FORUM HALL OF FAME

[Jazz Legends]

Nominate Greats to the JazzLegends.com Forum Hall of Fame

[ZUFFEE]

HELLO TO ALL ON THE FORUM; WELL I DID SAY I WAS GOING TO DO A PIECE ON THIS CHAP. I WOULD CONSIDER HIM A LEGEND, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU THE INFO AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK! DJANGO REINHARDT:(1910-1953)DJANGO WAS BORN INTO THE OPEN AIR, RAMBLING LIFESTYLE OF HIS GYPSEY PARENT'S. THOSE FRENCH GYPSEY'S OR MANOUCHES WERE A WOURLD UNTO THEMSELVES. THOUGH BORN IN POVERTY, DJANGO HAD THE SOUL OF A NOBELMAN AND THIS NATURAL ELEGANCE OF HEARING AND ATTITUDE EXPRESSED ITSELF IN HIS MUSIC.WHEN 12 YEAR'S OLD, HE RECIEVED HIS FIRST INSTRUMENT,A BANJO/GUITAR. HE QUICKLEY LEARNED TO PLAY, MIMICKING THE FINGERING'S OF MUSICIAN'S HE WATCHED.HE PLAYED WITH NUMEROUS BAND'S AND MUSICIAN'S AND MADE HIS FIRST RECORDINGS WITH ACCORDIONIST JEAN VAISSADE. ON NOV. 2ND, 1928 AN EVENT TOOK PLACE THAT WOULD FOREVER CHANGE HIS LIFE. HE RETURNED HOME AT 1 A.M. TO THE CARAVAN THAT WAS THE HOME OF HE AND HIS NEW WIFE.HE THOUGHT HE HEARD A MOUSE AND BENT DOWN WITH A CANDLE ,THE WICK CAUGHT A BUNCH OF CELLULOID FLOWER'S ON FIRE. DJANGO WRAPPED HIMSELF IN A BLANKET AND HE AND HIS WIFE MANAGED TO MAKE IT ACROSS THE BLAZING ROOM, TO SAFETY OUTSIDE, BUT HIS LEFT HAND AND RIGHT SIDE FROM KNEE TO WAIST WERE BADLY BURNED.INITIALLY DOCTOR'S WANTED TO AMPUTATE HIS LEG, BUT HE REFUSED. HE WAS MOVED TO A NURSING HOME, WAS BEDRIDDEN FOR 18 MONTH'S, SO HIS LEG HEALED. DURING THE TIME, HE WAS GIVEN A GUITAR AND WITH GREAT DETERMINATION, DJANGO CREATED A WHOLE NEW FINGERING SYSTEM BUILT AROUND THE 2 FINGER'S ON HIS LEFT HAND THAT HAD FULL MOBILITY. THE FORTH AND FIFTH TENDON'S WERE PERMANTLY CURVED TOWARD'S THE PALM DUE TO TENDON'S SHRINKING FROM THE HEAT OF THE FIRE.(PLEASE CHECK OUT RED HOT JAZZ, WHERE THESE EXCERPT'S ARE FROM, TO SEE FILM CLIP'S OF DJANGO PLAYING, OR YOU TUBE) DJANGO WAS INFLUENCED BY RECORDING'S OF EDDIE LANG, JOE VENUTI, LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND DUKE ELLINGTON.DJANGO RARELY IF EVER PLAYED A SOLO THE SAME WAY TWICE( GEE SOUND'S LIKE A FAMILIAR QUOTE)HIS CREATIVE GENIUS WAS NOT ONLY THAT OF THE MASTER IMPROVISOR, BUT ALSO THAT OF THE COMPOSER.SO NOT TO DROAN ON I WILL FINISH BY BRIEFLY ADDING THAT ONE OF THE GREATEST THING'S THAT HE STARTED ALONG WITH JAZZ VIOLINIST EXTRODAINAIRE STEPHANE GRAPPELLI, WAS THE QUINTET OF THE HOT CLUB OF FRANCE(1934)SADLY THIS WONDERFULLY INOVATIVE MAN DIED IN 1953, WHEN HE SUFFERED A MASSIVE BRAIN HEMMORHAGE.HE IS STILL REFFERED TO AS THE BELGIAN GYPSEY. THANK'S FOR READING AND AGAIN THE WHOLE STORY IS ON RED HOT JAZZ. PLEASE DO CHECK OUT THAT SITE, THOUGH MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW IT WELL. TAKE CARE AND ALL COMMENT'S WELCOME; ZUFFEE

[Terry Little]

G'day Zuffee and All.

After reading your very informative piece on Django Reinhardt, I spent just about all of an extremely cold, windy afternoon searching the net, and of course Youtube, for video examples of this legendary musician. We had discussed him before privately and at that time I was not able to find anything but brief glimpses of him playing.
However this time I was lucky with a 3.52 minute vid of "the Hot Club of France" performing "J'Attendrai", that extensively features Stephan Grappelli and Django. It graphically shows the two finger style referred to in the above.
Also on Youtube there is a piece called HCQ Strut which is still photos shown against a tune that was featured a little while back in Oz in a TV ad for a butcher's shop. It is superb.
In another vid titled "In Den Haag" there is film of the drummer playing a sock cymbal, something that we discussed some time ago on the Forum.

Django Reinhardt was really something and is referred to by Bucky Pizzarelli in the Les Paul Documentary,"Chasing Sound", as being a major influence on just about every guitarist that followed him. He is certainly worthy of inclusion in our Hall of Fame.

Kindest regards

Terry

[ZUFFEE]

G'DAY TERRY AND HELLO TO ALL ON THE FORUM; THANKS FOR YOU'RE GREAT REPLY. I AM ALSO A LES PAUL FAN, BUT HAVE TO SAY, I THINK THE WORLD OF BUCKY PIZZARELLI'S PLAYING.IF ANY OF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE OR MAYBE YOU HAVE SEEN IT, ABOUT 10 YEAR'S AGO, WOODY ALLEN DID A SUPPOSED DOCUMENTORY ON THE LIFE OF A FICTIONAL CHARACTOR. THE FILM WAS " SWEET AND LOWDOWN" NOW NOT A GREAT FILM MIND YOU, BUT SEAN PENN PLAYING THIS LEAD "EMMETT RAY", SUPPOSED TO BE A GREAT JAZZ GUITAREST IN THE 1930'S, DOES A FINE JOB. INTERESTINGLY, THE PEOPLE THEY INTERVIEW AND THOSE THEY SPEAK OF ARE REAL(INCLUDING DJANGO REINHARDT AND OF COURSE EDDIE CONDON) EMMETT RAY IS A REAL LOSER, BUT THE SOUND TRACK IS GREAT, BECAUSE OF THE THE MUSICIAN'S THEY USED TO RECORD IT AND OF COURSE, BUCKY CONTRIBUTED A GREAT DEAL TO THAT. IF YOU GET A CHANCE, RENT THE MOVIE. IT'S SILLY, BUT FUN TO WATCH.THANK'S FOR READING ; ZUFFEE

[Terry Little]

G'day Zuffee and All.

Not able to find that movie, "Sweet and Lowdown" just yet but will keep looking. As well as that one with Woody Allen and Sean Penn, a movie by the same name featuring Benny Goodman is also on my search list.

You have however whetted my appetite in relation to Bucky Pizzarelli and his seven string guitar, and whilst relatively unknown to me prior to your mentioning, I have learned that he is certainly a real giant in the world of jazz guitarists.
Having had a couple of listens to him, and son John, I would say I can definately hear Django Reinhardt and also some Les Paul in his playing, two of several musicians whom he credits as his influences.
There is a nice Satin Doll on Youtube which has he and his son really enjoying themselves. It is hard to beleive that he is 82 years old, but then is only a youngster when comparing to Les Paul who I believe is 92 and still swinging.

Thank you for bringing him to our notice.

Kindest regards

Terry