[blog] Django Reinhardt in the press (of his time)

Matteo

Wow, thanks a lot gatsby for your work! Very exciting to read.

gatsby

Thank you! It's very exciting to find all these articles and follow Django around!

You can now read about Duke and Django's performance in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Nov. 19, 1946!

https://djangoreinhardtdanslapresse.wordpress.com/2016/07/13/the-cedar-rapids-gazette-20-nov-1946/

Newspaper ads for that show > https://djangoreinhardtdanslapresse.wordpress.com/2016/07/13/the-cedar-rapids-gazette-3-annonces-pour-le-concert-du-19-nov-1946/

Now here's Django's frantic arrival to NYC... Who wouldn't be hectic after spending four hours stuck on a plane...? Poor customs agent... ;-)

https://djangoreinhardtdanslapresse.wordpress.com/2016/07/14/syracuse-post-standard-4-nov-1946/

gatsby

Baltimore Sun, June 1945
Django played for American soldiers at the casino in Nice. He laughed at the fact that during the Occupation, he fooled the Germans by playing The Lambeth Walk in a minor key so that they wouldn't recognize that tune, which he wasn't allowed to play! Very interesting article, which is a good complement to the second link.

https://djangoreinhardtdanslapresse.wordpress.com/2016/07/15/the-baltimore-sun-20-juin-1945/

https://djangoreinhardtdanslapresse.wordpress.com/2016/07/14/the-washington-post-3-oct-1944/

crookedpinky

These are brilliant pieces to read, many thanks to all for posting them.

Jeff Moore

The upshot of what you've done (besides providing lots of historical umph) is a snapshot of how writers in the past often missed the boat, and it's only in retrospect that we better judge the value and impact of new sounds.
Thanks so much. Your work tells us a lot about ourselves as a culture.
Like so many others I'd put Django's impact up with other heavy hitting composers, but I wonder if we recognize brilliance any better now than then?
A Django (or a Bach) doesn't happen that often, so it's always hard to shift gears (and ears) to pay special attention unless your very perceptive.

gatsby

Dear everyone,

It is my great pleasure to share with you all this very interesting find. It's the review of the Des Moines concert with Duke (Nov. 14, 1946), published in the Des Moines Recorder, the day after the concert. The article was written by Florence Swihart, and it features a new picture of Django in the act of picking the (fresh) tie he's going to wear at the concert that night! But what's most interesting are all the little details and anecdotes this article contains. In that regard, it is very similar to the article from the Indianapolis Recorder I posted a few days ago: both are articles written by women and were published in Midwestern newspapers. In each of them, it appears that the journalist made a point of actually meeting with Django. In this one, we thus hear Django speak English --it's not as bad as it has sometimes been said to be. Beyond a few clichés taken from other articles, this article dwells on details: Django is late because he was visiting Des Moines; he tells Swihart he has to shave and get dressed; I assume that's about when the picture was taken. Observe his gaze, his smile: he's a seducer! And a dandy! Look at all the ties (whose are they?). I'll let you explore the rest of the article. But I can't help being astonished and amazed by the fact that a provincial newpaper like the Des Moines Recorder wrote so much and so well about Django (+ the huge picture) when in NYC or Chicago journalists barely wrote more than a column or a paragraph. Django in this article appears more alive than ever. Please enjoy this exciting piece of writing and this new picture! There is more to come!

https://djangoreinhardtdanslapresse.wordpress.com/2016/07/26/the-des-moines-register-15-nov-1946/

Best,
gatsby

crookedpinky

Interesting that Naguine is described as Djangos "250 pound Gypsy wife" and also that Django is descended from only 4 generations of gypsies. That aside it's a great article and, as the poster says, quite amazing that s provincial paper should publish such an article.

Teddy Dupont

Great new photo. We just need the original now without the printing showing through. :-)

Daveyc

@ crooked pinky , I found that amazing myself, like that needed to be noted ,bet it was much less common in that day vs today hence the noting of it

gatsby

How do you guys interpret/understand those "one-night stands" Duke is talking about? Is it a sexual reference or is he talking about the one-night gigs they've been doing?

https://djangoreinhardtdanslapresse.wordpress.com/2016/07/26/the-des-moines-register-15-nov-1946/