20/11/2016

Django'sForgottenEra

Django'sForgottenEra
ByWayneJefferies

WhenDjangoReinhardtandhisquintetburstontothejazzsceneattheendof1934,theimpactonthe
developmentoftheguitarwascolossal.Hewillalwaysberememberedforhisachievementsontheacoustic
guitarandrightlyso.Butitisoftenforgottenthatherecordedinavarietyofsettingsbesidesthefamedquintet,
includingvariousmoderncombos,duringthelastfiveyearsorsoofhislife.Hisrecordingsduringthisperiod,
weremainlyonelectricguitaroramplifiedacousticandhavebeentoooftenignored.Ihopetoredressthe
balanceslightly.
ManypeoplefailtorecogniseDjangoonhislaterrecordingspartlybecausetheyassociatehimwiththe
acousticguitaronlyandpartlybecauseofthedifferenceinthewayheplays.ButDjango'sstyledidn'tjust
changeovernightwhenhediscoveredtheelectricguitar.Hisstyledevelopedandmaturedgradually.Thevast
majorityofhisrecordingsshowamindofgreatimagination,aninbuiltsenseofmusicalityand,perhaps
especiallyevidentonhisearlyrecordings,acompletemasteryoftechnique.
Django'sworkontheearlyrecordingsofthequintetissoincrediblethatit'smorethanalittledaunting.Ican
onlyimaginewhatitmusthavebeenlikeformusiciansofthetime,especiallyguitarists!Thisextractfrom"The
historyoftheguitarinjazz"byNormanMongansumsitupprettywell:
"ThequintetsversionofSweetSuerecordedin1935hasReinhardtthrowingeverythingatthelistener:Chinese
likedoublestops,harmonics,flashymultinotedruns,the"Manouche"heritagepresentinthetremolochords
andonsinglestrings.Hethrowsoffoctavesandfastglissandiinabusy,thorough,drivingstyle.Djangohadit
all."
OneofthecriticismslevelledatDjango'sworkbyjazzpuristshasbeenthegypsyovertonesofhisplaying.
ConsideringDjango's'backgroundit'sinevitablethatsomeofthisflavorwouldcomethrough.Infact,this
contributedtowardshishighlyoriginalstylewhichwasverynewbackintheearlythirties.
Ofcourse"DjangoStyle"isquitecommonnow,and"GypsyJazz"hasbecomeanacceptedstyleofitsown,
althoughstillsometimesderidedbypurists.Fordifferentreasons,Imyselfchafeattheuseoftheterm"Django
Style",becauseitimpliesthattheHotCluberaisthebeallandendallofDjango's'music.Havingsaidthatitis
easytoseewhyithadsuchanimpact!
HoweverthegypsyelementinDjango'splayinggraduallydisappearedandevenasearlyas1939hisstylewas
startingtomoveon.ListeningtosuchcutsasSweetGeorgiaBrown,HoneysuckleRose,TwelfthYear,andhis
immortalinterpretationofI'llSeeYouInMyDreams,andcomparingthemwithsomeofhisearlierwork,he
hadinaway,gotafewthingsoutofhissystembythistime.Hisstylestillretainsitsuniqueexuberance,andhis
formidabletechniqueisstillobvious,butthereisaslightlymorebalancedfeel.
DuringthethirtiesDjangowasattheforefrontofthedevelopmentoftheguitarinJazz.Hisrecordshadbegunto
reachAmerica,andmanymajorAmericanmusicianswouldarriveinFrancetorecordwithhim,spreadingthe
wordofthisamazingmusicianontheirreturntotheUSA.WhoknowswhateffecthewouldhavehadonBe
BopinAmericaduringtheearlyforties,hadhebeenabletogetthere,butjustwhenhewasathispeak,his
careerwasradicallyaffectedbytheoutbreakofWar.CutofffromthebrewingpotofBeBopforsixyears,he
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wasnotprivytothedevelopmentsofmodernJazzuntilitwaswellalongtheway.Bywhichtimethe
movementsmainguitarinnovatorCharlieChristianhadbeendeadfromtuberculosisforfouryears!
However,throughoutthewaryearsDjango'smusiccontinuedtodevelop.DuringthisperiodDjangoproduced
somememorablerecordingsincludingmanyofhisowncompositionssuchasManoirdeMesReves,Douce
AmbianceandtheclassicNuages.AparticularlygoodrecordingsessioncamejustafterthewarinLondon,
January1946,atwhicheightgreatcutsweremade.ReunitedwithGrappelliandSupportedbyaBritishrhythm
section,heproducedsomeofhisbestworkonacousticguitar.Heseemstobebrimmingwithideas,still
sparklingwithflairandcracklingwithenergybutsoundingverysolidandmature.Hiscontrolofdynamicsis
masterfulonthissession,buildingupthetensionandreleasingitwonderfullyonNuages,soaringeffortlesslyon
Liza,andagainontheimaginativerompthroughBelleville.HeevenbreathslifeintothebanalCoquettemaking
itsoundlikethemostmarveloustune!TheoriginalMelodieauCrepesculeishere.Thisbeautifultuneisawork
ofart,andDjango'ssoloisexquisite.
AttheendofthewarrecordingsfromtheUSAstartedtofilterthroughtoEuropeandin1946Djangoatlast
wenttoAmericaandheardthedevelopmentsofthe"new"jazzfirsthand.ItwasherethatDjangoplayedan
electricguitarforthefirsttime.ListeningtothefewtracksrecordedwithDukeEllingtonitsoundsasthough
Djangohasalsogotholdofagoodampfortheday.Hehasthatuniquelybigtone,butverylittleofthe
distortionwhichischaracteristicofhisearlyattemptstorecordwithelectricguitar.Manysuchrecordings
appearedduring1947,theresultofpooramplificationandDjango'snaturallyaggressiveacoustictechnique.
IronicallythissoundhasbecomeacceptedinDjangocircles,andsomeplayersgooutoftheirwaytospecifically
imitatethissound.
Between1946and1949Django'srecordingsalternatedbetweenelectricguitarandacousticguitar,buthis
overallmusicalstylecontinuedtoevolve.ManyofhiscompositionsofthistimesuchasDiminishing
BlacknessorMicroreflectthegrowinginfluenceofBeBop.Infactthemiddle8toMoppin'theBridecould
havebeenwrittenbyCharlieParkerhimself!
By1949theBeBopinfluenceonDjango'splayingisobvious.Listentoanyofthefamous'RomeSessions'or
the1950recordingwithAndreEkyanRienhardtmakesbothGrappelliandsaxophonistAndreEkyansound
dated.BythistimeDjangowasgoingexclusivelyforanelectricsound.Ironicallyitwasduringthisperiodthat
hefittedanelectricbarpickuptohisMaccaferri,andwasabletoproduceacleanermorearchtoptypesound.
IndeedheoncereferredtotheelectricguitarsinAmericaas"tinpots".Buthewantedtheelectric/archtopsound
andobviouslywentoutofhiswaytogetit.
FormethebestmaterialofDjango's'modern'periodwasbetween1951andhisdeathin1953.Earlyin1951,
armedwithhisamplifiedMaccaferriwhichheusedtotheveryendheputtogetheranewbandofthebest
youngmodernmusiciansinParisincludingHubertFol,analtoistintheCharlieParkermould.Although
Djangowastwentyyearsolderthantherestoftheband,hewascompletelyincommandofthemodernstyle.
WhilsthissolosbecamelesschordalandhislinesmoreChristianlike,heretainedhisoriginality.Ibelievehe
shouldberatedmuchmorehighlyasabebopguitarist.Hisinfallibletechnique,hisdaring,'ontheedge'
improvisationscoupledwithhisvastlyadvancedharmonicsense,tookhimtomusicalheightsthatChristianand
manyotherBopmusiciansnevercamenear.ThelivecutsfromClubSt.GermaininFebruary1951area
revelation.Djangoisontopformfullofnewideasthatareexecutedwithamazingfluidity,cuttingangularlines
thatalwaysretainthatferociousswing.MorenewcompositionsappearedlikeDoubleWhiskyandthebrilliant
ImpromptuofwhichabreakneckversionwasrecordedinMay1951.Thisisatremendouslyexcitingtunewhich
Ihaveneverheardanyoneattempttoplay.ItfeaturesgreatsolosfromthewholebandandDjangomakesitplain
inhischordcompingthatit'sbasedonthesequenceofDizzyGillespie'sThingstoComemakinghimselfsound
uncannilylikeGillespie'sbigband!GillespiealsousedthischordsequencelaterforBeBop.
UnfortunatelyDjangodidn'trecordmuchin1952,buthedidcutfourgreattunesinJanuary.HubertFol's
appropriatelytitledKeepCoolandthreeDjangotunesAmodernarrangementofhis1949composition
TroublantBolero,thememorableNuitdeSt.GermaindePresacrackingboptune,popularinDjangocircles
butotherwisesadlyunheardofandfinallyanotherunderratedtunethatisrarelyplayedeveninDjangocircles

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FlecheD'or.ThereisahintofOrnithologyinthemelodyandastrikinglymodernsolobyDjango.Thetune
finishesonadramaticsologuitarcoda.Agreatfavoriteofmine,butbarelyanyoneelsehasevenheardofit!
DjangodiedonthenightofMay15th1953,butinhisfinalhalfyearoflifeheproducedsomerealquality
music.ApersonalfavoriteisAnoumanfromtheJanuary30thsession.AfterareflectivepianointrobyMaurice
Vander,thebittersweetmelodyisplayedwithgreatpoisebyHubertFolonalto.Reinhardttakesthemiddle8,
finishinghissoloonghostlysoundingaugmentedtriadarpeggio's.Ahauntinglybeautifulpieceofmusic.
TheMarch10thsessionproduced8absoluteclassics,includingarguablyhisgreatestrenditionofNuages.
despiteacoupleofgreatswingersinNightandDay,andBrazilthewholeatmosphereofthissessionis
somehowpermeatedwithagreatmelancholy.Evidentonallthetracksisastrangemixtureofsadness,beauty
anddepth.ManoirdeMesReveshasanairofquietacceptance.Itisverypeaceful,butatthesametimethereis
analmostunbearablydesolatequalitytoit.AsNormanMonyanobserved,"itsalmostlikeheknewtheendwas
coming".
Django'sfinalrecordingsessiontookplaceonApril8th1953,anditproducedafinalfourgems.Itopenswith
thecontemplativeLeSoir,butChezMoipicksupthetempowithahappygoluckyfeelandICoverthe
Waterfrontagaindemonstrateshismasteryofthemodernballad.Django'sfinalstatementcommittedtowaxwas
Deccaphonie,anuptempo12barimprovisation,modernevenbytoday'sstandards.Afittingepitaphperhaps.
PerhapswithalittlemoretimeDjangowouldhavebeenacceptedasamodernguitarist.Asitwasmanyofhis
fanswouldaskhim"whydon'tyouplaylikeyouusedtowithGrappelli".Howsaddeningitmusthavebeenfor
thisgreatman,inasensesnaredbyhispastgenius,whoonlywantedtoexpresshimselfthroughthemusicthat
hefeltandloved.Django'sinfluenceonthemodernmovementcouldhavebeenmuchgreaterwithanothershot
atAmerica.Butitwasnottobe.NeverthelesshisplaceinJazzhistoryisassured,andformanyhewillcontinue
tobethegreatestguitaristthateverlived.

ManythankstoWayneJefferiesforallowingtheuseofhisarticlewhichfirstappearedintheU.KDjango
Fanzine"Djazzology"
Waynecanbecontactedat:
115HoodSt
Sherwood
Nottingham
NG54AQ
Tel:+44(0)1159526231

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