How did you guys discover GJ?

scot · September 13

In 1976 when I was living in Hawaii, I read a book called “From Here to Eternity” that kind of reflected my circumstances at the time – it was about Army soldiers at Schofield Barracks in the months leading up to Pearl Harbor. I was at MCB Kaneohe and not Schofield but barracks life is always the same everywhere. Part of the book was about soldiers playing guitars in the barracks at night, something that was quite common even in my time – many blue-collar men could play a little and there were always guitars around the barracks. I played guitars every night with some other marines. Anyway, in the book there's a scene where one of the guitar-playing soldiers is telling the other men about some records he'd heard (while he was on leave in San Francisco) by a mythical gypsy named Django Reinhardt. The description of his playing was so accurate that several years later I heard some enchanting music playing in a record store in Miami and said to myself, “That's absolutely got to be that gypsy in “From Here to Eternity”! And it was. So I bought the record and enjoyed listening to it though my bandmates then didn't get it at all. In those days (late 70s) and in the small world of traditional music, David Grisman was making a huge stir with his new “dawg music”, cool and jazzy music played by a bluegrass ensemble. He did a tour with Grapelly and I saw them at the Coconut Grove art festival around 1980. Something I remember from that concert – besides the incredible musicianship of everyone in that band! - was the empty chair that he always had on stage for his old friend. I continued to listen to Django but never imagined that anyone alive could actually play like that. Fast forward to 1993, the opportunity came to buy a Favino guitar at a very good price, and at a time when I was bored with what I'd been doing musically and had some money. While I hesitated at first (what would I do with it?), the guy with the guitar to sell also loaned me the “Django Legacy” VHS, and the deal was sealed – seeing modern guitarists playing in that charming film was also what drew me in. So I bought that guitar, the tape and Ian Cruickshank's little book and I was off... I never had the ability to pick melody with a flatpick and I knew this, so I always aimed to be the best rhythm player I could be.

I did find others to play with, and like Ben said, we were early adopters there in Greensboro. Our playing was rough and unsophisticated but we really had a great time! And it led me on to further adventures in music.

“From Here to Eternity” was made into an Oscar winning movie and it had Merle Travis in it playing the “Re-enlistment Blues” in the barracks which helped him in his career too. The author, James Jones, was somewhat obsessed with Django and had intended to write a book about him after the war but became discouraged when he couldn't find out anything that he could use. Everyone in Paris told the story differently every time. Imagine that! A friend of mine looked through his papers at Yale U. but sadly there wasn't really anything new.

Great stories, everyone and thanks for posting!

voutoreenie · September 13

Sorry for another side note...but I love seeing how many people bought that Verve Jazz Masters number 38 disc; indeed, I did too back in 2003 when I was working at Best Buy as a retail lackey and found it while stocking CDs in the jazz section - before that, my only non-78 Django was the double disc "Djangology" CD release that I believe was an import (and started off with Minor Swing, Daphne second). 38 was such a great counterbalance because it contained some tracks that seemed so much more unique, like the tune where Django plays violin and the later "electric" version of Night & Day. Plus, it also had HCQ Strut, which is to this day probably a top 5 solo from Django for me and also still one of my favorite swing songs to play.

The first time I realized the style was still alive was a few months later when I got the sheet music gig; was stocking new releases from Mel Bay publishing and we had received the (now infamous) Frank Vignola Gypsy Jazz Jam DVD with Jimmy Rosenberg - that shit just blew my mind away and by then I was playing Freddie Green style pretty well so my early 20s ego just couldn't comprehend someone was playing like Django. And I feel like it was not too long after I saw Adrian's very famous split screen vid on youtube of the Super Mario 2 theme, which I must have watched like 5x a day for a month straight lol

Anyway, apologies for the rant...love all the memories this thread is conjuring up tho :)

MichaelHorowitz · September 14

For more discovery stories see these older threads:

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/6473/first-time-you-discovered-this-music

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/17064/the-first-time-you-heard-about-django-reinhardt-first-time-you-heard-his-music

Gondebaud · September 14

Me, essentially from Slipknot and Slayer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVCaNEZgofI&list=RDVVCaNEZgofI&start_radio=1&ab_channel=LC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WxWt_mdB2U&ab_channel=GUITARESECHE%2CLEMAG

billyshakes · September 14

Thanks @MichaelHorowitz for searching for those old posts. I knew I had written out mine but was away from my computer this weekend to where it is difficult to search for old posts on just a phone. My story is there in that old "rimm" post on the first time you discovered this music, but I'll copy/paste below.

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I was living on Whidbey Island in the early 2000s. A guy named Dave ran a music store there and he was playing Pearl Django's "Avalon." This store mostly catered to a punk/independent crowd but it was eclectic and Dave liked Django stuff. I started tapping my foot. Probably to the song Avalon or Troublant Bolero. I asked him what it was and he showed me. Gave me 2 of Robin Nolan's books to check out/borrow (Vol 1 &2). I learned Djangology and came back the next week around closing time to return the books. He flipped the sign, pulled a couple guitars down from the wall, and we jammed for a few hours just because we were having fun.

Like @Phil, I went down to the Hop Vine shortly thereafter for a chance to see Pearl Django live. Got there early on a week night and sat at a bench along the wall near the front window. A nice older guy in a suit walking with a cane came over and sat down beside me after he entered. Asked if I was there to see the band. Told him it was my first time and I was very excited. He reached his hand out and introduced himself as Dudley Hill. We became friends talking over shared experiences and I appreciated the man for his kind character as much as I did for his excellent playing. Of course, the cane was because he was already fighting the cancer that ultimately took his life. Man, that guy could swing though in a true archtop, swing style. The world needs more people like Dudley in it.

GregO · September 18

When Covid eliminated live music, it also put an end to two of my working bands. I was just picking different songs I'd never played to stay loose. My wife and I happened to watch "Midnight In Paris". I told her I loved the theme song and was going to learn it. That was five years ago and never looked back. I'm now backing a soloist, and putting together my own trio. Once you're hooked - you're hooked!

jonpowl · September 18

Monterey, CA has an annual Dixie Land Jazz. fest) https://jazzbashmonterey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2025-Jazz-Bash-Brochure_digital.pdf) and I noticed in the flyer that the Gonzalo Bergara group was playing several sets. This was a fairly original version of Gonzalo's group with Leah, Jeff, & Brian Netzley. I went shopping for a Selmer style guitar soon after. Paul Mehling and the Hot Club SF play there frequently, including this year.