Django Reinhardt

Jean Baptiste "Django" Reinhardt (January 23, 1910 – May 16, 1953) was a Belgian Gypsy jazz musician. He was the very first important jazz musician who was born in Europe. His most renowned tunes include Minor Swing, Tears, Belleville and Nuages. Django is pronounced zhane-go (with a long 'a').

Biography

Born in Liberchies, Belgium, Reinhardt spent most of his youth in gypsy encampments close to Paris, France, playing banjo, guitar and violin from an early age professionally at dance halls in Paris. He started first on the violin and eventually moved on to a banjo-guitar that had been given to him, and his first known recordings (in 1928) were with him playing the banjo (a banjo guitar has six strings and is tuned like a guitar).

Related Topics:
Liberchies - Belgium - Gypsy - Paris - France - Banjo - Guitar - Violin - Banjo-guitar - 1928

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the age of 18, Reinhardt was injured in a fire that ravaged the caravan he shared with his first wife. The third and fourth digits on his left hand were burned so badly they were fused together, and although the doctors succeeded in separating the fingers, they were of diminished use to him in his future guitar playing (Acker Bilk was another musician whose dexterity seemed unimpaired by finger-damage as was Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead). Determined to keep playing, Reinhardt focused on the guitar and developed an original style of playing that emphasized his undamaged fingers.

Related Topics:
Caravan - Acker Bilk - Tony Iommi - Black Sabbath - Jerry Garcia - The Grateful Dead

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1934, he formed the "Quintette du Hot Club de France" with violinist Stéphane Grappelli, Reinhardt's brother Joseph and Roger Chaput on guitar, and Louis Vola on bass. He produced numerous recordings at this time, and played with many American musicians, like Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter and Rex Stewart.

Related Topics:
Quintette du Hot Club de France - Violin - Stéphane Grappelli - Joseph - Roger Chaput - Louis Vola - Coleman Hawkins - Benny Carter - Rex Stewart

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As World War II was declared, the quintet was on tour in the United Kingdom. Reinhardt returned to Paris at once, leaving his wife behind. Grappelli remained in the United Kingdom for the duration of the war, and Reinhardt reformed the quintet in Paris with Hubert Rostaing on clarinet in place of Grappelli's violin.

Related Topics:
World War II - Quintet - United Kingdom - Paris - Hubert Rostaing - Clarinet

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reinhardt survived World War II unscathed, unlike many other gypsies who perished in the concentration death camps of the Nazis. He had the help of a Luftwaffe official named Dietrich Schultz-Kohn, a.k.a. Doktor Jazz, who deeply admired his music. In 1943 he married Sophie Ziegler, with whom he had a son, Babik Reinhardt, who went on to become a respected guitarist in his own right.

Related Topics:
World War II - Death camp - Nazi - Luftwaffe - Dietrich Schultz-Kohn - 1943 - Babik Reinhardt

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the war, Reinhardt rejoined Grappelli in the UK, and went on to tour the United States, opening for Duke Ellington, and playing at Carnegie Hall, as well as making more recordings.

Related Topics:
United States - Duke Ellington - Carnegie Hall

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Django Reinhardt was then among the first people in France to appreciate and understand the music of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie (he sought after them when he first arrived in New York). He integrated some elements of their music, still never compromising his own musical visions.

Related Topics:
France - Charlie Parker - Dizzy Gillespie - New York

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He consequently formed a new band with saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass and drums, keeping composing outstanding tunes and remaining as the most advanced guitar player of jazz music.

Related Topics:
Saxophone - Trumpet - Piano - Bass - Drums - Jazz music

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1951, he retired to Samois sur Seine in France, near Fontainebleau, and lived there for two years until, on the morning of May 16th 1953, he came back walking from the Avon train station, after a long sleepless night and collapsed outside of his house from a brain hemorrhage. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital in Fontainebleau.

Related Topics:
1951 - Samois sur Seine - France - Fontainebleau - May 16th 1953 - Avon - Hemorrhage - Dead on arrival

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~