Biography of Django Reinhardt

Born in a Gypsy caravan in Belgium and raised on the outskirts of Paris, Django received his first informal lessons from an uncle who was a banjo virtuoso. At 12, he was playing with some of the best local bands in working-class bars and at dances; he made his first records in 1928, the year in which he was gravely injured in a fire, losing the use of two fingers on his fret hand. With tremendous determination, he taught himself a new system of fingering and took up guitar. Introduced to jazz via Louis Armstrong records in 1931, he was also influenced by Eddie Lang; he became the favorite accompanist of singer Jean Sablon and, after a chance backstage meeting during which they jammed on "Dinah," formed The Quintet of the Hot Club of France with violinist Stephane Grappelli. It consisted of violin, solo guitar, bass, and two rhythms guitars. A born improviser, with a rhythmic drive to rival the best American players and an exceptional melodic gift, Django was the greatest jazz guitarist before Charlie Christian, whom he influenced; others who listened carefully to his records were Wes Montgomery and B. B. King. His brief visit to the US in 1946, during which he performed in concert with Duke Ellington's orchestra, was not a success, but during World War II, he was the toast of Paris. After the war he picked up electric guitar and listened to Christian and the boppers, but his harmonic ear had always been ahead of the pack. His compositions, among them "Nuages," "Django's Castle," and the haunting "Bolero," show the introspective side of his mercurial personality. Django was a unique musical phenomenon whose records continue to intrigue and inspire guitarists and fans. ~ Dan Morgenstern