PAUL
VERNON CHESTER
Manouche Maestro
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Manouche Maestro
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Django's Centenary Celebrations
Born 23rd January 1910 ‘This misrepresented and fantastic creature, at once so captivating and so divorced from the contentions of his age’ – Charles Delauney on Django Reinhardt This
10 Euro Royal Belgian Mint 92.5% Sterling Silver issue celebrates the 100th
anniversary of the birth of legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt in full
colour. Jean "Django" Reinhardt was one of the first prominent European jazz
musicians, and still remains one of the most renowned jazz guitarists ever with
a style of playing that is unmistakable. Reinhardt co-founded the band "Quintette
du Hot Club de France", one of the most original bands in the history of
recorded jazz. The latest addition to the Marlow Jazz Festival (23rd October) cast is Celebration Swing the Gipsy Jazz Band led by guitarist Malcolm Greenhalgh. As it is the 100th anniversary of Django Reinhardt's birth, they thought it appropriate to celebrate his centenary with a local Marlow band specialising in his music. Malcolm has also promised a couple of special guests added to the band. Paul Vernon Chester Performances During Django's Centenary Year
Django Drom
(Video) by Tony Gatlif Tony Gatlif, with a father from Kabyle and a Gypsy mother, has it all ; he’s an actor, singer, screenwriter, producer and is probably today’s most powerful, if not most intimate champion of the Rom community. Latcho Drom (1993), Vengo, Swing, Liberté - his films evoke the wind, journeys, the road and all those who move with music. Born in Algiers, arrived in France following the Algerian War of Independence. He struggled for years to break into the film industry, playing in several theatrical productions. Since his 1981 feature Corre, Gitano, Gatlif's work has been focused on the Roma people of Europe, from whom he partially traces his descent. Exils (2004), won the Best Director Award at Cannes Film Festival where Transylvania was premiered in 2006. In Gatlif’s extraordinary multi-media presentation, hundreds of rarely seen Django photographs are projected, along with the few known pieces of moving film of the great virtuoso. In this year of celebration of the birth (1910-1953) of Django Reinhardt (calling him ‘the Gypsy Genius’, would be as intelligent as referring to Einstein as the ‘surprising Jew’... their inventiveness is of the same order), Gatlif has joined forces with three prodigious musicians - Didier Lockwood, Biréli Lagrène and Stochelo Rosenberg. Didier Lockwood, one of the finest violinists in the history of jazz, played alongside the likes of Stéphane Grappelli, who was for a time Django’s alter ego, a musician who rubbed shoulders with Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong. Come now, think a little harder, go back even further and step by step you will surely reach the muse of music, the muse of Negros and Gypsies...and the muse of the sciences. Because these guys are truly savants. Many Manouche musicians are guitarists - and talented ones at that. Eleven of them will be joining Biréli and Rosenberg for this concert and I mean no offence in saying that among all the musicians who play in the spirit of Django, Biréli et Rosenberg are by far the ones who have gone the furthest, breaking loose from themselves as well as from their model. Gatlif has left
them total liberty for the musical score of this performance, while he has
himself taken care of the images, extremely rare historical documents, paintings
and fantasies...and fantasy abounds in this portrait. Gatlif is at the helm of
the spacecraft for this journey through time called Django Drom (Romany Journey). A score without
notes, or close to it... Quite a Guitar Orchestra with nine guitarists on stage by the end of the evening. Some superb playing by the two main guitarists Birelli Lagrene with Stochelo Rosenberg and the rising talent were equally exciting. As for the pictures of Django – well there are more on this website. Mainly it was historical etchings and Roma pictures brought to near life with the odd added cigarette, chimney or open fire smoke. No commentary the Music spoke for the heritage. The young lady violinist was very talented and stood up well alongside the magnificent Didier Lockwood. Emy Dragoi on Accordion was scintillating. The crescendo performance was Ravels ‘Bolero’ by the full ensemble with some very erotic but anonymous dancers on film. Standing Ovation from the audience and near full house – if it ever comes your way it is a must see/hear Music/MultiMedia experience. - Jazzeddie. Atrist on Guitars included Jean-Marie Ecay, Adrian Moignard, Sabastien Giniaux, Benoit Convert, Ghali Hadefi, David Gastine - Electric Guitars Find These Artists at Selmer #607
looking foward to 2010 and Django's 100th Birthday á Liberchies.....
Hello friends of swing and guitar! - Book these dates in your diaries!
2010 the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Django Reinhardt in Liberchies,
will provide an opportunity for two musical events :
http://djangofeeds.soup.io/tag/reinhardt Dreyfus
Jazz Releases for Django Reinhardt's 100th Birthday
Django Symphonique
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Django's last
important appearance was with Dizzy Gillespie in the Spring of 1953. The
following May he died at the Hospital in Fountainbleu near his home at Samois
from a stroke. He was forty three years old.
D
