PAUL
VERNON CHESTER
Manouche Maestro
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Manouche Maestro
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Django in Cleveland - Ohio November 4, 1946 at the Music Hall, the small theatre in Public Hall at East 6th and St. Clair. Eighteen hundred people attended the concert which marked the American debut of Django Reinhardt. The Cleveland Press headline said "French guitarist steals Duke’s concert." The guitar used in that concert was later given by Django’s son to Cleveland guitarist and Django discographer Fred Sharp. In November of 1946, Django came to the United States for the first time. Duke Ellington invited Reinhardt to make a U.S. tour with the Ellington Orchestra. Their first performance was in Cleveland, at the Music Hall at East 6th and St. Clair. It was Monday night, November 4, 1946. Reinhardt and Ellington shared a suite at the Hotel Statler at East 12th and Euclid. There was no advance announcement in Cleveland that the legendary Django Reinhardt would be appearing with the Ellington Orchestra. But, more than 1800 people paid between $1.25 and $3.60 to attend the concert. Ellington and Reinhardt had only a brief rehearsal and the concert-goers had to wait for about 45 minutes for the music to begin. A baggage car carrying the band’s instruments had been delayed.
Glenn Pullen, writing in The Plain Dealer, said, "The faithful followers of the popular composer-bandmaster did not seem to mind the long wait. They were offered extra compensation in the form of Django Reinhardt, the noted French guitarist." The headline in the Plain Dealer the next morning said, "French guitar artist steals Duke’s concert." Pullen wrote, "In the hands of this virtuoso the electric guitar (Gibson L5?) acquires richer, magical qualities. His dexterity was remarkable, in intricate chords that were executed with such technical brilliance that the band musicians kept shouting, ‘Go to it, Master!’" During that concert and later performances in Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City, New York City’s Carnegie Hall, "The Cleveland Press" also reviewed the show, "Duke Ellington came to Cleveland yesterday...He introduced in this country for the first time the hottest guitar player in the world."
He was mistaken about this and as a result had no instrument to play on the tour. Fortunately Django had an old friend in the city on whom he could depend to help him, Joe Sinacore was a New York studio guitarist who served in the army band during World War II. While stationed in Paris he met Django. The Gypsy could not speak English well but spoke Italian in addition to French. As Joe knew Italian as well as English he became Django's unofficial interpreter and friend while he was in Paris. Django contacted Joe and told him he did not have a guitar for the Ellington concerts. Joe took him to the Epiphone factory located on West 14th Street in New York City. It was there that Django selected the natural Epiphone Zephyr #3442. It is also possible that he acquired a large Epiphone Electra Amplifier at that time. According to Joe Sinacore the Epiphone Company gave the guitar to Django which is contrary to Charles Delaunay's biography of Reinhardt. After acquiring the Epiphone Django travelled with Duke Ellington by train to Cleveland, the first stop on the tour. (November 1946).
Time Magazine on Django Music
Swarthy Django Reinhardt, now 36, is an almost illiterate gypsy who was born in a roulotte (trailer) and only recently has succumbed to houses. As a boy he played gypsy music on the guitar and violin. When he was 19, he heard a record of Louis Armstrong's Dallas Blues. Said he: "The rest of the orchestra—c'est mauvais, but Louis—il est formidable!" After listening to records by Armstrong, the Duke and Tommy Dorsey, he got together in 1935 with a hot fiddler named Stephane Grapelli, organized the Quintet of the Hot Club of France (three guitars, a violin and bass). Their records of U.S. jazz classics (Dinah; Lady, Be Good; My Melancholy Baby) are collectors' items. Most guitars are strummed, but Django developed a one-finger picking style because his left hand was badly burned in a fire and became useless for chords. Ellington first heard Django in 1939 in La Roulotte, Django's cabaret in Paris' Rue Pigalle. Last month the Duke paid Django's airplane passage to the U.S. for a six-month visit (Django's 250-lb. gypsy wife stayed behind). They rehearsed only 20 minutes before their Cleveland performance. They talked in sign language and monosyllables, since Django understands hardly any English. "Tiger Rag — number un," the Duke said, holding up one finger. "First you play around . . . just a few riffs" (the Duke made guitar-strumming motions). "Then we give you a chord — wham, you go into Tiger by yourself and we start giving you the beat" (The Duke demonstrated on the piano.) "Understand?" Django grinned enthusiastically. They jammed for five minutes, until one by one the band boys left their cards, gossip and naps to gather around, shout encouragement: "Go to it, master. Yah, yah, yah." Says Duke: "Django is all artist. Jazz isn't exactly the word for it. Jazz was that raggedy music they used to play about 1920. Nowadays, jazz must be classified according to who's playing it. I call Reinhardt's playing Django Music. He's one of those musicians who is unable to play a note that's not pretty or not in good taste. Sure he's a great virtuoso."
http://www.cleveland.oh.us/wmv_news/ Django Reinhardt, the legendary French jazz guitarist of the 1930s and 1940s, came to the United States only once. He played his first U.S. concert in Cleveland. It was Monday night, November 4, 1946, at the Music Hall at East 6th and St. Clair. The headline in the Plain Dealer the next morning said, "French Guitar Artist Steals Duke's Concert." Duke Ellington, who called Reinhardt "the most creative jazz musician to originate anywhere outside the United States," invited Reinhardt to come to the U.S. for a tour. Duke paid for his trip. The trip proved to be something of a culture shock. While the two legendary musicians had great respect for each other's artistry, they had trouble understanding each other's languages and habits. When Django arrived, his first words, in a combination of French and English, were, "Where's Dizzy playing tonight?" Django brought no luggage. He didn't even bring a guitar. According to Reinhardt's biographer, Charles Delaunay, Django believed American companies would compete with each other for the honour of presenting a guitar to him. He was wrong and had to buy a guitar when he got to the United States. On the train trip from New York to Cleveland, Django shared a two-berth compartment with Ellington. The other members of the Ellington band were in a sleeping car. As they were getting ready for bed, Django was astounded to notice that the band members were wearing underpants with floral designs. In his limited English, he said, "You're crazy!" When he returned to the private compartment, he was about to joke with Ellington about it when he noticed Duke's underpants were even more gaudy than his musicians.' Later, Reinhardt asked some French friends to buy him some flowered pants. In Cleveland, Django and Duke shared a suite at the Hotel Statler at East 12th and Euclid. Cleveland Press columnist Milt Widder reported that before they left for the concert, they had dinner in the suite. Django was again amazed when Ellington ate his dessert first. Widder quoted Duke saying, "I always eat my dessert first." Reinhardt had only one brief rehearsal with Ellington before their concert in Cleveland. It was little more than a 20-minute "warm up" on the stage of the Music Hall. Duke, at the piano, asked Django, "What key do you want?" "Any key," said Django. Duke tapped his foot and the two all-time jazz masters just started playing. There was no musical conflict. There had been very little advance publicity for the historic concert in Cleveland. There was only a small ad in the local papers that simply announced, "Elroy Willis presents Duke Ellington and his Orchestra at the Music Hall." There was no mention in the ad that Django Reinhardt would also be appearing. Milt Widder wrote the next day, "How the advent of Django Reinhardt escaped the local promoters is a mystery." Ticket prices for the concert ranged from $3.60 to $1.25. The Plain Dealer reported that 1,800 people attended the Monday night concert at the Music Hall. But they had to wait for the music to begin. A baggage car, carrying the Ellington Orchestra instruments, arrived late, and the concert was delayed for about 45 minutes, to about 9:15. But Glenn Pullen, writing in The Plain Dealer, said, "The faithful followers of the popular composer-bandmaster did not seem to mind the long wait. They were offered extra compensation in the form of Django Reinhardt, the noted French guitarist." Pullen said Django's first American performance soundly substantiated his reputation. Wrote the reviewer: "In the hands of this virtuoso, who resembles the screen's Adolph Menjou, an electric guitar acquires richer, magical qualities. His digital dexterity was remarkable, in intricate chords that were executed with such technical brilliance that the band musicians kept shouting, `Go to it, master!'" Reinhardt played improvisations of "Tiger Rag," "Blues in E Flat," and a tune which even Ellington admitted on stage he was unable to identify. Milt Widder wrote in The Press, "Duke Ellington came to Cleveland without fanfare and he gave his fans here the greatest treat in the annals of local jazz when he introduced in this country, for the first time, the hottest guitar player in the world." After the concert in Cleveland, Reinhardt travelled with the Ellington Orchestra to Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and finally New York City where they played two nights (November 23 and 24) at Carnegie Hall. - when Reinhardt mounted the stage to rehearse with Duke Ellington on November 18, 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio, the Duke asked him what key the tune was in. Django told him that he didn't understand what the word "key" meant. When they translated it for him, he told Duke to not worry about the key, just play. He came a long
way from Les Saintes-Maries de la Mer,
then as a young gypsy boy. Django later composed a mass to be played at Sainte
Sara's church there but it was never completed.
Below right 1930's Vardo - Gypsy Caravan
These smaller wagons were called "vardo" in the Romani language (originating from the Iranian word vurdon) for cart.[2] The Romani vardo evolved into some of the most advanced forms of travelling wagon, and are prized for their practicality as well as esthetic design and beauty. There is no more iconic or recognizable Romani symbol than a highly decorated Romanichal vardo, and the time of its use is often affectionately called "the wagon time" by Romanichal travellers. The vardos were typically commissioned by families or by a newlywed couple from specialist coach builders. Building the vardo took between six months to a year; a variety of woods including oak, ash, elm cedar and pine were utilized in its construction. Prized by the Romani, and later by non-Romani, including other traveller groups, for their practicality as well as aesthetic beauty, vardos can be categorized into six main styles; these being the Brush wagon, Reading, Ledge, Bow Top, Open lot and Burton. The general design evolved over time and were named after the home's owners, as in (Brush), for their traditional style (Ledge), for the town of its construction (Reading), or for the name of the builder.
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Duke Ellington was a fan
of Django's. They had met in Paris prior to World War II. In early 1946, "The
Duke" invited him to visit the United States and tour with his band as a
featured performer. Django accepted his offer and arrived in New York City in
the month of October. Django did not bring his Selmer-Maccaferri guitar with him
from France because he thought American guitar makers would vie with each other
for the honour of presenting a guitar to him.
Django Reinhardt was sure
everyone must have heard of him. Hadn't jazz critics like France's Hugues
Panassié called him Europe's leading jazz artist and the world's greatest jazz
guitarist? Django was so certain that he was famous in the U.S. that he left his
guitar in France: U.S. guitar manufacturers would give him guitars and pay him
for playing them. Last week, before he could go on stage in Cleveland's Public
Music Hall, he had to go out and borrow a guitar. 
