One of the most perfectly constructed guitar performances ever recorded. The way he varies the length and rhythm of his phrases is remarkably effective. He doesn’t just string together a series of arpeggios to show off his virtuosity as so many guitarists do today. The gradual build up of excitement and tension is masterfully done. I especially like the sliding phrase at 1:30, so unexpected yet it fits beautifully in the overall design of the solo.
Was brought up listening to Django and The Hot Club on the wind up gramophone (along with so many others). It is good to hear comments on his playing from a fellow musician, never having learned any instrument> Thank you.... Although i never played an instrument I used to work ( as a hobby) with a fair few traditional musicians and put little bands together. One East End (of London) fiddler I knew had met The Quintet in a cafe and jammed along with them... well, if not he whole Quintet Reinhardt and Grapelli.
Yes and throughout all his variations you can still hear the melody - he's not just blending with the chord progressions to be flashy he still respects the tune.
i am 62 yo and first heard django at 19 = always liked his music with stephan grapellie - now i work at the victorian jazz museum and music has been a mighty motivational drive for me = thank you django for a very colourful life with music !
I like Reinhardt's playing, what's interesting is despite his skill in being able to solo like a boss, he clearly valued the silence as well. He didn't overplay and he left pauses to create just a little tension that threw the listener into the next phrase.
How is it possible walk into a recording studio and play this off the cuff its a perfect statement not a note could be added or taken out to make it any better pure genius no guitarist can do this
This is where Jazz guitar began. Django was the most innovative guitarist of his time. Despite having only two functional fingers on his left hand (guitar neck side) he produced some amazing music. He wasn't with us for very long so its good to listen to his recordings that date to the 1930's
@@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsmHate to be that guy, but Jazz DID start rearing it’s head in the US around the 1890’s to 1910’s with Dixieland Jazz coming about.
I cannot explain how much I adore this piece of music! I would literally tear a bollock off to have seen him play this or indeed be able to play it myself.
After many years, I consider it still as Django’s magnum opus. I sometimes Imagine Charlie Christian following Django after this solo on a jam session, what I’d give to hear such a thing.
Les solos de Django ont l'évidence d'une composition instantanée ! Il n'y a dans la plupart des cas rien à jeter et en tant que guitariste ou simplement en tant que musicien et mélomane on peut dire qu'il s'agit là d'un exemple parfait de la différence entre la virtuosité d'apparat et la virtuosité réelle qui n'a besoin d'aucune esbrouffe pour s'imposer. Et en plus, cette musique exhale la joie et n'a rien perdu de sa jeunesse après tant d'années et Django a laissé derrière lui un sillage de virtuoses qui tous, reconnaissent leur dette envers ce maître. C'est ainsi que nous pouvons mettre Django dans le panthéon des plus grands musiciens de l'histoire à l'instar de Ravel et Debussy ou Satie.
What a genius this man was, I discovered Django Reinhardt when my father told me about him years ago when I asked him what is good music to be listened. I still can't stop listening Djangos pieces.
It's really amazing that after all these years since Django lived and recorded his great music---- he is still the Greatest. In my opinion he's still the most unique and musically gifted, the most admired, the most revered and beloved guitarist of all time. His influence has been enormous. Every great guitarist of the past and present----- in Europe, America and around the world right up to this very day----- has been inspired by Django. He was truly a phenemenon.
Really one of my Django favorites . Actually, lots of tongue in cheek in this piece, and from precedents, one cannot totally rule out him being slightly drunk when recording this !
Every one of django's solo's is a perfect musical statement its like he's telling a story most jazz guitarists just disappear up they'r own arse's when they play a solo
When my guitar teacher wanted to scare me away from playing too fast too soon, he had me listen to Django so I would realize what true speed with FEEEELing meant. 52 years later I still find there is that perfection which is attainable by mere mortals.
The 2023 edition of the Tour d France is on TV for the next 3 weeks. I will watch at least 2 stages with the commentary turned off, and Jango blasting away on my headphones, as pretty French villages, bathed in hot July sun come and go. For me it's a pleasure to listen to Jango, but more so when we travel together!! RIP MON AMIE.
Django Reinhardt was indeed a masterful guitarist. But the big problem with "gypsy jazz" was that too many of its followers after Django forgot the swing of real jazz! That was a12/8 rhythm used both in jazz and related blues music, but a lot of the "gypsy jazz" players used a very abrupt dotted-eighth-sixteenth note rhythm pattern instead of the eight-note triplet common to real jazz. Fortunately, real jazz and blues players haven't lost the "swing" feel.
The Elevator comment can be forgiven if it's from an uneducated person or a child otherwise it's just uninformed. I would love to live in a buliding where this was the elevator music, it'd be like a breath of fresh air every time you left home.
this solo is improvised, and not a composed one..on this earth.. realise it.. real greatest grand father of all rock, metal, jazz, pop musicians.. was not a white burden, but a romani ie indian handicapped guitarist with capabilities of having 10 fingers in one hand, Django Reinhardt..
The point is that Djangos style was an invention of his own the so called gypsy style was his innovation with his own inflection his style has been copied there may be players that are as fast and innovative but as i said Djangos style is own and guitarists have just copied it.
