“Minor Swing”—Django Reinhardt
"Minor Swing" is a gypsy jazz composition by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli.
Eight decades ago, this tune was first recorded by the Quintette de Hot Club de France in Paris.
The members of The Quintet of the Hot Club of France on this November 25, 1937 recording date were: Stéphane Grappelli-violin; Django Reinhardt, his brother Joseph Reinhardt, and Eugene Vees-guitars; and Louis Vola-string bass.
Guitarist/composer Django Reinhardt (1910-1953) was a Sinti-gypsy, born in Belgium. At the end of the First World War he moved with his family to Paris, France. At the beginning of the Second World War, while playing in London, Django decided to return to Paris. During the interbellum, his musical career was shaped.
89 years ago today, on November 2, 1928, Django Reinhardt got badly burned while an accident in his gypsy caravan make it go up in flames. Django and his wife managed to escape the inferno. His body, however, was badly burned, including his left hand.
In the next one and a half years of recovery Django practiced to play guitar solos with only his index and middle fingers. The rest of his left hand was immobilized.
A 1934 chance meeting between Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli resulted in the creation of a new jazz group called Quintette du hot Club de France.
Within 5 years this quintet recorded just over a hundred titles and it was highly succesful, both in France and abroad.
When the war broke out in 1939 the quintet was touring in Great Britain. While Grappelli remained in England, Django Reinhardt returned to Paris.
They would not be joined again until 1946.
Django's popularity was revived in 2017, when the 2-hour movie "Django" directed by Etienne Comar appeared, starring Reda Kateb as the legendary solo-guitarist. It tells the story of Django Reinhardt's wartime music and his flight from German-occupied Paris in 1943.
After the war, Django went to the United States to tour with Duke Ellington and he developed an interest in bebop.
Back in France, Django retired from the music scene in 1951, and he died two years later at the age of 43.
