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My timeline for encounters with this music...
1971-72-ish... saw Diz Disley perform in local folk clubs/festivals - a lot of comedy/throwaways but some GJ content (my reaction... what the $$$ is going on here) ... For those who may not know, Diz was originally a jazz banjoist and later guitarist in the UK starting in the late 40s, became a Django enthusiast after the latter's death, ran his own QHCF-style combo in the late 50s, then moved over to Folk clubs in the mid 60s to catch that particular wave, doing novelty numbers with a little swing thrown in... famous for arriving without his Maccaferri guitar then borrowing something from a hapless audience member to play the entire gig! - later of course, single handedly reviving the GJ credentials of Stephane Grappelli, who had spent the last decade or 2 playing lounge music for bored Parisian diners. Diz also travelled in a repurposed Rolls Royce (when not catching the train) but was permanently broke!
1973: stayed for 2 weeks at a place with the Ace of Clubs "Parisian Swing" QHCF compilation album - listened with curiosity
1974: purchased the 2-LP live set "I Got Rhythm: Stephane Grappelli with the Hot Club of London" (feat. Diz Disley and Denny Wright on guitars) - why? I have no recollection at all! Enjoyed it for the musical feel, no idea what was going on guitar wise!
1975 - purchased the Decca Eclipse QHCF compilation album (recommendation from a record store) - reaction the same, but very pleasant sounds...
1975 onwards - catch Grappelli on TV with others (Disley, Ike Isaacs), live on tour with Martin Taylor (?), also Häns'che Weiss quintet appear at 1975 Cambridge Folk Festival (amazing but still mysterious) - my audience audio tape uploaded here, 46 years later: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI0TjipJs08
late 70s: read Ian Cruickshank's monthly column "Play Django style" in UK Guitar magazine, style still a mystery (never took the trouble to work out what he was showing...) - also read a fascinating account by Ian of his trip to Samois in 1978, showing that the music was not dead in its natural habitat (festival featured, Joseph Reinhardt, Matelo Ferret, Boulou and Elios Ferre the sons of Matelo, Lousson Reinhardt, Raphael Fays..._
1980: move to London, catch a few GJ gigs of French players in the flesh (Raphael Fays, Waso with Fapy, later a young Bireli); correspond with Ian Cruickshank about artists to look out for; buy more albums in London jazz shops (older Ferres, Schnuckenack, etc.) - still no idea what is going on musically, although note (and emulate) a few swingy chords creeping in to "revival" groups like Dan Hicks in U.S., Telephone Bill and the Smooth Operators in U.K. (start to get hooked on swingy rhythms and more jazz based chords) - incorporate some of the latter into my more regular "folk" style
1986: move to Australia, catch a few Australian players in the style (Ian Date), start to play the style a little (badly) i.e. jazz standards not just folk/contemporary material, meet a few local players on same wavelength, form a little combo to develop chops (mainly rhythm but a little lead, the latter never good!!). Catch Grappelli live in Australia on one of his final concert tours (with Marc Fosset)
1993 or so: add a japanese Selmer style "entry level" instrument to the collection (otherwise standard steel strings and the occasional jazz hollowbody)
Since then: listen widely (develop GJ element of record and CD collection), enjoy everything I can get my hands on, play occasionally for own pleasure, do not get any better but at least realise my limitations! Go to odd Australian GJ gig but have not made the Australian Djangofest ("OzManouche") as yet, maybe one day!
A couple more live recordings:
In 2002 I discovered that I would be in London around the same time as the official launch of Paul Balmer's masterful DVD tribute "Stephane Grappelli: A Life In The Jazz Century" and wangled myself an invite, getting to see the launch as well as on-stage jams by among others Martin Taylor, Jack Emblow, John Etheridge and the fabulous Coleridge Goode, aged nearly 90, who played with Django as a young man in 1946... some photos here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Martin_Taylor_and_Coleridge_Goode_at_launch_of_the_Stephane_Grappelli_DVD,_London,_2002.jpg
(I may have some others, I should take a look!). I took a detour on the return leg to catch a private party featuring the Rosenberg Trio, visit arranged for me by the late Mary Honcoop to whom I shall be forever grateful! Took a few shots at the gig, one is here... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosenberg_Trio,_Netherlands_2002-2.jpg , others maybe should be made public as well (and denoised a little!) - fast film (high ISO) and no flash, the only way pre-digital!!
My wikipedia tributes to UK "keepers of the flame" Diz Disley and Ian Cruickshank here:
I did write some of this for a previous thread, but this is a slightly improved version after a little more reflection and with some additional info.
Regards - Tony Rees, Australia