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Samois Sur Seine Festival,
Django's Home and Resting Place
 
Django, La Route du Bonheur Still Film, 1952
Django in Samois 1953
 
Samois sur
Seine
Henri Crolla and Bridgitte Bardot in Samois
Django
Memorial Augsberg
 
Photos of Samois Festival 2006 with Hank Marvin
reflecting his interest in the background of picture 3
donated by Stu Weetman,
Guitarist and his Son seen here next to Hank Marvin
Django Samois
Festival
21st June - 1st July subject to year date
When Django
settled in Samois, he was at a turning point in his life. His trip to the United
States had not been as productive as he had hoped. The great guitarist decided
he needed time to rest and think about what to do next. He felt at home among
the local people, especially Fernand Loisy, innkeeper of L'Auberge
de l'Ile.
Django spent his time fishing, playing pool, painting landscapes, and playing
club gigs in Paris, where he met a new generation of musicians exploring new
musical adventures and projects. The village of
Samois was a
wonderful setting for his rest and recuperation.
 After Django
Joseph
apparently still lived the nomadic existence of his forebears
and enjoyed nature at first hand, he showed this love for nature
in various paintings of caravan scenes, campfires, horses etc..
After his brothers death in 1953 Joseph laid down the guitar and
did not start playing again until 1957, at this point he
attempted to finish Django's
unfinished
Messe Gitane. In 1958 he appeared in the documentary "Django
Reinhardt" which led to his appearance in a short film
Paris Blues (1961). At this time he formed his own quintette
and recorded two LP's
 The
60's was quite an active period for Joseph, recording with his
own string quintet and at the "Blue Jazz Museum" with his
regular accompanists of the period,
Dingo Adel and
Jacques Montagene (Hot
Club Records - "Live in Paris 1966"). He appeared at several
concerts, performed in various Paris nightclubs occasionally
with Babik Reinhardt and even visited the UK, playing and
recording with Diz Disley. By the 1970's, however, his public
performances had reduced although he did appear at the
Samois Festival.
For almost all his post-Hot Club
Quintet work, Joseph Reinhardt used a very odd looking guitar
that he made himself which, surprisingly, had a nice acoustic
tone although it was frequently amplified. His early solo
playing was considerably less flamboyant than Django and he
subsequently developed a modern jazz style reminiscent of his
brother's '47/48 electric work. He was above all else, a lyrical
performer capable of producing some quite haunting compositions.
Nin-Nin died on 24th February, 1982
and was buried beside Django at Samois perhaps, thereby,
publicly condemned to remain in the shadow of his illustrious
brother for eternity or, perhaps, ensured a posthumous
recognition that he otherwise could not have expected.
Charles Cooper
Based on the little I had previously heard I have always
suspected Joseph Reinhardt was probably the most
underappreciated guitarist ever. This recording is proof
positive that my suspicions were on the mark. He shines as a
soloist, with a gentler and subtler kind of intensity than his
genius brother; but it is easy to discern the same vein of
creativity and passion which drives the Django Legend. I
especially like the refined bluesy aspect of his playing,
especially appropriate for the Django ballad Monoir Des Mes
Reeves. Let's all get over Django a little and give this
wonderful guitarist the credit he deserves.
Lineage
  Henri
'Lousson' Reinhardt- Baumgartner (1928-1992).
Django's first son was is a much less well known personality. Lousson
was born to Django's first wife, Florine "Bella" Mayer but Django had already
separated from Bella before his birth. It appears Django was not at all involved
in Lousson's upbringing and since the latter remained a nomadic, somewhat
unsociable individual all his life, there is very little information available
about him.
One cannot help but feel that Django's apparent indifference to Lousson
contrasts dramatically with his obvious devotion to Babik.
Like Babik, Django's second and more famous son, Lousson was also an excellent
guitarist.
Since Lousson was older he actually played with his father on occasions and even
accompanied him on numerous recordings in the 1940s.
Like many of the second generation players, Lousson played more contemporary
styles of jazz on an archtop electric guitar. Despite Lousson's modern bebop
approach, his Gypsy heritage is evident in his technique, repertoire, and sense
of aesthetics. Note the Fender Electric Bass
http://www.djangobooks.com/archives/Lousson.mp3
With this largely unsung talent Lousson never recorded commercially as this
excerpt reflects..
Lousson Reinhardt Samois 1978
Babik Reinhardt
Guitarist
(1944-2001)
While the son
of a famous gypsy guitarist, Babik was 9 years old when his father died. Babik
was not playing at the time and consequently learned nothing of the guitar from
Django. He was of course given a guitar by his mother, Naguine and took lessons
from his various and numerous uncles, cousins and those claiming to be related.
Few
musicians stuck with as much smoothness to be themselves, while remaining
attentive with the last evolutions of the jazz and by preserving something of
the major sonority of large Manouche. Many django-fans adulate pale copiers of
Django whereas they do not realize that they had there, with Babik the
guitarist manouche of exception.
 David
Reinhardt Guitar
Born on
December 23, 1986, David does not seem disturbed by the task which falls on to
him: to transmit the heritage and to continue the family road! technique very at
the point, lyricism and emotion, direction of the swing, here are obvious
qualities of this young musician.
Already accustomed prestigious scenes (as of the 6 years age it played with
Babik Reinhardt,
his father) it begins a very promising career today, taken care of tenderly by
the celestial four:
Django, Joseph, Lousson and Babik
Lulo
Reinhardt Project
The Reinhardt Project is made up of brothers Lulo
and Mike Reinhardt - great nephews of the famous Django Reinhardt - and cousin
Sascha, along with Australian violinist Daniel Weltlinger. The outstanding
guitar virtuosos is based in Kobllenz.
Taught to play guitar at the age of five by his
father Bawo, Lulo was playing in a sextet by the age of 12. He is described as a
spontaneous and spirited musician and his different styles come from a musical
voyage to find flamenco roots in Spain, Latin jazz from South America, combined
with his own artistic stamp and gypsy influences.
Lulo Reinhardt video
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