Django Reinhardt

guitar · 1910–1953 · Liberchies

Manouche guitarist, Quintette du Hot Club de France (1934).

Contribution to jazz

Django Reinhardt, a Manouche guitarist born in Belgium, is one of the few European jazz musicians to have influenced the Americans. In 1928, a fire in his caravan paralyzes two fingers of his left hand: he develops a two-finger technique, fast and lyrical. In 1934, with violinist Stéphane Grappelli, he founds the Quintette du Hot Club de France, made up of guitars, a double bass, and a violin, with no drums.

Key dates

• 1910: Born in Liberchies, Belgium.
• 1928: A fire burns his left hand.
• 1934: The Quintette du Hot Club de France.
• 1940: Nuages, his most famous track.
• 1946: Tour of the United States with Duke Ellington's orchestra.
• 1953: Died.

How to listen

The Quintette du Hot Club has no drums: the pulse comes from the rhythm guitars, the Manouche "pompe." Listen for it under the solos. Django plays fast phrases, using two fingers of his left hand, and Grappelli's violin answers him. The swing feel is lighter, more European than that of the American big bands.

Where to start

• Nuages (1940, Easy): His most famous melody: the best first contact, and a track you know without knowing it.
• Djangology (album, 2002, Bluebird): A compilation of the Quintette du Hot Club de France.

Styles

• Hot Club de France, Gypsy jazz

Landmark albums

• Djangology (2002, Bluebird)

What to hear next

• Stéphane Grappelli: The Quintette's violinist: his partner from 1934 until the war.
• Charlie Christian: At the same time in the United States, he establishes the electric guitar as a solo instrument with Benny Goodman.
• Duke Ellington: He plays with his orchestra during his American tour of 1946.
• Modern Jazz Quartet: His track Django (1955) pays tribute to the guitarist.

Landmark tracks

• Bill Coleman Blues (1937)
• Nuages (1940)
• Swing 42 (1942)
• Anouman (1953)

Cited in 8 radio episodes

• Dedicated episode · Jan 26, 2020: Django Reinhardt, le génie au bout des doigts : épisode 2 (59 Rue des Archives, TSF Jazz, in French)
• Dedicated episode · Jan 19, 2020: Django Reinhardt, le génie au bout des doigts : épisode 1 (59 Rue des Archives, TSF Jazz, in French)
• Jun 25, 2026: Une soirée au Festival Django Reinhardt (Jazzlive, TSF Jazz, in French)
• Jun 19, 2026: Django Reinhardt et le Hot Club, la quinte royale (Pour qui sonne le jazz, TSF Jazz, in French)
• May 16, 2023: Django Folie : Fanou Torracinta (Émissions spéciales, TSF Jazz, in French)
• May 16, 2023: Django Folie ! Partie 2 (Émissions spéciales, TSF Jazz, in French)
• May 16, 2023: Django Folie ! Partie 1 (Émissions spéciales, TSF Jazz, in French)
• May 16, 2023: Django Reinhardt et le Hot Club, la quinte royale (Pour qui sonne le jazz, TSF Jazz, in French)

Sources

• EN : Django Reinhardt

Facts checked against these pages (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA). Method and licenses

The editorial sections of this page (how to listen, where to start, landmarks) are written by Jazzency and are being proofread.