Musically, I came into this world a jazz man. And thanks to the many great teachings of mentors through out my youth I was able to pick up the guitar and now I play it some would say semi-professionally. When you play in a jazz combo you must immerse yourself in the genre completely and with guitar this is never a fun thing to do. Jazz guitar usually takes a back seat to saxophones, trumpets, or practically everything else, including bass and drums. If you are given a solo, it’s hard to hear over the other instruments, your comping rhythms are all that matter, you might as well be a snare drum banging out a constant 1-2 rhythm. One can begin to become discouraged, “what is the point…” you say to yourself over and over. And then one day you listen to Django Reinhardt. Django was born in 1910 in a small town in Belgium, spending most of his youth in gypsy caravans and settlements around Paris. At a young age Django began to play the banjo, mandolin and violin and finally moved to guitar where he showed the most promise.  At the tender age of 18, tragedy struck. Deep into the night a fire caught withing Django and his wife Florines caravan. Reinhardt received 3rd degree burns over one half of his body, rendering his right leg immobile and paralyzing the third and fourth finger on his left hand, it was said he would never play guitar again. However shortly after Django recovered his brother bought him a new guitar in hopes of  Reinhardt playing again. Having to completely relearn the guitar Django took to using his first two fingers for solo work and the paralyzed fingers only for chords. What came from that gypsy camp where Django was born and the fire that rendered his hand almost useless was a man who would revolutionize jazz and create a genre to which he was the sole player, Gypsy Jazz. After World War II Django moved to America to study and play under some of the biggest names in jazz, including; Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He died in France of a brain hemorrhage in 1953.  Many of Reinhardts songs are jazz standards today, including Minor Swing, Djangology ect. And when you hear that guitar shredding away in the next two songs, think about the fact that it’s just one man, with two fingers.

Django Reinhardt – I’ll See You In My Dreams

Django Reinhardt – Limehouse Blues