Django Reinhardt in US

PapsPier

Hi
I wonder if the same kind of information as the Django in Italy exists for his quite disappointing trip to US. Especially in New York, do we know the musicians he met, the clubs where he played or where he went to heard music? I remember from biographies that he spent a lot of time in his hotel room (which hotel was it?) painting with models (where did he meet the models? He was not a well known painter, doesnt speak english and was not very talkative).
If anybody remembers something about this trip (except the letter from Django to Stephane which is well known), I would be happy to know more about that.

Thanks

PapsPier

I answered to myself. There is quite a lot of information and testimony from various sources in Django mon frere, by Charles Delaunay for those interested in this subject

spatzo

I think his tour with Ellington was trully a success, maybe Django was only disappointed by the way the shows were organized: all days the four same tunes again and again and only in small combo (guitar, piano, double bass, drums) with rare contributions here and there from the orchestra... The fact is that Ellington was very busy in those days and had made no arrangements to integrate Django in the orchestra so I do understand him.

On Django in the USA we have already discussed the matter on another post but it is a very interesting matter!

The hotel was the Henri Hudson Hotel

Best

Buco

Disappointing according to whom?
Django was disappointed because he realized he's not a mega star in the US. And some critics were disappointed, who knows why, they're critics and sometimes they think it's their job to point out all of the negatives without highlighting any of the positives.

There's the story by Les Paul on meeting Django for the first time, I once saw a video of him recalling this episode but couldn't find it now:
Les Paul recalled the thrill of meeting Django during that tour. “I was performing at New York City’s Paramount theater. One day, the doorman yelled up six floors to my dressing room, ‘There’s a fellow down here wants to see you, says his name is Django Reinhardt.’ I laughed at the joke and called back, ‘Yeah, sure. Send him up with a case of beer and Jesus Christ, and I’ll give them both an autographed picture.’ So in he walks. Johnny Smith was with him, leading him around New York.

bopster

By the way..... Did you know that Django's 1950 Selmer, given to Les Paul by Babik, is on display at the Mahwah Museum in MahWah NJ?

PapsPier

No I didn't know thank you.

Rob MacKillop

Looks like it has big cracks in it. The ends of the bridge are off-centre to the bridge - was that deliberate by Selmer?

Svanis1337

Looking at that photo, the text on the plaque reads:

Django Reinhardt's 1950 Selmer Orchestra Model

Django Reinhardt was a legendary guitar player in Europe whom Les and many others admired. When Les and Mary played in London in 1952 they went to Paris to visit Django, which Les wrote about in his autobiography.

Django's son gave this guitar to Les. The son, Babik Reinhardt did this because Les had been very helpful to Django's family when he died in 1953. Les treasured this guitar and kept it in his collection over the years.

Color: Natural

Year: 1950

Serial Number: 813

Brand: Selmer

Buco

RobMacKillop wrote: »

Looks like it has big cracks in it. The ends of the bridge are off-centre to the bridge - was that deliberate by Selmer?

the mustache bridge ends are just for decoration. Sometimes you move the bridge to get the guitar to intonate better.

Rob MacKillop

Ah, of course. That makes sense.

AndrewUlle

Looks like it had a neck pickup and some volume/tone controls at one time, then the holes were filled. At least that's what it appears to me from that picture.