Guitarists most similar to Django?

acorte · March 28

Hey everyone I could spend the rest of my life listening to and studying Django's solos. But I'm not very familiar with other players.

By "similar to Django" I mean less "busy" types of solos, because I can't help noticing most modern players seem to do lot of constant shredding.

This kind of playing bores me after a while. One of the things I love so much about Django is his use of melody, space, phrasing - these things that make his moments of shredding and quick runs even that much more special.

I know nobody will ever sound like Django, but does anyone have recommendations for guitarists that have a less-busy style and approach to their solos? I do enjoy Biel Ballester's playing, if anyone is familiar with him.

Jangle_Jamie · March 29

The two who I get the most pleasure from and who consistantly create the most beautiful moments for me, are Angelo Debarre and Adrien Moignard. There are many others who can also come up with magic - you don't know when it will happen, but when it does, nothing else matters. I find listening to Louis Armstrong and Ella is also inspiring - they are masters in simple but perfect melody.

DoubleWhisky · March 29

Less busy style brainstorming: Eddie Lang, 90s Fapy Lafertin, Oscar Alemán, Tchan Tchou Vidal, Rino van Hooijdonk, Romain Vuillemin and as mentioned of course Duved Dunayevsky.

Recent "less busy" releases: https://paulpaterson.bandcamp.com/album/swing-parisien

https://charlieromanhotclub.bandcamp.com/album/la-prima-volta

adrian · March 29

I assume you're limiting the scope to gypsy jazz? If not, I'd recommend B.B. King, Chet Atkins, George Barnes and Hank Garland.

In the gypsy jazz world, check out Rocky Gresset and Boba Demeter.

Adrian

Teddy Dupont · March 29

If you are thinking of 30's style Gypsy Jazz, it is without doubt Fapy Lafertin. He is even quite close for the early New Quintet with Rostaing but for the late 40's and 50's style, you will be struggling to find anything quite like it. After Django died, many of the gypsy players who followed him tended to perform in his 1947 electric guitar style rather than the acoustic 30's mode but then during the renaissance, it all moved to being predominately flashy technical pyrotechnics; very impressive but quite wearying.

Elí Saúl · March 29

I feel you man, in recent years I’ve been slowing down the train of notes on my mind.

In the gypsy jazz scene: Duved Dunayevsky, Tcha Limberger, Steeve Laffont, Tchavolo are the ones who I think have always very determined space in their phrasing.

But if you want to have a less busy approach man you should totally try transcribing Chet Baker, his way of constructing solos is amazing, works over gypsy jazz like a charm and one can learn a lot of very subtle things!

https://www.soundslice.com/slices/kl-Vc/

i transcribed this a while ago for one of the bands I play with, this has it all! Sometimes I feel like gypsy jazz players forget that the genre is still jazz and tend to only gather influence from other gypsy jazz players.

voutoreenie · March 29

Yeah, I gotta join the pile on for Duved - not only for his phrasing but of equal importance, his tone is just sooooo close to Django's imo

djazzy · March 29

Duved.

But I'll add that Django still had two really important things in his playing that to my ears no one else even seems interested in: joy, and a genuine sense of surprise. (Tchavolo could be an exception with regard to that first quality...it just exudes out of him but still sounds nothing like Django anyway.) Django did it volcanically. And it always makes me smile. There are guitarists in this genre that I love but (for whatever reason, historical influences perhaps most important) just bring something very different in their playing. They're moodier, flashy, more 'out,' or whatever...

pdg · March 29

Remi Harris is great, too.

JSanta · March 30

Other than a few others that have been mentioned, Sebastien Felix comes to mind as someone in the traditional Django style. He's easily one of my favorite players, his newest record is fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/live/DFlgUAHQcmM?si=RC8f-_yZpblsc3Q2