A new Django story (for me)

bopster

This is a transcript from a recent interview with Jackson Browne by Marc Maron on his “WTF” podcast. My mouth dropped during this part of the interview:

WTF with Jackson Browne

“Our parents were living in Germany when they had us three kids …. My father worked for the army newspaper …. It was after the war, and they were actually having a really grand time. We lived in a house that was sort of billeted by the army, in this place shared with several other families, with this massive staircase - I think it is been the mansion of some industrialist - and the house was requisitioned or given to these three different families to live in, and they called it “Chateau Mol” - I don’t know where the name came from - but I’ve got a souvenir from a party where my father is playing piano with Django Reinhardt. Django is playing guitar and my father is playing piano Behind him, and I think he told my mother “get the camera” , because he could find Django Reinhardt, which was not always that easy, and hire him to play these parties.”

Teddy Dupont

There is a published photograph of Jack Brown, Jackson’s father, playing piano with Django for American servicemen at an impromptu concert in Pfungstadt. Perhaps the same one?

bopster

Teddy - It may be. Can you direct me to the photo?

Teddy Dupont

I’ve checked and it appears in a 1947 issue of “The Stars & Stripes” and Django is playing to the Stars &Stripes staff at Chateau Meaux so I think it is the photo Jackson was referring to.

bopster

Teddy Dupont

On the same occasion, Django apparently jammed all night with an American group called The Nether Hess Dixieland Five (Twelve O’clock Terrors). Django was known for refusing to take a paid gig because he “didn’t feel like it” and then jamming somewhere for free all night.

billyshakes

I like how even in 1947, they were using the term "djammin'"

Buco

And we learned how Odom nearly escaped a grim fate but set a record instead.

bopster

@Buco - sounds like the drop in altitude did the trick. Unless his radio clicked on with “Rhythm Futur” and Django saved the day. Then he really Odom.

Buco

Could've turned into Odom Leaves.

Lango-Django

Odum jokes are dum...