Celebrating anew the dearly departed whose impact on jazz remains hale and hearty
Name: Django Reinhardt
Claim to fame: Europe’s foremost contribution to jazz, the wily gypsy guitarist gleefully scribbled outside the sonic lines, creating music so new and expansive that the genre wasn’t big enough to hold him. Played in the all-string Quintette du Hot Club de France alongside famed violinist Stephane Grappelli, and has served as the go-to musician whenever Hollywood wants to evoke a tipsy, sepia-toned Paris at 2 a.m.
Star sign: Aquarius, providing Reinhardt with the nimble intellectualism needed to figure out how to play guitar despite sustaining severe burns to his left hand in a caravan fire.
Why he’s still relevant: The electric guitar may be the 21st century’s predominant instrument, but there’s something strangely exciting about an acoustic played fast with sparkle and verve, two adjectives easily applied to Reinhardt.
Own it: The Best of Django Reinhardt (1996, Blue Note).
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