The Django Reinhardt Guitar Pick + Win A Rare Guitar Recording Experience with Martin Taylor 

Hi there, Martin. A short story about Stephen. Back around 1974, 75. I was walking down the street near 11th St. in Greenwich Village NYC. I was going to meet a friend. I hear some amazing jazz violin playing from the downstairs bar called Reno Sweeny's back in the day. I go down these 6 or 7 steps, so halfway below the street level. Inside is about 10 people watching this Trio playing there asses off... Now I am only 20 years old at the time. I go to the bar about 10 feet from the stage. Now I was not a jazz fan at the time, but my father played Stephen Grappelli records along with Django and he many times a week! But this wasn't Gypsy Jazz, this was Oscar Pedersen's style. Oh, didn't I say, It was Oscar Pedersen, Stephen Grappelli and NHOP!!! Yes, Neils-Henning Orsted Pedersen.. who was my Dad's distant cousin. I am from Denmark. Now I don't know these guys at all, mind you. So.... I sit there in awe at the amazing playing going on before my eyes. Sitting so close and watching the sweat pour off of Oscar. They finished the set and the now 11 or 12 of us sitting there jump up clapping and screaming. (I have no clue who these guys are!) I said to Stephen as he came up to the bar next to me, "Wow man, (we all said Man back then), you are fucking amazing! He smiled and said, "Very nice to hear".. duh.. So I ask him if he was playing in town. He said they would be here the whole week. 6 nights in a row. Well, I went every night. Brought a different girlfriend to the show for three of those nights. I was now a regular to them. And was greeted by Stephen, Oscar and NHOP each time. And got "The Look" each time I came in with a different cute 20 year old lassy. So they liked that. Ever since that week, I have been anamored by all three of them. Each in their own right, The Best of The Best in each instrument. You cannot get any better. And a few years later, I see YOU playing with Stephen. So now I find this young dude, Martin Taylor, playing with my favorite violinist... Small world Martin. And the music that fills it makes it all worthwhile. Thank you.

Thank you for taking the time and energy to allow us a glimpse into your flat/studio, sharing your intriguing stories, along with your virtuoso demonstrations of all these vintage instruments. You are a gentleman, a musician's musician, and very much deserving of being the "custodian" and a connoisseur of all of these beautiful instruments! Very nice to look at... but you've made them come alive with a wondrous voice that fulfills all the senses. Cheers!

That's the difference between a person who loves the instrument and who loves possession , instruments are made for playing ,not to be locked just for the beautiful of it , or cause they were played for an amazing artist. The beautiful of an instrument is the sound , that turns to music in the hands of an interpreter , bringing joy,emotions and memories to anybody who listen this magic conjunction of instrument and player Thank you for share your playing and your thoughts .

I saw Martin Taylor , John Ethridge and Stephan in St.louis, mo and it kicked butt

OMG!! The Django Reinhardt pick!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Seriously, you are a great collector and presenter of musical instruments, I could watch all day, thank you

Love the idea! Thank you kindly Mr Martin Taylor for giving us such amazing opportunity. :)

The Pick of destiny, know we know, Martin has it. This explains a lot.

The pick elicits a memory of which, I am sure, you are a part (the man in my memory and the gentleman next to Grapelli in the picture look alike. 😊 ) . In October of 1988, my close friend Chris and I went to hear Stephane Grapelli's group at NYC's Blue Note. (I had just begun my master's degree studies in orchestral performance, but since I leaned - and still lean - toward Jazz, I NEEDED this.) We went upstairs after the last set, and Chris and were the last to enter the dressing room - well, next to last. George Benson was behind us, and much to our delight, "went all fan boy", as they say today. (This was an important thing to see for a still green music student for many reasons.) Both he and Mr. Grapelli signed my flier ("Next time, it will be our album," said Mr. Benson. Ohhhh, if only...) Mr. Grapelli made a point of introducing you, and Mr. Benson said, "I only just about caught the last tune, but man, you sure sounded great!" "Well," said Mr. Grapelli, "I am very particular about my guitar players. Mr. Benson locked eyes with Chris and me; we were frozen, stunned. Finally, Mr. Benson nodded slightly and exhaled a barely audible, "Damn." We knew what he meant. Thank you for letting me share this favorite memory. Oh - and that flier is framed and in MY little inner sanctum.

Very nice video ❤. Looking forward to seeing more

Enjoyed that video Martin, especially Django's pick. What an amazing little piece of jazz history to own :-)

Love this series of videos and all the stories you have. Thanks for posting!

Los Indios Tabajaros , not sure if I got the spelling correct ...I remember them well from the Ed Sullivan Show , big influence in my guitar playing early days ... I regret selling the LP of theirs ...now that is a very cool guitar. I heard that you also played a Framus , in the early days ... that was my first guitar ... A Framus Balvaria , archtop. .lol Playing with Stephan, must of been a dream . Greatest jazz violinist and a great jazz guitarist is quite a resume , to say the least. It looks like you have a Yamaha aex1500 on the wall ... I bought one in 2003 and have it with ribbon wound strings , kind of a flashback to my Framus Cheers from Alberta Canada, wish you would come here and do a concert

Diggin’ the custodian thing about the guitars! 👍

I. Would rather have django's pick than any of his guitars seriously

A nice video. You have an amazing collection of guitar's. I have two Martin's. But I could never play as well as you do. Thank you for your videos. God Bless You.

You should play more nylon string Martin...its sounds beautiful.

HOLY SHIT DJANGO PICK (one of the thousands)

Oh my. Could I have the pick please? ;D

Django's pick. Wow. How cool.

beautiful.. custodians.. 🎸😎

That pick will have some fucking magical shit in it!

Imagine owning Django’s pick… 😍

Amazing players Los Indios ... I always thought your first guitar was a Framus ... mine was lol .. a bit disappointed ... lol. Never the less ..I enjoy your playing and glad to see you are well and happy. My cast back to my first guitar ... I went out and bought a Yamaha AEX 1500 . Not a great guitar but a nice guitar . Cheers to you and family Alberta Dave

I wish that he had demonstrated what Django's pick sounded like.

I'll have any of them guitars, Martin! Please pretty please

Amazing video (and playing)!

And almost all Django's recorded solos transcribed for Band in a Box synced with real audio!

Can y'all tell me that first song he was talking about. I'm young so I'm a noob at jazz, but I'm been making my own jazz songs. I love it so much. It's more fun then playing psychedelic rock at the moment.

Nice video. Thanks. One pedantic observation... neither of the guitars in the photo of you and your brother have the same fingerboard as the Maton in the video. Wrong pic or modified fingerboard?

That is the real Pick of Destiny!

wonderful video, thank you Martin!

What is the theme you play whit the guitar of nylon strings?

I do the same with my picks. I'm sure Django and I aren't the first to come up using every side of the pick. I do wonder if Django would have been able to play a slow and terrible as me. LOL

I think you should have played it until you passed out, that would make for interesting conversation.

can anyone tell me the name of the song martin played on the nylon string guitar thanks

Can I join for the draw?

Please help me!! someone could say to me the name of the piece that martin's playing at 1:47??

2:54 Wise words! Send one of those sleepy beauties (what a shame*) to me. ___ Hurry. Time destroys everything...

Lovely broken heart.

...indeed...any leftys,

anyone know what song he plays at 1.49?

Durlindana.

Could I look after one for a while, I am a vegetarian Buddhist too. ;)

I've been building insterments for 50 years. I make my own picked and my latest one is the same style as yours but I made it from silver. I'm so excited that I've stumbled into the same idea .... I've gone up against the crossroads sole selling losers and beat 21 of them in the name of Jesus Christ MY music teacher. Im a Sioux Indian from the Crazy Horse family we can always kick you sorry butt . Funny story for you I dated Custer's grate grandaughter . We're cool about all that history . you double toungs shouldn't have tried to remodel the whole dam place . Your not as smart as you think you are are you . Oh well we figured as much lol

Can’t even pronounce his name correctly. John-go not Jane-go. This is how his mother and family have always pronounced it in Belgium. Just for your information. Please show proper respect for one the greatest guitarists of all time. Thanks.