Bireli article (grace a Joli Gadjo, merci!) and was glad to see his praise of, as well as the link showcasing Django and Stephane's "Echoes of France" aka "La Marseillaise".

This recording was a true masterpiece and never fails to bring a tear to my eye... It's hard for me to pick my all-time favourite Django recording, but let's just say this one definitely belongs in the top ten...

And Birelli is quite right--- this recording well proves it: Django was an artist who far transcended narrow categories and genres.

Steveareno

[Django was much more than gypsy jazz as it is currently perceived. The present day obsession with the gypsy connection is grossly overstated and misplaced.[/quote]

Agree with Teddy on this. Prefer to call this music "acoustic swing", "Django style",or just jazz guitar and the guitars as SelMac style, instead of GJ guitars (sometimes I slip up). I don't refer to blues as "Afro-American blues", or country as "white American country". Don't really dig ethnic and racial stereotypes, but i guess we gotta pigeonhole and categorize. Mi dos centavos.
Swang on,