Artists Who Changed Music: Django Reinhardt

Django Reinhardt - The Greatest Guitarist Who Ever Lived

This section introduces Django Reinhardt, highlighting his influence and impact on music as a European jazz musician.

Django Reinhardt's Influence and Fame

• Django Reinhardt is considered the greatest guitarist who ever lived and remains the most influential and famous European jazz musician to date. He changed the course of music itself.

• Reinhardt was a household name during his time and is recognized as the only European jazz musician to achieve such widespread fame.

• He is known for his solo and harmonic innovations on the guitar, which had a significant impact on modern jazz, blues, country, and rock guitar styles.

• Alongside Eddie Lang and Charlie Christian, Reinhardt is one of the founding fathers of modern jazz guitar before World War II.

Fusion of Jazz Styles

• Reinhardt, along with violinist Stefan Grappelli, created a new style of jazz called gypsy jazz or manouche jazz by fusing elements of dixieland swing jazz, French traditional music, gypsy music, and more.

• This fusion resulted in a unique European style of jazz that centered around guitars, violins, and bass instead of horns, drums, and piano like American jazz.

Collaboration with American Jazz Musicians

• Reinhardt played with some of the top American jazz musicians at the time including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Coleman Hawkins.

• His collaborations with these legendary musicians further solidified his reputation as an exceptional guitarist.

Overcoming Obstacles - A Remarkable Journey

This section highlights Django Reinhardt's remarkable journey as he overcame various obstacles throughout his life.

Rags to Riches Story

• Born into extreme poverty as part of the Romani community, Reinhardt faced social and economic challenges from an early age.

• He had to overcome illiteracy, anti-Romany prejudice, and persecution to pursue his passion for music.

Physical Challenges

• At the age of 18, Reinhardt suffered severe burns in a fire that damaged half of his body, including his left hand. Doctors wanted to amputate his leg due to extensive burns.

• Despite these physical challenges, Reinhardt refused to give up on his musical career. He developed a new technique using only his index and middle fingers to play the guitar.

Inspiring Others

• Reinhardt's ability to reinvent himself as a guitarist with severely crippled fingers has inspired countless musicians facing physical challenges.

• Tony Iommi, guitarist for Black Sabbath, was inspired by Reinhardt's story after losing the tips of his middle and ring fingers in an industrial accident at a young age.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

This section explores Django Reinhardt's early life and how he started his musical journey.

Family Background

• Born in January 1910 in a Romani camp in southern Belgium, Reinhardt came from a family of musicians and performers.

• His father was a violinist, guitarist, and juggler while his mother was a dancer.

Childhood Influences

• Reinhardt spent most of his childhood in Romani camps near Paris where he was exposed to many Romani musicians.

• He began playing the violin at an early age and later learned the banjo guitar (a six-string banjo with guitar tuning).

Learning from Others

• Reinhardt learned various techniques by observing other Romani musicians. One notable technique he adopted was playing with a stiff arm technique that created a clear ringing tone on the guitar.

Professional Accompaniment

• At the age of 14, Reinhardt started accompanying a popular accordionist named Guerino in Parisian dancehalls. This was his first professional assignment and further shaped his guitar style.

These notes provide a comprehensive overview of the transcript, highlighting key points about Django Reinhardt's influence as a guitarist, his journey overcoming obstacles, and his early life and musical beginnings. The timestamps provided allow for easy reference to specific parts of the video for further study or review.

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This section provides an overview of Django Reinhardt's early life and the challenges he faced.

Django Reinhardt's Early Life

• Django Reinhardt married Florine Bella Mayer at the age of 17.

• Two years later, their son Henry (nicknamed Luson) was born.

• Reinhardt started playing banjo guitar in dance hall bands.

• In 1928, he made his first recordings with musette accordionist Jean Vassaid.

• Due to his illiteracy, his first name was misspelled as "Giango" on many of those records.

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This section highlights a significant event in Django Reinhardt's life that had a profound impact on his musical journey.

The Fire Incident and Reinvention

• In late October or early November of 1928, a fire broke out in the wagon where Reinhardt and his wife were sleeping.

• He escaped with severe burns over half of his body, particularly affecting his right leg and left hand.

• Doctors wanted to amputate his leg and believed he would never play again.

• However, Reinhardt checked himself out of the hospital and took 18 months to recover.

• During this time, he relearned the guitar with only two left-hand fingers.

• This period became a turning point in Reinhardt's life as he had to completely reinvent himself and develop new techniques for playing the guitar.

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This section explores how Django Reinhardt discovered jazz and met Stéphane Grappelli, leading to their collaboration.

Discovering Jazz and Meeting Stéphane Grappelli

• After leaving the hospital, Reinhardt traveled through France with his brother Joseph and girlfriend Sophie Nogawin Ziegler, playing in small clubs.

• In 1931, after a gig in the south of France, Reinhardt had a eureka moment when painter and photographer Emil Savitri introduced him to records by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Eddie Lang.

• Reinhardt's mind was blown by these recordings.

• Later that year, he met Stéphane Grappelli, a French-Italian jazz violinist who became his ideal musical partner.

• They formed the Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1934 with other musicians.

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This section highlights the success of the Quintette du Hot Club de France and their impact on jazz outside of the US.

Success of the Quintette du Hot Club de France

• The Quintette du Hot Club de France quickly gained popularity in France and Europe.

• Their unique form of jazz, featuring three guitarists but no drummer, captivated audiences.

• Their recordings on labels like Decca Swing, HMV Ultraphone, and Odeon sold well.

• The quintet toured extensively throughout Europe and became particularly popular in the UK.

• Despite initial resistance from some French jazz fans who believed American musicians were superior, the quintet's success grew rapidly.

Due to limitations in available content from the transcript provided, this summary may not cover all aspects discussed in the video.

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This section discusses the musical influences and unique playing style of Django Reinhardt, highlighting his combination of jazz, musette, and flamenco elements in his music. It also mentions his incredible technical skills and the impact he had on guitar playing.

Django Reinhardt's Musical Influences

• Django Reinhardt's music was a fusion of jazz and musette, with elements of flamenco influenced by Spanish Romani.

• He also incorporated echoes of Hungarian Romany violin playing into his solos.

• The quintet drew influences from various sources, creating a unique sound that was more than the sum of its parts.

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This section focuses on Django Reinhardt's virtuosity as a guitarist and the attention he received for his innovative solos. It highlights how his playing style revolutionized guitar techniques in jazz.

Reinhardt's Innovative Guitar Solos

• While Stéphane Grappelli was also a talented performer, much attention went to Reinhardt due to his ingenious solos.

• His solos were characterized by their flashiness, excitement, and instant recognizability.

• Reinhardt introduced a completely new way of playing the guitar that had never been imagined before.

• His level of technique surpassed that of any other guitarist at the time, showcasing unbelievably fast runs, improvisation, large intervals, tremolos, glissandos, arpeggios, note bends, harmonics, complex rhythms, impeccable phrasing and timing.

• His musical imagination drew from musette flamenco jazz as well as his own wild creativity.

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This section explores Django Reinhardt's exceptional guitar technique and the development of a new type of guitar that allowed him to overcome volume limitations in jazz ensembles.

Reinhardt's Guitar Technique and Instrument

• The fact that the main soloist in a jazz group was a guitarist and a violinist was novel at the time.

• The guitar as a solo instrument had not been popular in jazz due to its inability to be heard over brass instruments, drums, and piano.

• Reinhardt solved the volume problem by not using any of these instruments in his quintet.

• His right hand technique involved using a hard and thick pick made of natural tortoise shell, played with a sideways motion emanating from the elbow.

• This technique allowed him to play loudly while maintaining a warm bell-like tone.

• Reinhardt's playing style also introduced sweep picking, which became influential for many American flat-picking guitarists.

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This section discusses Django Reinhardt's fame during the 1930s and how tragedy struck with the outbreak of World War II. It highlights the challenges he faced as both a Romani and a jazz musician under Nazi occupation.

Tragedy Strikes: World War II

• By the end of the 1930s, Django Reinhardt's quintet was the most famous music ensemble in Europe.

• However, with the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Reinhardt faced significant challenges.

• As a Romani, he was persecuted by the Nazis along with Jews. They were made to wear ID badges and sent to concentration camps.

• Additionally, jazz music was frowned upon by the Nazis.

• Despite these challenges, Reinhardt managed to survive due to his fame. Some Nazi officers even became fans and protected him.

• He continued performing during this time, opening his own club and writing new material.

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This section explores Django Reinhardt's post-war career and his influence on French jazz. It also mentions his personal life, including his marriage and the birth of his son.

Post-War Career and Personal Life

• After the war, Django Reinhardt reunited with Stéphane Grappelli and revived the quintet for a few years.

• However, their collaboration did not reach the same level as in the 1930s, partly due to Reinhardt's experimentation with bebop influences.

• Reinhardt also performed with his own group, Nouveau Quintet, and collaborated with various other musicians.

• He had some legendary bad habits like gambling and being late or not showing up for concerts.

• During this time, he drew inspiration from French classical composers like Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré.

• Reinhardt married his girlfriend Najin in 1943, and they had a son named Babik in 1944. Babik also became a respected Romani guitarist.

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This section highlights the popularity of French jazz as a form of resistance during World War II. It mentions how Django Reinhardt's tune "Nuage" became an anthem of the resistance.

French Jazz as Resistance

• French jazz gained immense popularity during the war as a form of resistance against the occupation.

• Django Reinhardt's composition "Nuage" became an anthem of the resistance movement.

• Despite this success, Reinhardt still performed for SS men and German soldiers after 1943 when the Nazis were losing ground.

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This section discusses Django Reinhardt's post-war career revival with Stéphane Grappelli. It mentions their recording and touring activities but notes that their collaboration didn't reach its previous heights due to stylistic differences.

Post-War Collaboration with Grappelli

• After the war, Reinhardt and Grappelli joined forces again and revived the quintet.

• They recorded and toured together for a few years.

• However, their collaboration didn't capture the same magic as in the 1930s.

• One reason was that Grappelli continued playing in the style of the 1930s while Reinhardt had started experimenting with bebop influences.

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This section discusses Django Reinhardt's challenges in the US, including his struggle to find a suitable guitar and difficulties in communication with American musicians.

Challenges in the US

• Reinhardt failed to bring his Selmer guitar to the US.

• He expected to be offered equally good guitars but was presented with a Gibson ES 300 and an amplifier.

• Despite his masterful playing, he had difficulty mastering the amp.

• Communication with American musicians was hindered by language barriers.

• Reinhardt could not read or write music and had little understanding of key concepts like musical keys.

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After returning from the US, Reinhardt faced challenges adapting to the post-war world. His reputation for being unreliable grew stronger, but he continued to experiment with electric pickups, amplification, bebop influences, and different musical settings.

Adapting to Post-War World

• Reinhardt found it difficult to adapt after returning from the US.

• He sometimes retreated to his Romani world while still performing.

• His reputation for being unreliable increased during this time.

• However, his creative fire remained strong.

• He continued experimenting with electric pickups, amplification, bebop influences, and different musical settings.

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Reinhardt's later years and legacy are discussed. Despite his early death at 43 years old, his legacy lives on through recordings and his influence on Manouche music and various genres of guitarists.

Later Years and Legacy

• In 1951, Reinhardt created an ensemble with bass piano and drums.

• He moved to a small town outside Paris in 1951 but still regularly performed in Paris.

• On May 16th, 1953, he died of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 43.

• Reinhardt's playing can be found on 700 to 1000 recordings, showcasing his talent.

• His legacy is evident in Manouche music and the guitar community.

• Countless guitarists from various genres have been influenced by him, including classical, jazz, country, bluegrass, blues, folk, and rock.

• He has been referenced and admired by notable guitarists such as Julian Bream, Les Paul Atkins, and Jimmy Page.

• The Allman Brothers Band recorded a tribute to Reinhardt called "Jessica" in 1973.

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Reinhardt's influence extends beyond the world of minority genres. Countless guitarists across all genres have been influenced by him.

Influence Across Genres

• Reinhardt's influence reaches far beyond minority genres like Manouche music.

• Guitarists from all genres reference him or show audible signs of his influence.

• Classical, jazz, country, bluegrass, blues, folk, and rock guitarists have all been influenced by him.

• Notable guitarists such as Julian Bream, Les Paul Atkins, and Jimmy Page have mentioned him.

• The Allman Brothers Band recorded a tribute to Reinhardt called "Jessica" in 1973 that became a staple of the rock genre.

Conclusion

Django Reinhardt faced challenges during his time in the US but continued to experiment with different musical settings. Despite difficulties adapting to the post-war world and an early death at 43 years old, his legacy lives on through recordings and his profound influence on countless guitarists across various genres.