Spatzo is arguably the only person in the world more obsessed with Django than I am although it would be a close run thing.
He was staying with us many years ago and at about 6am, my wife and I were somewhat surprised to be awoken with the sound of music ringing gently through the house before we realised it was of course Spatzo playing his guitar immediately he had got out of bed.
The true spirit of Django will always remain intact with people like Spatzo around.
Interesting he recommends listening to horn players to adapt the breathing into a guitarist's phrasing. This is something I learned a long time ago (and I think I have mentioned it on here more than once) which was explained very well by B.B.King in an interview in Guitar Player (I think) back in the '70s.
Also I hope folks take note of his thoughts on "don't try to copy Django, be your self" which to me is still the main goal; to be able to play what I hear in my head, not what I heard on someone else's record.
Hope some of this wisdom spreads and is not wasted and lost on an obscure web page.
Interesting he recommends listening to horn players to adapt the breathing into a guitarist's phrasing.
My old teacher would always tell me the guitar is very similar to the saxophone and would have me listen to Coltrane and Hawkins for phrasing... Not at all a daunting task 😆
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He was staying with us many years ago and at about 6am, my wife and I were somewhat surprised to be awoken with the sound of music ringing gently through the house before we realised it was of course Spatzo playing his guitar immediately he had got out of bed.
The true spirit of Django will always remain intact with people like Spatzo around.
youtube.com/user/TheTeddyDupont
cool job, Yann ! you're the first Django journalist of the web !
gatsby
Original link has rotted now but content still avail on wayback machine
https://web.archive.org/web/20081120214446/http://www.serendipity-band.com/misc/manouche/interview/spatzo-en.htm
Great read, thanks.
Interesting he recommends listening to horn players to adapt the breathing into a guitarist's phrasing. This is something I learned a long time ago (and I think I have mentioned it on here more than once) which was explained very well by B.B.King in an interview in Guitar Player (I think) back in the '70s.
Also I hope folks take note of his thoughts on "don't try to copy Django, be your self" which to me is still the main goal; to be able to play what I hear in my head, not what I heard on someone else's record.
Hope some of this wisdom spreads and is not wasted and lost on an obscure web page.
Spatzo, what a great interview... liked your thoughts about improvisation..
“Man, sometimes it takes you a long time to sound like yourself.”
Yes, Miles Davis, that is so right.
Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
Interesting he recommends listening to horn players to adapt the breathing into a guitarist's phrasing.
My old teacher would always tell me the guitar is very similar to the saxophone and would have me listen to Coltrane and Hawkins for phrasing... Not at all a daunting task 😆
I read somewhere that Charlie Christian's phrasing could have something to do with that fact that he had played the trumpet.