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Gypsy Jazz: In Search of Django Reinhardt and the Soul of Gypsy Swing
Of all the styles of jazz to emerge in the twentieth century, none is more passionate, more exhilaratingly up-tempo, or more steeped in an outsider tradition than Gypsy Jazz. And there is no one more qualified to write about Gypsy Jazz than Michael Dregni, author of the acclaimed biography, Django .
A vagabond music, Gypsy Jazz is played today in French Gypsy bars, Romany encampments, on religious pilgrimages--and increasingly on the world's greatest concert stages. Yet its story has never been told, in part because much of its history is undocumented, either in written form or often even in recorded music. Beginning with Django Reinhardt, whose dazzling Gypsy Jazz became the toast of 1930s Paris in the heady days of Josephine Baker, Picasso, and Hemingway, Dregni follows the music as it courses through caravans on the edge of Paris, where today's young French Gypsies learn Gypsy Jazz as a rite of passage, along the Gypsy pilgrimage route to Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer where the Romany play around their campfires, and finally to the new era of international Gypsy stars such as Bireli Lagrene, Boulou Ferre, Dorado Schmitt, and Django's own grandchildren, David Reinhardt and Dallas Baumgartner. Interspersed with Dregni's vivid narrative are the words of the musicians themselves,
many of whom have never been interviewed for the American press before, as they describe what the music means to them. Gypsy Jazz also includes a chapter devoted entirely to American Gypsy musicians who remain largely unknown outside their hidden community.
Blending travelogue, detective story, and personal narrative, Gypsy Jazz is music history at its best, capturing the history and culture of this elusive music--and the soul that makes it swing.
A vagabond music, Gypsy Jazz is played today in French Gypsy bars, Romany encampments, on religious pilgrimages--and increasingly on the world's greatest concert stages. Yet its story has never been told, in part because much of its history is undocumented, either in written form or often even in recorded music. Beginning with Django Reinhardt, whose dazzling Gypsy Jazz became the toast of 1930s Paris in the heady days of Josephine Baker, Picasso, and Hemingway, Dregni follows the music as it courses through caravans on the edge of Paris, where today's young French Gypsies learn Gypsy Jazz as a rite of passage, along the Gypsy pilgrimage route to Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer where the Romany play around their campfires, and finally to the new era of international Gypsy stars such as Bireli Lagrene, Boulou Ferre, Dorado Schmitt, and Django's own grandchildren, David Reinhardt and Dallas Baumgartner. Interspersed with Dregni's vivid narrative are the words of the musicians themselves,
many of whom have never been interviewed for the American press before, as they describe what the music means to them. Gypsy Jazz also includes a chapter devoted entirely to American Gypsy musicians who remain largely unknown outside their hidden community.
Blending travelogue, detective story, and personal narrative, Gypsy Jazz is music history at its best, capturing the history and culture of this elusive music--and the soul that makes it swing.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2008
16 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 22, 2016
After his definitive biography of guitar genius Django Reinhardt, Michael Dregni explores the influences Reinhardt had on subsequent generations of musicians and on the culture of his people. Bringing the same cultural understanding, musical knowledge, and attention to detail he brings to light the music and careers of such luminaries as "Baro," "Matelot," and Sarane Ferret, Tchan-Tchou, Bosquet, Lousson, Babik and David Reinhardt, Henri Crolla, the Rosenbergs, Birelli Lagrene, Tchavolo Schmidt, Angelo Debarre, Boulou Ferre, Ninine and Mondine Garcia, Francis Alfred Moerman, Christian Escoude, Rene Mailhes, Dallas Baumgartner, Johnny Guitar, Danny Fender, Christian "Syntax" Windrestein and many others. If the reader wants to explore the further influences of the music, this is the handbook. - BH.
September 30, 2020
This book introduced me to the entrancing world of Gypsy jazz. I thoroughly enjoyed traversing its history and culture – starting with the guitar legend Django Reinhardt, then following a trail of musicians and individuals who each played a role in the music’s existence. Dregni’s prose livened the onslaught of stories and information, though details like chord progressions and song titles held little interest for me, a casual reader. Still, I’m grateful for the newfound familiarity with the names that appear on the Gypsy swing playlists I listen to now.
November 14, 2017
If you're into Gypsy Jazz then this is a good book for you. The first half follows the origins along with a bio of Django. The second half looks at some of Django's contemporaries and then follows the music up until the present (2006ish) via other proponents. Along the way you get a small taste of Gypsy life and the seedy cafes and bars where their music was played.
February 25, 2019
His Django book was great. This book covered some of the same ground, and at the end of the day I realized I don't enjoy or care about some of the other musicians he covers.
But I'm really glad he did the research and wrote all this down. Someone needed to.
But I'm really glad he did the research and wrote all this down. Someone needed to.
January 26, 2009
Michael Dregni has written an exhaustive history of what he terms 'gypsy jazz' from its origins in the early 20th century in the bals de musette, focusing mostly on Django Reinhardt and his contemporaries and descendants.
Although I've listened to Reinhardt's music most of my life I knew little about him before reading this book - and it turns out that the readily available recordings only scratch the surface of Reinhardt's work.
As many Romani ('gypsy') musicians do, Django started playing when he was very young. He started on the banjo, moved on to an odd instrument called the 'banjo-guitar' - basically a guitar with the steel sound board of a banjo, and finally to the guitar. When he was 19 his caravan caught fire, nearly killing him, and leaving him without the use of 2 fingers on his left hand. He re-taught himself to play using only the 2 remaining fingers and thumb.
Dregni has unearthed many rare recordings, and tracked down many of Django's contemporaries. He follows the evolution of gypsy jazz down to the present day, including some Romani hip-hop musicians.
This is probably way more information than the casual listener wants to know, but an informative and engaging read nonetheless.
Although I've listened to Reinhardt's music most of my life I knew little about him before reading this book - and it turns out that the readily available recordings only scratch the surface of Reinhardt's work.
As many Romani ('gypsy') musicians do, Django started playing when he was very young. He started on the banjo, moved on to an odd instrument called the 'banjo-guitar' - basically a guitar with the steel sound board of a banjo, and finally to the guitar. When he was 19 his caravan caught fire, nearly killing him, and leaving him without the use of 2 fingers on his left hand. He re-taught himself to play using only the 2 remaining fingers and thumb.
Dregni has unearthed many rare recordings, and tracked down many of Django's contemporaries. He follows the evolution of gypsy jazz down to the present day, including some Romani hip-hop musicians.
This is probably way more information than the casual listener wants to know, but an informative and engaging read nonetheless.
March 7, 2022
Fantastic book. I need to re-read parts of it to remember all the names. The book doesn't spend enough time on certain historical characters of very interesting note, but overall a great treatise.
September 12, 2010
So, the book seems to be largely a rehash of the authors biography of Django Reinhardt.
July 18, 2014
Great book on gypsy jazz. I advise reading it with YouTube open. The music is wonderful. This book is also a good travelogue of Paris.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews