Django In June 2014 was awesome

adrian

Nobody's brought this up here yet, so I figured I'd start a post-DIJ thread...

It was great! Andrew Lawrence pulled it off beautifully yet again. There were around 215 attendees, plus around 20 faculty, so it was the biggest one yet, but it still had its intimacy (Andrew maintained a 10:1 student-teacher ratio). Lots of late-night jamming, of course, and the weekend concerts were awesome. Les Doigts were particularly killer on Saturday night.

It took me a few nights of 10+ hour sleep sessions to make up for the sleep deprivation, but now I'm back to normal, inspired to keep practicing. Looking forward to next year.

Jim Kaznosky

I'm still processing it all. William Brunard was the big surprise to me and I got the most out of his classes. I haven't been to every one, but his attention to detail was excellent, with regards to positioning. Feet flat, drop your jaw.

It's always good, but I felt like I did less standing around and watching and more jumping in and playing this year. Maybe next year I'll actually be good. The level of the younger players there has crept up pretty dramatically.

Andrew is a great man for putting this together.

anthon_74

The only reason I was maybe going to wait to start a post DIJ thread was due to so many people being at Samois, but it was killing me to do so !
Yes what a great F$%in' year at northampton. I had so much fun jamming late into the night that I caught a bad cold the last day and have been bed ridden since !
Les Doigts was amazing. Probably the best pure performance I've seen at DJango in June. They really created a feel of being transported to another time and place.

On the subject of being transported through time and space, saturday night I had a moment just like that while Jamming on the porch of Albright. This young lady was singing ,and we decided to play J'attandrai. Her lovely voice singing those french lyrics transported me thousands of miles away like Magic.
Anyway, incredible year, and thanks to Andrew for making it happen!

Cheers

Anthony

Michael Bauer

Awesome pretty much sums it up! Les Doigts gave the best performance at Django in June since…well...Le Doigts in 2011, and to be honest, I thought they even outdid that great show this year. The pressure of replacing Benoit on short notice…who could have learned that stuff in four days except Sebastien Giniaux? And not just learn it, but add to it! Samson and Tim were amazing ("You got balls, man."), and Christphe Lartilleux has always been one of my favorite players. Every year Andrew brings in someone I have never heard of that makes my jaw hit the floor, and William Brunard and Deborah Lartilleux made this year a "twofer". One night, almost nothing got played in the Hot Club for about two hours except Chick Corea songs, which the Lartilleux family rode like rented mules, and left pretty much everyone in the room agape with awe.

The jamming, at least in my room, reached unheard of levels, with nearly all of the Big Guns appearing, Samson and Christophe almost every night. The jamming everywhere else reached unheard of levels as well. You just couldn't escape great playing unless you caught me alone somewhere with a guitar in my hand.

Sleep was compensated for with alcohol, and I quipped on the final night that this was how Keith Richards must feel every day. Luckily for me, as I prepared to drive off Sunday morning on no sleep, Olivier got parental with me and forced me to go to bed for a couple of hours. I don't think I'd have made it home without that…and energy drinks. So thanks, my friend.

Thanks to everyone who played in the swamp-like guitar show. Not one player lasted through the whole thing, but lucky for me, there was always someone there willing to step in. So thanks Denis, Christine (two stints and big applause), Olivier, Jimmy, Doudou, Christophe, Samson, Thomas, and the several others who I am undoubtedly forgetting, for your time and great playing. And thanks to Patrus for providing what everyone was really there for: the wine. And thanks to the many players who offered up their great guitars to supplement my paltry collection.

Most of all thanks to Andrew for putting together the best music event in North America. How he does it with so little help is beyond me. And thanks to Michael Horowitz and Craig Sharmat for making it possible for four of my guitars to find new homes just in time for me to make it this year, after it looked for so long like it wasn't going to happen.

I think I only miss one thing about the "old days" at Django in June, when attendance was smaller. Back then you really got to know everyone, and there was lots of time to spend together. For better or worse, the Hot Club has grown to the point where sometimes the oldest friends can't get in the door. I really regret that, and appreciate whatever time we do get to spend together.

Andrew, you are the best! With luck and continued good health, I'll be back for my 10th Django in June in 2015! Good luck topping this year's artist and faculty list!

pmg

Regretfully I was only able to attend the weekend portion of the event. Arriving around 8 pm Thursday just as Patrus' wine tasting was winding down, everyone was in good spirits and there were multiple simultaneous jams underway throughout the main area. I immediately was invited to sit in on a jam with Sergei the Russian accordion player on the Gillett House porch whom I had played with in previous years. We took off like the whole last year had gone by in a day - and it was an amazing start to a long weekend that only got better and better. I took a break for a few minutes and dropped by Michael's room (the scotch guy) and was immediately blown away by Deborah Lartilleaux, the young daughter of Christophe, playing some hot fusion bass lines on her electric bass behind Swing 39. She was only one of many incredibly talented and gifted musicians that made the weekend a magical and surreal experience for me and many others.

I could write pages about the rest of the weekend, the awesome concerts, meeting old friends and making new acquaintances, the incredible non-stop jams, getting 1:1 tips and tricks from some of the world's best players - and of course extolling Andrew's unbelievable efforts to produce what has become for me, my personal favorite event of the year.

I encourage anyone who has interest in this type of music to make plans to attend next year's DIJ for an over-the-top immersion experience that will leave an indelible mark on your musical psyche. It is the best there is!

pickitjohn

Great to hear all the comments about Django in June

Hope to make it next year.

Did anyone do The Mando Class with Don Stiernberg?

how was that?

pick on

pickitjohn :peace:

klaatu

How does Andrew do it indeed! Every year I think it can't get any better than this, and every year it does. If he ever decides to pack it in, there will be mourning all over the world.

I was just talking to someone on the phone who thought it would be even better if it were two weeks long. Oh boy - one week of way too little sleep and way too much alcohol is one thing, but two weeks? I don't think so.

It's always a treat to spend time in Michael's room abusing his "paltry" collection of vintage instruments, or better still, listening to the pros make them sing. As usual, I did not get enough time one-on-one with my Brother from Another Mother. There's just so much going on and not enough hours in the day (or night). Oh well ...

All the musicians mentioned were awesome. It was a special treat to have Les Doigts back - they never cease to amaze with how they stretch the boundaries of gypsy jazz. It was very touching to hear them talk about the absent Benoit as their "little brother," and their pain at his fate was palpable. I know we all wish him well.

It was especially fun to see my other BFAM Olivier again. I had to explain the expression to him, but he got it right away - "Ah, it means brothers from the heart!" He is a great player, wonderful teacher, and all around fine fella.

And as PMG says, one of the delights of DiJ is reuniting with old friends and making new ones. Just as the whole DiJ community grows, each of us grows our own little personal communities. Can't wait to see you all next year!

kevingcox

D'accord.

Franz Morales

I have got to start saving up for next year... there should be an Asian edition haha

MarkA

It was a terrific week, the vocal stylings of Doudou and Denis Chang were really nice additions, I've had Me Hum Mato stuck in my head all week. Looking forward to next year, thank you Andrew!

stewroberts

This was my third DIJ and each on has been better than the previous one. I think Andrew really listens to the feedback he gets from attendees and works to make it better each year.

All the classes I attended were excellent. Adrian Holovaty and Jeff Radaich are both great teachers in addition to being great players. Yannick Alocer did one of the best rhythm classes I have ever attended and also did a great session on improvising chord solos.

The Djams were great. I think everyone at all levels found appropriate Djams and had a great time.

I am always struck by how many of the same people I see each year. I think once someone comes once it is hard not to do everything possible to make it back the next year. I know I am already looking forward to next June.

Many thanks to Andrew for doing such a fantastic job.